15) Walking

The Skillion at Terrigal

As we were not very busy at this time we enjoyed ourselves exploring the area and walking on the beach. We started on Spoon Bay of course and walked first to the lagoon and then on to The Haven at Terrigal. Other times we walked north, climbing over the rocks and getting into Forresters Beach but the cliff comes down to the sea at the northern end of Forresters and blocked our passage so we could not progress any further along the beach Another day we drove to Bateau Bay, which is just north of Forresters, parked the car and walked from there along Shelly Beach, Toowoon Bay, Blue Bay and then on to The Entrance. It was a long walk and we were pretty tired by that time so we ate our packed lunch and then caught the bus back to Bateau to collect our car. We later discovered that there was a footpath over the cliffs from Forresters to Crack Neck Point which is almost at Bateau Bay and we love to walk there. The pathway is well maintained by the council so it is a fairly easy walk through lovely thick Australian bushland. There are huge trees, lots of birds and in spring and abundance of wild flowers. All this and wide views of the vast Pacific Ocean to the east. So all in all we can say that we have walked the whole coastline from Terrigal to The Entrance – not all in one go or all in one day of course, but we have done it all.

We studied our local map for places of interest and would often go walking. We found Katandra Reserve which is a lovely little patch of rain forest on the side of a hill overlooking Gosford. The walk was a bit steep and a bit longer than we had expected but it was so beautiful it really was worth it. The flora there is a little different from the rest of the surrounding area, very green and lush with many ferns and creepers.

A very different walk but another of our favourites is along the waterfront in Gosford. Here, on the Brisbane Waters, there are jetties, boat clubs and playgrounds so it is popular and there are many people there but it is very pleasant. We often park the car and walk along the waters edge. There is always something of interest to watch, the boats that are tied up at the jetty, one of the ferries coming or going, a sailing race from the Gosford Sailing club or just people out enjoying the day. We have always been impressed at the way Australian people use but do not abuse the facilities that are provided for them. In many of the beauty spots the council provides playgrounds for the children, tables and chairs, barbeque stands, cycle tracks pathways and toilets. We have found that they are generally in good condition and it is a pleasure to watch a group of young families having a day out together.