Fast facts
- Popular holiday centre surrounded by lagoons, lakes and beaches
- Near the strip of land that separates the ocean from Tuggerah Lake
- 99 km north of Sydney, population 2,800
Why go there
With its cosmopolitan atmosphere and attractive town centre, The Entrance is one of the prettiest towns on the Central Coast.
The area is known for its huge pelican population, and every day at 3:30 pm the pelicans assemble to be fed at a special ramp on the ocean side of the bridge.
The region’s beaches are world-class, while the lake at its back door is ideal for water-skiing, canoeing, sailing, rowing and sailboarding. Fishing from the ocean beaches or lakes is always popular and prawns can be caught on midsummer nights.
History
The Entrance was originally known as Karagi, meaning ‘entrance’ or ‘doorway’ in the language of the local Aboriginal people who occupied the land prior to white settlement in the 1820s. Chinese fishermen established a fishing base around this time, and a timber industry also developed. Tourism began with completion of the Sydney to Newcastle train line in 1889 and Sydneysiders came here for fishing, bathing and walking.
Things to do
- Fish in the channel for blackfish and prawns.
- Ride a bike around the Tuggerah Lake foreshores.
- Explore the lake from Long Jetty - by catamaran, pedal boat or kayak.
- Walk through Red Gum Forest in Wyrrabalong National Park.
Events
- Central Coast Country Music Festival in March attracts some of the hottest acts on the country music scene for a fun-filled, friendly, weekend event.
Don’t miss
- Swimming at the beaches and lakes.
- Daily pelican feeding.
- Waterfront markets every weekend.
- Vera’s Watergarden and the historic carousel.
- Springtime in Wyrrabalong National Park when the flannel flowers are in bloom.
