My Coast - Ettalong Beach
The A-Z of the Central Coast, NSW, Australia
Welcome to the fifth instalment of my fortnightly photo blog exploring my local area, the Central Coast. This week's destination is Ettalong Beach.
E-Ettalong Beach
Ettalong Beach is located on the peninsula at the southern end of the Central Coast where Brisbane Water meets Broken Bay. It is a small waterside suburb that has plenty to offer. Its location on the water and still being close to bushland means it is the perfect spot for a plethora of outdoor activities, both land and water based.
Looking out from the beach at sunset
At the centre of the village is the small shopping mall on Ocean View Drive. There are numerous different types of stores and plenty of places to eat to keep everyone happy, whatever the time of day. The Ettalong Beach Hotel is one of the two main social hubs along with Ettalong Diggers.
Ettalong Diggers Club
Ettalong Diggers is a large entertainments venue, incorporating a hotel, conference suites, restaurants and bars, as well as kids play areas. The hotel rooms on the back of the Diggers have balconies overlooking the beach and the waterfront.
The new path on the foreshore
The Ettalong beach foreshore reserve has recently undergone an upgrade to the walk along the sea front. It forms part of a footpath and cycleway that stretches all the way from Gosford to Umina Beach. It is an excellent cycle track that we have started to use, taking the kids on the back of our bikes. There are many different play parks on the route so it is fun to cycle a bit, let the kids have a play, and finish off with an ice cream!
Looking south towards Sydney
At the centre of the new reserve is a war memorial dedicated to those who served during the Vietnam war, which is a focal point for the area's annual Anzac Day service.
The reserve has numerous barbeques for public use. It is the perfect spot for family gatherings and outdoor parties with a stunning view looking right down to Barrenjoey Lighthouse in Sydney and across the water to Wagstaffe and Pretty Beach.
War Memorial
One of the biggest annual events held in Ettalong beach is the Brisbane Water Oyster Festival. I can testify to how good this is as I love eating Oysters, especially raw with lemon squeezed on them. The event attracts crowds in the region of 20,000 to the foreshore area, and as well as all the food stalls, there are plenty of arts and crafts stalls and entertainments for all the family.
Playpark on the foreshore reserve
The beach starts from the jetty that the Ferry departs from on the north side and stretches round to Ocean beach in Umina, the next suburb along. The beach changes drastically between low and high tide. There is a short strip of sand when the tide is in. When it is out you can walk out a fair distance, making it perfect for small inflatable dinghies and exploring the small tidal pools.
Looking across the water to Wagstaffe
The local seagulls share the water with the small boats that are anchored here. From the wharf, there are regular departures to Palm Beach in Sydney, which is only 30-minutes away by boat. You can often the hear the distant hum of jet skis from further out in the bay, drowning out the screeching birds.
The restaurant at the end of the beach
There is no better way to finish off a trip to Ettalong Beach by a visit to the kiosk or the restaurant on the waterfront and having an ice cream or a milkshake, you may have guessed this is a recurring theme in our family outings by now! Both have beach views, depending on where you sit and are great spots for watching the world go by.
Thank you very much for reading. If you would like to be notified of my next post in 2 weeks time, where the destination will be Forresters Beach, please click the link on the right.