Central and North Coast of NSW - Introduction

The Pacific Highway, built between the Great Dividing Range and the Pacific Ocean, is the coastal link between Sydney and Brisbane and is the main transport artery for the increasingly popular Central and North Coast of NSW. The highway has a notorious recent history of fatal accidents. Although major sections are being widened and upgraded there is nothing basically wrong with the road; the accidents are more to do with the way people drive on it – too fast and too close. So take care.
We have broken this extensive region down into 3 sub regions -

Central NSW Coast (or Lower North Coast)

North of the Hawkesbury River, the Central Cost begins with centres like Gosford, Terrigal, The Entrance, Wyong and Swansea on Lake Macquarie.
Sprawling NEWCASTLE (pictured) is the second largest city in NSW and in recent times has been trying to cast off its industrial shackles and establish itself as an aesthetic centre for culture and heritage architecture - and there now is a bit of a buzz about the place. Newcastle is a good setting off point for the Hunter Valley and it also has some pretty decent city beaches.To the north, the resort towns that are on the shores of the lovely bay of Port Stephens include Nelson Bay, Shoal Bay, Karuah, Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest. 
Further on, just past Buladelah, is the turn off to the beautiful Myall Lakes National Park www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/(Myall Lakes). There is a superb beach at Seal Rocks (pictured) before you arrive at the well established holiday centres of Forster and Tuncurry, which face each other on either side of the ocean entrance to Wallis Lake. Despite the uninspired architecture of some of the high rise buildings, these twin resort towns do have an appeal with their pretty ocean and lakeside setting.
Inland from the Central Coast, Dungog and Gloucester are very attractive provincial towns whilst the wild Barrington Tops National Park www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/(Barrington Tops) is a World Heritage wilderness.