Holiday houses in Toowoon Bay

Located on a peninsula in New South Wales between the Pacific Ocean and Tuggerah Lake, Toowoon Bay is a small beach town with a laid-back vibe that offers ready access to its beaches and parks. The calm waters along Toowoon Bay Beach invite swimming or paddleboarding. Rocky reefs at both ends of the horseshoe-shaped beach protect it from large swells, creating the ideal conditions for snorkeling. If you are lucky, dolphins and whales may pass by as they cavort offshore.

If water activities aren’t on the day’s agenda, you can spend an afternoon strolling along the quieter Tuggerah Beach, taking in sweeping views of the Tasman Sea. You’ll find many cycling routes around Toowoon Bay, as well as an array of walking tracks and a few historic lighthouses to explore. It is also easy to make day trips to Sydney, around 100 kilometres south, or the world-famous Hunter Valley wineries.

New South Wales’ moderate weather makes visiting Toowoon Bay an appealing prospect all year long. Summer is the warmest season, with sporadic rain showers that may make planning outdoor activities a little tricky, though the rain doesn’t last long. Spring and autumn are great times to travel here, as the weather remains warm and relatively dry but the number of visitors thins out. During the winter, the temperatures can get downright chilly. While this isn’t the best time to spend an entire day outdoors, it is one of the quietest times of the year in Toowoon Bay, and if you bundle up properly for walks on the beach, you may find yourself alone with the waves and the sand. Afterward, retreat to the coziness of nearby cafes to restore your spirits.

Wyrrabalong National Park

Wyrrabalong National Park, 10 kilometres north from Toowoon Bay, has conserved the last stretch of untouched coastal rainforest on Australia’s Central Coast, which includes a pristine patch of red gum forest. The hilltop trails offer sweeping views of the rocky beaches and sparkling Tasman Sea. If you are lucky, an eagle or kestrel may glide by overhead while you’re on the trail.

Bouddi Coastal Walk

Located around 30 kilometres from Toowoon Bay near Gosford, this well-maintained and partially boarded 8.5-kilometre hiking track leads you along beach after beach — stop and swim if you’d like — and through verdant rainforests. The boardwalk near Putty Beach is the most popular stretch of this walk; if you take the Maitland Bay track up through the rainforest it will bring you up to the top of the ridge, for a panoramic view. If you take to the trails at the right time of year, a pod of whales may glide by.

Tuggerah Lake

The appeal of Tuggerah Beach, an expansive and rugged beach just north of Toowoon Bay, is the promise (not always delivered) of solitude, an afternoon for contemplative strolling on the shore or fishing for Dusky flathead and surf bream. Wander away from the beach to discover a hiking trail that leads to Wyrrabalong National Park, home to Australian pelicans and brown-striped frogs.