My Coast - Avoca Beach
The A to Z of the Central Coast, NSW, Australia
Welcome to the first instalment of my blog and an introduction into the area that my family and I call home. We moved the 60kms up from Sydney to the Central Coast back in 2014. We made the move so that we could get a foot on the property ladder, as house prices in Sydney are now largely out of reach for first-time buyers, especially in the areas that we would want to live in.
Every 2 weeks over the next year my blog is going to take you on an A to Z photographic journey of the Central Coast, including places that I know, and the majority that I still don't and am excited to discover along the way. You will get a taste of what my local area is like, and will begin to understand why my family love living here so much.
CC Map
The Central Coast area borders Sydney's northernmost suburbs in it's south at Mooney Mooney, and continues up to Catherine Hill Bay in the north, by Lake Macquarie. The area is rich in natural beauty and has many beaches, national parks, rainforests and waterfalls.
I am excited that in the process of writing this blog I will get to mix my love of Photography along with the excitement I get of exploring new places with my family and the mini adventures that this will bring. So to get things started here is my "A" destination, Avoca Beach.
A-Avoca Beach
This is a great place to start my blog with and is one of our family favourites for a trip to the beach. Avoca Beach is a small beachside community with a population of around 4,500. It is located on the Pacific Ocean about 15kms from the centre of the Central Coast region, Gosford. It is mainly residential, with a multitude of holiday homes catering for tourists.
Avoca Beach looking south towards the Surf Club
Avoca Beach village is located one block back from the beach. This is the main hub of the area and there is a variety of shops and places to eat. In the daytime the cafes are buzzing, coasties love their coffee! At night time it is the restaurants capturing the trade. A wide variety of tastes are catered for including Chinese, Thai and seafood as well as the Pizza and Pasta cafe that hosts live jazz on selected nights.
The historic Avoca Beach Picture Theatre hosts regular movie screenings and live events showcasing both local and national talent. The Avoca Beach Hotel and Bowling Club, located about 1 km back from the beach are also evening destinations for a drink.
Avoca Beach Picture Theatre
Now to my favourite part, the beach. the sands stretch from North Avoca rocks on the north side past Avoca Lake in the centre, and down to the rocks on the south side. The beach is very popular with surfers and swimmers, with local lifeguards patrolling the beach during busy times.
Avoca Beach Rock Pool is a swimming pool at the south end of the beach. This is excellent for children and my son and daughter love it! They can walk around in the pool, at low tide, without fear that the tide is going to knock them over, as the ocean can be too rough for small kids especially at times.
View of Avoca Rock Pool looking north up the beach
Overlooking the pool, next to the Surf Club, is the Point Cafe. This is a great spot to take a break and watch the world go by from. It is open from early in the morning, to cater for the early rising surfers, fisherman, walkers and photographers that are in the area at sunrise, through till the evening. Next to the cafe the Ice Cream van is almost a permanent fixture on weekends and during the holiday season. We rarely make it past this without having to indulge!
There is a large grassy area just back from the beach that has public barbeques and is a great spot to cook your own lunch or dinner and walk it off along the seafront afterwards. Next to this area is a large new sandy playground suitable for kids of all ages. We always spend a lot of time here when we visit.
Our kid’s ice cream eating requires total concentration!
No tour of Avoca Beach is complete without a visit to the rocks on the south end of the beach. The rocks are alive with crabs scuttling between the many small rock pools that appear after high tide. They are easy to navigate and walking on the rocks is suitable for children as well as adults, as long as you are holding onto small kids tightly as we have found out!
The rocks are a very popular location for local fisherman, and for photographers, especially in the hour before and after sunrise and sunset. I have been here many times to photograph sunrise and there is always a different shot to aim for each time I come. I love taking photos here. It is only a 25-minute drive from my house in the morning, which is an added bonus during the summer months when I have to leave home at 4:30am to arrive in good time to setup for sunrise.
Rock fishing at sunrise off the rocks at the south end of the beach
I hope you have enjoyed finding out more about Avoca Beach. I believe it has something for everyone and is hard to beat as a family destination. I will be back with the next episode of my blog in 2 weeks time where we will be venturing onto my "B" destination, Bouddi National Park. Thanks very much for reading and if you want to be notified of my next post please click the link on the right.