My Coast - Somersby
The A-Z of the Central Coast, NSW, Australia
Welcome to the eighteenth installment of my photo blog exploring my local area, the Central Coast. This week is my “S” destination, Somersby.
S-Somersby
Somersby is a mixture of rural and built up areas, located to the northwest of Gosford, just off of the M1 motorway. Somersby has a population of just over 1,000.
Looking out over Brisbane Water
Somersby is spread out over sections of the Brisbane Water National Park in the south and stretches up to Mangrove mountain in the north. The population is largely made up of people living in rural houses and farms.
Somersby Falls - Lower falls
Somersby Centre Industrial Park is undergoing a period of development at the moment, that the local government claim will bring hundreds of much needed jobs to the area to save Central Coast locals having to commute to Sydney each day. If the park is developed as claimed it will be a huge boost to the area. From my perspective nearly two years after the announcement things do seem to be moving, but slowly!
Lizard from the Reptile Park
Somersby has two main attractions. The first of which is the Australian Reptile Park. The park is home to a large selection of reptiles, including lizards, snakes and my favourite animal, Crocodiles. There is also a spider house with some very scary looking creatures in it. Throughout the park you can see Kangaroos roaming around the grounds during the day. It is a really fun place to take the family and has an awesome kids playpark as well.
Hitching a ride with turtle power
The second main attraction is Somersby Falls. This is my favourite local place for photography as I only live five minutes drive away. Somersby Falls is a series of waterfalls set in the midst of a rainforest. The falls are separated by pathways and walking tracks that wind their way down through the waterfalls. At the top of the falls is a grassy picnic area. It gets very busy during the daytime here, especially around lunchtime on weekends. The middle falls are the largest and there is a pool to wade in during the summer when the water is warmer.
Somersby Falls - middle falls
I have been down to take photos at sunrise before and have had the falls all to myself. It is a truly magical experience taking photos of the waterfalls when you are the only person there, with just the inquisitive Bush Turkeys for company. The only sounds you can hear are the flow of the water and nature. it really does feel like you are in the middle of nowhere, even though in reality I am only a few km’s from home!
Getting a bit of fishing practise in with sticks at the end of a fun afternoon at the falls
I hope you have enjoyed reading about Somersby. My next destination will be another one of my favourite local spots, Terrigal.