How to Spend 48 Hours in Australia's Central Coast

Sydney’s seaside strolls might snatch all the attention but the Bouddi Coastal Walk boasts ocean views that can’t be beat. The 8km boardwalk — a long but gentle trail — twists along the rocky coastline and through shady rainforest, linking beautiful bird-watching spots with hidden beaches and peerless vantage points of the ‘Humpback Highway’ when the whales make their annual migration every winter (May to October).

Bouddi National Park, Killcare Heights NSW, +61 2 4320 4200

Your reward for tackling the trail? An afternoon at Macmasters and Copacabana beach, a perfect sample of the golden strips of sand that define the Central Coast. Grab some fish and chips at the Barefoot Cafe at the southern end of the beach, or a quiet schooner to rehydrate at the Copacabana Surf Life Saving Club at the northern end, as the sun sets over the sand.

Barefoot Cafe, 100 Marine Parade, Macmasters Beach NSW, +61 499 059 041

Copacabana SLSC, Del Monte Place, Copacabana NSW, +61 2 4381 1420

Avoca’s not just home to the best picture theatre on the Central Coast — it’s also got two of the top coffee joints, too. Becker & Co. is the size of a postage stamp but delivers on-point specialty coffee in the middle of town, while Like Minds — a former general store just a short walk from the beach that was converted into a cafe and exhibition space in 2014 — dishes up super sustainable meals made with ingredients sourced from their own gardens.

Becker & Co., 2/162 Avoca Dr, Avoca Beach NSW, +61 2 4381 2312

Like Minds, 352 The Round Dr, Avoca Beach NSW, +61 2 4339 3219

Then it’s time to jump behind the wheel and tick off two of the Coast’s big-ticket attractions. You can’t miss Ploddy the dinosaur greeting visitors to the Australian Reptile Park, which houses a mixture of exotic animals — headlined by Hugo the Galapagos tortoise — and native Aussie wildlife, including the notorious resident croc ‘Elvis the Bone Crusher’, a cranky five-metre salty who made international news when he ate a lawnmower in 2011. Almost right next door, the Australian Walkabout Wildlife Park allows many of its animals to roam free — no crocs, but plenty of emus, roos, turtles and snakes.

Australian Reptile Park, Lot 69 Pacific Hwy, Somersby NSW, +61 2 4340 1022

Australian Walkabout Wildlife Park, 1 Darkinjung Rd, Calga NSW, +61 2 4375 1100

Don’t spend too much time playing Doctor Dolittle with the wildlife before grabbing lunch in Terrigal, the cosmopolitan holiday spot where the beachfront brings with dining options. Take your pick from the Cove Cafe at the water’s edge at the Haven, the sophisticated modern Australian cuisine at Reef, the Terrigal Surf Cafe in the surf life saving club, the relaxed beachside hangout Bellyfish, or stacks of other places offering a side order of ocean views with your main course. Work off lunch with a walk to the top of the Skillion, Terrigal’s iconic headland that enjoys panoramic vistas along the coastline.

Cove Cafe, Scenic Hwy, Terrigal NSW, +61 2 4384 5083

Reef Restaurant, The Haven, Terrigal Esplanade, Terrigal NSW, +61 2 4385 3222

Terrigal SLSC, Esplanade, Terrigal NSW, +61 2 4385 6933

Bellyfish, 4/112 Terrigal Esplanade, Terrigal NSW, +61 2 4385 6838

Next stop, the Entrance — there are pelicans to be fed. Every afternoon at 3.30pm, both pelicans and people flock to the waterfront Memorial Plaza on the Entrance to witness these awesome sea birds fill their gullets. The Entrance is a lot more than just the self-described ‘Pelican Capital of Australia’, however — it’s a haven for fishing and boating, not to mention the string of beaches on its doorstep. End your 48 hours on the Central Coast with a picnic in the aptly named Picnic Point Reserve, as the sun disappears into the vast Tuggerah Lake.

Pelican Plaza, The Entrance NSW, +61 2 4333 5377

Picnic Point Reserve, 55 Lakeside Parade, The Entrance NSW