ATTRACTIONS CATHERINE HILL BAY NSW

While you're hiking along rugged cliff tops on Coastal walking track, reeling in a big one from the rock platform at Pinny Beach or pedalling your mountain bike up Scenic trail, you're a lot nearer to civilisation than you'd think. Wallarah National Park, east of Lake Macquarie and 2km from the town of Swansea, gives you a sense of ... Visit website for more info

Catherine Hill Bay is largely untouched by development, and the coastline looks as it would have 100 years ago, with a stunning beach, popular for fishing, surfing and swimming. The beach also has the unusual icon of a large coal loading jetty, which has only recently been decommissioned. The beach is patrolled in the warmer months.

Wallarah National Park, perfect for fishing, cycling, hiking, surfing and picnicking, is less than an hour’s drive from Newcastle and Gosford, yet completely remote. While you’re hiking along rugged cliff tops on Coastal walking track, reeling in a big one from the rock platform at Pinny Beach or pedalling your mountain bike up Scenic trail, you’re a lot nearer to civilisation than you’d think. Wallarah National Park, east of Lake Macquarie and two kilometres from the town of Swansea, gives you a sense of a remote wilderness setting but with the convenience of nearby fish and chips when that big one gets away. Wallarah is a great day trip from Newcastle, Gosford and Sydney. Stay for longer at nearby campgrounds Freemans and Frazer Beach, which are only 15 minutes drive away at Munmorah State Conservation Area. Or, spend a few days doing it all: whale watching (July to August), birdwatching, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, looking at spring wildflowers, and exploring Wallarah’s different types of forest....

Catherine Hill Bay is a State Heritage Listed historic mining village featuring a stunning patrolled beach, named twice as one of 'Australia's 101 Best Beaches'. Popular for swimming, surfing and fishing, the beach also features an iconic former coal-loading jetty, evidence of the area's mining history and a popular photography spot. Taking its name from the ship which ran aground here in 1867, Catherine Hill Bay is a small village nestled in the hinterland just south of Swansea. A former coal-mining town, its 19th-century miners' cottages mark the oldest continuous settlement in the City of Lake Macquarie. The resulting scenery is astoundingly beautiful; Catherine Hill Bay is at once home to a long, beautiful stretch of sand, surrounded by verdant hills and bushland, and dotted with rusted iron machinery and wildflowers. This sleepy town is home to barely 500 permanent residents, yet its natural attractions are worthy of a much busier holiday destination. You’ll find a number of lookouts and viewing platforms overlooking Catherine HIll Bay Beach, and views from the nearby picnic area at Crangan Bay reach to the tall chimneys of Eraring Power Station, as well as the mountains just beyond....