Around the Central Coast (part 2) - Day 5

Sunday, 9th June - This would be our last day in the Central Coast as we had to be back in Sydney for a dinner that evening.

We checked out from the Airbnb in Berkeley Vale at 10am and drove south to our first stop at Terrigal, a popular beach destination. It was certainly my favourite beach on this coast 😎.

The town looked delightful and very upmarket, and even though it's winter there were loads of people enjoying a sunny day at the beach and a few brave ones were actually swimming.

Terrigal Beach

Terrigal beach

At Terrigal Beach

From Terrigal we drove to Avoca Beach. There is no scenic drive as there are lots of beach front properties, something that doesn't happen with the Perth beaches where everyone has a right to beach access and the houses are across the road.

Here I could actually see some fancy houses with a gate from their back garden to the beach.
Sadly it appears to be a treacherous beach as there were 3 plaques honouring 3 young men who drowned.
While Jose investigated beyond the rocky area to the left of the beach I watched a man playing with his dog, throwing a stick into the sea which he would bring back again climbing the rocks with ease.

Avoca Beach - fancy houses, sand, rocks and a man playing with his dog

Man and dog playing with a stick 

Houses with their back garden facing the beach, memorial plaques to young men who drowned on this beach

Next we drove to Copacabana Beach, first stopping at Winney Bay lookout and just to it's right the Captain Cook's Lookout.

At Winney Bar and Captain Cook's lookout. Bottom left - Winney bay lookout

Captain Cook's lookout

The lookout offers panoramic views of the Pacific ocean, and apparently on clear days you can see the Sydney skyline. It's also one of the best spots to watch the whale migration during June/July and October/November.
There were some people with binoculars who were pointing out to a whale in the distance, but without binoculars I could only make out a dark thing in the distance.

Just below is Copacabana Beach, a popular surfing and swimming beach, named after the famous Rio de Janeiro Beach in Brazil, maybe because it is surrounded by some hills on either side of the bay.

Copacabana Beach

After visiting nearby MacMasters Beach we decided that was enough beaches and drove on to Woy Woy about 17km away.

MacMasters beach with a Lifesaver station

MacMasters beach and a little rabbit we saw crossing the road when we were leaving

On the way to Woy Woy near Ettalong I spotted a beautiful area and we turned the car around to go and see it. It was St. Hubert's island, a beautiful and expensive canal estate built in the 1970's, with just over 1000 residences. 

St Hubert's Island canal estate 

Booker bay Marina across from St Hubert's Island

At Woy Woy (big lagoon' or 'much water' in the local Aboriginal language) we stopped at the Fishermen’s Wharf for what else but fish and chips, which was very nice this time.

Woy Woy is another popular retirement and holiday destination in the Central Coast, and a major commuter hub for local workers into Sydney and Newcastle with a train station and a bus interchange and there is a ferry that connects with other villages around.

While Jose waited for the order on the outside deck I photographed more pelicans being fed by a lady from the self-funded Pelican Rescue & Research. She was also giving a talk to the onlookers about the various things pelicans get tangled in at sea.

Can you spot the fish inside the beak?

Pelican feeding at Woy Woy

Jose motioned me over to eat and after our late lunch we walked around the waterfront reserve where a few people were fishing.  There was also a picnic area and a war memorial. Across the road Jose had a coffee at the Gnostic cafe, and I had a hot chocolate.

It was 5pm and we had a dinner invitation for 7pm at Jose's landlord's house, so we had to get going. Even though it felt as if we had travelled a huge distance we only did about 50kms from Berkeley Vale to Woy Woy and then we drove another 70km to Middle Cove in Sydney's northern suburbs.

Signs at the Woy Woy Fisherman's Wharf (2 on left) and at the Gnostic coffee shop (2 on right) 

We got home at 6pm, freshned up, changed into something more appropriate for dinner and joined the party that had already started upstairs at Jose's Iranian landlords.

They are a lovely couple who have become friends, and I'm so grateful to them for making sure that Jose didn't feel alone while working in Sydney. They invited him to some of their events, introduced him to their friends, took him out sightseeing, to the beach, to breakfasts, etc.

The dining table was laden with delicious Iranian nibbles, my favourite being a dip made with eggplant, really yummi.
The drinks flowed, and the numerous guests including us danced to the lively music.  
A few of the lovely ladies in the Iranian group who knew Jose wanted to talk to me, so I felt very welcome.

We had no idea there would be a main dish later on, so when lasagna was served at about 10pm I hardly had space left for it. 
Then they served delicious and light cream puffs that they bought at an Iranian pastry shop. I had to try one of course, it was divine!!

The starters table

N announced to everybody that Jose was leaving Sydney and returning to Perth (next week), so everybody was sad that Jose was leaving.
We left at 1,30am, luckily we just had to come down the stairs to the granny flat and straight to bed!
We hope B and N visit us in Perth one day.

Jose and I and the neighbours N and B

The map of our return trip from Berkeley Vale to Woy Woy

Berkeley vale to Woy Woy

 For other signs from across the world follow this link.