Budgewoi

Understand

A quiet semi-rural region between the cities of Sydney and Newcastle, it represents a great way to get away from the busy Sydney life without having to journey very far. It takes about 90 minutes to drive through when there is no traffic. It contains many suburban areas as well as numerous reserves and national parks. The area's traditional owners, the Guringai and Darkinjung people, were among the first encountered by the British settlers. As travel between Sydney and Newcastle was mostly done by sea, the early colony only had smaller settlements. The Great Northern Road, built by convict labour, was completed in 1836 and opened the area up to more development thereafter.

Visit NSW tourism website

Getting there

By car You can take the Pacific Motorway (M1) from Sydney, and exit at Gosford, Ourimbah, Tuggerah or Toukley exits depending on what part of the Central Coast you wish to go to. The trip from the start of the freeway at the north of Sydney will take around half an hour to the start of the Central Coast.

By train The coastal areas of the Central Coast are well served by the NSW TrainLink network, which is a very economical way to visit the area. Trains from the Central station in Sydney direct to the Central Coast depart approximately every 30 minutes. The main stations are Woy Woy, Gosford, Tuggerah and Wyong. Journeys are on the Opal card and cost between $5 and $8 one way. The journey can take anywhere between 1.5 and 2 hours.

By ferry Ettalong is accessible by ferry from Palm Beach in Sydney with the passenger ferry crossing the Hawkesbury river every hour or so. Buses run from the Wynyard and Manly to Palm Beach. Bikes are allowed on the ferry. The enthusiastic travel-planner can do a round trip back by bus and train. On the western end, there's car ferries from Wisemans Ferry which operate every few minutes.

By bus CDC NSW operates bus route 592 from Hornsby, Asquith, Mount Colah, Mount Kuring-gai, Berowra, Cowan and Hawkesbury River stations to Mooney Mooney and Cheero Point in the Central Coast. There are also buses from Newcastle.

Getting around

By car As you head out of Sydney into the surrounding bushland, you may think you have left the city behind for the country roads; however, the Central Coast can have traffic and be just as busy as Sydney and Newcastle. Major roads criss-cross the area.

By bus Buses on the Central Coast are privately run under contract, and are integrated into the Sydney ticketing and information system. You can get timetable information from Google Maps.

By bike

There are some areas with well developed bicycle facilities, particularly between Woy Woy and Gosford, but some roads are busy multi-lane roads only for road warriors. Check out the normal bicycle maps sources (Local Council websites, Open Cycle Map, Google Maps) to plan your route.

By train The coastal train stops at most major settlements along the Central Coast, and runs frequently throughout the day.

See

1 Great North Road. It was built by convicts through rough terrain. Today it's one of eleven sites making up the UNESCO World Heritage listing "Australian Convict Sites". (updated Apr 2024) 2 Somersby Falls, Somersby Falls Rd, Somersby (8 km (5.0 mi) NW of Gosford, drive or taxi as there's no public transport available). Seeing the waterfalls in their full glory involves a picturesque walk down into the valley. There are three tiers of falls (top, middle and bottom) though the topmost is not very substantial. The path to the middle falls is safe with the stairs having railing all the way down. The descent to the bottom tier however, requires you to descend on shaky, rocky slabs which are often slippery and not always stable. It may be risky for the elderly or others with health and fitness concern to tread on these rocks. In any case, make sure to wear shoes with good grip. Once there, it’s only a 300 m walk to the bottom. Looking at the falls and using the accompanying picnic area are both free. Parking right next to the falls costs $8. Parking further out on the road is free though you'll have to walk bit more. (updated Apr 2021) 3 Wondabyne. Famed for its remoteness, Wondabyne, surrounded by a river called Mullet Creek is the site of the only railway station in Australia that has inaccessible road access. (There are roads but they do not connect to the outside) A number of "squatter" houses along the creek are still used for fishing. 4 Woy Woy. Woy Woy is a commuter town with an area of southern waterways, in reference to the Aboriginal name of a quantity of water. It is an ideal destination for holidaymakers from their close proximity to Sydney. 5 Tascott. Lends its name to a Scottish-born pioneer, who became the first person to grow sugarcane in Australia. It's a quiet, idyllic waterfront suburb tucked away between the scenic estuarine waterways and dense bushland of Brisbane Water National Park, in close proximity to Gosford. 6 Edogawa Commemorative Garden,

Do

Watch an A-League match. The Central Coast Mariners are the sole professional sporting team in the Central Coast. Their men and women's teams play in the A-League Men and A-League Women respectively, the highest professional soccer leagues in Australia, with their home games being played at the Central Coast Stadium (also known by its sponsored name Industree Group Stadium). The A-League season runs from October to May, with matches occurring several times a month during this period. The Australian Reptile Park is one of the best wildlife parks in Australia, 3 km from Gosford in Somersby, amongst bushland, and attracts many tourists and locals, and is also known as one of several featured locations in the Australian TV series Bondi Vet and its spinoffs. It has many Australian animals including crocodiles, snakes, wombats, Tasmanian devils, kangaroos and emus, which are not fenced! There are also daily crocodile and bird shows. To get there by public transport get a taxi from Gosford station. There is no local bus service to the park. Some tour coaches operate. The Australian Rainforest Sanctuary at the Forest of Tranquility is a true rainforest on the Central Coast, with true humid climate, nice walks, wallabies running around and rare birds occasionally showing up. $12/adult. Glenworth Valley Outdoor Adventures, 69 Cooks Road, Peats Ridge (20 min drive from Gosford), ☏ +61 2 4375 1222. Glenworth Valley has many outdoor activities to participate in. Horse riding, kayaking, quad biking, and abseiling are the main activities, but others are offered. You can usually do up to two in a day, one in the morning and another in the afternoon. Wamberal beach. Considered one of the best on the NSW east coast. (updated Oct 2015) Forrester's Beach. Renowned for its clear seawater and truly breathtaking view. If you are not particularly enthused by saltwater, freshwater swimming pools are available in facilities around the beach. Golf courses and mini golf courses, tennis cou

Buy

Whilst the centre of Gosford doesn't offer