Terrigal has always been a more upmarket Central Coast beach than its neighbours, so it was no surprise when the Peppers chain of hotels (now Crowne Plaza) decided to build a large resort there. This led to the gentrification of the rest of the town. Alongside the older fish and chip cafes on Terrigal drive, you can now find chic cafes offering international fare, upmarket clothing boutiques and expensive gift shops. These all happily coexist with long-established surf shops and other establishments that cater largely to the local community.

The fact that Terrigal, while definitely an upscale community, retains many of its older, more modest establishments is one of its charms. It’s a place where you can feel comfortable in a pair of boardshorts, a tee shirt and flip-flop sandals, even while you’re enjoying a gourmet brunch outside an alfresco cafe. As you sip a cappuccino, just across the street, surfers will be checking out the waves out at the Haven, families will be frolicking in the waves in front of the Terrigal Surf Life Saving Club under the watchful eye of the lifeguards and "Mums and Dads" will be waiting for a big serving of fish and chips wrapped in paper to take down to the beach for lunch.

Another great thing about Terrigal is the fact that, unlike so many urban beaches, you don’t even have to get in your car and drive in order to find a quiet stretch of beach to relax. Simply walk up the beach towards Wamberal and before you know it, you’re in a different world; the world the locals enjoy. There seems to be a magical dividing line between Terrigal and its primarily residential neighbour: cross that line and you can really feel the difference.

Terrigal makes a great base for exploring the rest of the Central Coast. Travel just a few miles south and you arrive in Avoca Beach. Over the years, Avoca Beach, like Terrigal, has gone more upmarket, but in a thoroughly unpretentious way. A small, tight knit community, Avoca Beach has a proud sporting history. The Avoca Boardriders Club has been ranked as one of Australia’s top surfing clubs for decades and the Avoca Sharks football team is always a first-place contender in the Central Coast region. Like Terrigal, the beach in front of the Avoca Surf Lifesaving Club can get very crowded, but just take a short stroll to North Avoca and you can have a stretch of beach all to yourself.

Travel north a few miles from Terrigal and you reach the Entrance. The Entrance is a larger tourist centre than Terrigal, but has more of a family atmosphere than its neighbour.

In keeping with the Terrigal lifestyle, you don’t have to stay at one of the other more luxurious Terrigal accommodation. There is something for everyone in Terrigal or one of its neighbouring beach communities. Make Terrigal the base for your Central Coast vacation: from fish and chips to scampi – Terrigal has it all.

Lake Macquarie’s Laid Back Lifestyle
The laid back lifestyle and relaxing atmosphere are just two reasons why the Lake Macquarie area is so popular. People come here to escape the stresses of everyday life. Here you can simply sit back and relax on one of the lakeside beaches or make the most of the many things to see and do in the Lake Macquarie area; the choice is yours!

Lake Macquarie Tourist Attractions
Lake Macquarie is a haven for yachting and sailing but this is just one of the things you can enjoy when visiting! Such a large lake offers an abundance of water sports from fishing, to water skiing, to swimming and surfing, you can do it all on Lake Macquarie!

When not on the water you can admire the views of the lake from the villages and parks. Walking and hiking in places like the Watagan Mountain National Park and State Forest Area, the Wangi Point State Recreation Area, and the Green Point Nature Reserve will afford some spectacular views and the chance to see the area’s flora and fauna up close.

Stroll through the streets of Lake Macquarie’s towns and villages and soak in the relaxed atmosphere. Enjoy a drink or a meal in one of the many lake-view restaurants and cafés that grace its shores or enjoy an abundance of shopping. Charleston is considered the retail capital of Lake Macquarie, but each village has its own appeal – Morisset for example has the huge Morisset Mega Markets every weekend.

Where to Stay at Lake Macquarie
The City of Lake Macquarie is just one of the places where you can stay when visiting Lake Macquarie, or choose one of the many smaller towns or villages that surround the lake, like Toronto, Belmont, Charleston or Warners Bay. Accommodation at Lake Macquarie is plentiful, whether you prefer a larger hotel or the more personal touch of a B&B, you’ll find it here.

Chill Cook Create Retreat

Are you looking for activities to inspire your life, want to enjoy special time with friends and family or do you want to inspire your staff? Restore your wellbeing and relieve the stress in your life by taking part in Australia’s newest and most tantalizing retreat.

As the name implies, this is a retreat unlike all the other run of the mill retreats. The focus at Chill Cook Create is placed on stimulating guests’ creative and expressive sides with a mid week escape or a short holiday while staying at an all inclusive 5 star resort with mouth watering gourmet food and complete facilities.

Chill Cook Create Retreats offers a number of packages which include different engaging classes, hands on art or cooking classes, yoga, tia chi or martial arts and comforting massage. Each activity is lead by an experienced and reputable professional in their field ensuring that each participant, no matter their level of experience, take away new skills or ideas, a memorable experience presented in a passionate and exhilarating environment.

At Chill Cook Create Retreats your every need is catered for: it is situated on a pristine slice of coastline roughly an hour’s drive north of Sydney and has a scenic view that will melt guests upon arrival. The grounds are ample and guests can meander throughout them at will, taking in the magnificent flora, as well as enjoy the various facilities including several pools, a tennis court, poolside café, BBQ area, and much more!

Chill Cook Create has been established to meet people’s needs! You can organize a retreat that matches your time availability and also your personal dietary needs. There are several different tailor made packages targeting particular groups or people, so you will be sure to find one that motivates you. If you would like to you create your own creative retreat package for a group of family or friends contact Chill Cook Create Retreats and we will create a creative, exciting and rejuvenating retreat especially for you. Custom packages can be created for Corporate Groups including team building, seminars and team activities.

Reignite the mind, body and senses! The experiences are unforgettable, and the surroundings are nothing short of heavenly—select one of the Chill Cook Create Retreat packages and make your next retreat an experience to remember!

Pelican Feeding at The Entrance

The coastal resort of The Entrance makes for a fantastic weekend getaway from the nearby cities of Sydney and Newcastle, offering a more laid back and relaxed destination away from the bustle of the city!

Tourists have been coming to The Entrance since as far back as 1885 when the first guest house was opened. It’s nice to think that in all this time, although there’s been development at The Entrance, it hasn’t been over the top and the coastal town still retains its charm. Having said this, The Entrance has benefited from a recent multi million dollar refurbishment which has really helped to lift the town and has increased visitor numbers again. Both couples and families, young and old, will enjoy the variety of attractions on offer here at The Entrance.

Visitors who are interested in the history of The Entrance will certainly enjoy The Entrance Heritage Walk. This makes for a nice afternoon’s stroll around the town and should take about 2 hours to complete. Along the way you’ll see signs and maps with information telling you about the history of the town and its people.

Since its redevelopment The Entrance is now a more cosmopolitan coastal town. We particularly enjoyed the new cafés where you can sit and enjoy a coffee and a snack, and watch the world go by whilst gazing at the distant calming water views. Once we were refreshed we decided to check out some of the local parks – the Memorial Park, on the shores of Lake Tuggerah, is particularly good for families with children as there’s always something going on to keep the kids amused! The real hit with the children was Vera’s Water Garden where they can cool off from the summer sun and have fun splashing about!

The Entrance is the Pelican Capital of Australia, and probably the most popular attraction is the daily Pelican feeding which takes place once a day at 3.30pm, every day of the year! This is a not to be missed event and you’ll want to get here early to make sure you have a good spot to view the feeding from. The Pelican feeding is not just about feeding the birds though, it’s a chance for visitors to get to know more about them through the commentary, and to see them up much closer than you would usually do. It also helps Pelican experts to keep an eye on the birds and look out for any who might be injured and need help, so it really is a multi-purpose event!

You may like to coincide your visit with The Entrance Mardi Gras (also known as the Tuggerah Lakes Mardi Gras) which takes place every year in the first week of December. The Mardi Gras has been going for nearly 60 years and this event attracts thousands of people to The Entrance with its entertainment suitable for the whole family.

Some of the other great things you can do at The Entrance include enjoying the beaches, surfing, water-skiing, boating, fishing, cycling, shopping and playing chess on the giant chess board. Or you may just want to come to The Entrance and do nothing at all! Whatever you choose to do you’ll find some great accommodation in The Entrance and some excellent restaurants to make the most of here.

‘Relaxing Weekends at The Entrance, NSW’ by Claire Bolgil