Postcard from: A Coastal Getaway
Dear Trespassers
I am writing to you from a little corner of the world that I have loved ever since I was a fat toddler in a red frilly swim suit. It’s not a secret at all, to those of you who call Sydney home, in fact it’s the holiday destination of choice for many Sydney-siders, particularly those who dwell in an area known as The North Shore. But fortunately, as so often can happen, there are nooks of this coastal getaway that haven’t lost their charm, despite its popularity.
For those not in the know (aka perhaps our German or American readers) The Central Coast is a stretch of around fifteen beautiful beaches, about a 90 minute drive from the heart of Sydney, which is about an hour’s drive from the North Shore mouth of the freeway.
The run of weather whilst I’ve been here has been sublime. Piping hot, not a breeze to be felt for miles and not a cloud in the sky. A real Australian summer.
Macmasters Beach lies somewhere between the business of Avoca and Terrigal and the peacefulness of Kilcare. Sure there is a regular cluster every day, a little knot of coloured umbrellas and swimmers who have no plans beyond lazing, swimming, lazing, swimming and heading up to the surf club for a burger at lunch time (my pick is the lentil burger with sweet chilli sauce and aioli). But Macs is never overly crowed, the cold, clear waters never too full of screaming children and wayward boards.
By night, there are a few destinations of choice, depending on age and desire to be surrounded by other people, which may not exist if you’re on a coastal getaway. For a night at the movies that doesn’t include an assault on the senses and giggling teens drunk on slurpies, try Avoca Theatre – one screen, an old fashioned popcorn machine and a surprising variety of choc-tops. If you are after a night out, you’re old enough to get drunk on beverages a little stronger than slurpies and you can put up with a lot of bodies in one place and a disregard for pants (women will note this fashion trend with disapproval, men probably with great interest) then hit Terrigal Pub. There is a line out the front and the dance floor will make you sweat. But it’s fun and trashy.
When it comes to food and drink, one is spoilt for choice. Beach holidays seem to make you crave beach food – fish and chips, burgers, anything fresh and simple – and the Central Coast is riddled with cafes and restaurants that hit the spot. A couple of my favourites?
Santorini, Main road, Terrigal
This is a favourite, and not just because of my great affection for the island itself. The food is incredibly fresh, the restaurant itself is simply decorated to mimic the whitewashed walls of Santorini, and is a cool respite from the heat outside. It fronts the beach and has delicious coffee.
Great pizza, sandwiches and coffee, and if you sit outside, you look down towards the pier, which is beautiful. Again, fresh food, and conveniently, there is a bottle shop opposite, perfect to grab a bottle of wine to accompany that night’s Mediterranean pizza.
And what is a getaway without a spot of shopping? For the mall-rats among us, there is always Erina Fair, which is sprawling and complicated, but has great post-Christmas 
sales. There is also a big cinema complex there if Avoca is a little too … little. For those who prefer to shop by the beach, get a coffee and hit Terrigal. There are a couple of shops, like Celebrity Fashion (main stretch) and House of Raphael (down a little further, opposite Cold Rock Ice-Cream) in which you really have to dig - although I came out with some great finds after some low-level rifling – and then there are some great boutiques like Miki Finn (next to House of Raphael) and Montaze (on Church St, behind the main stretch) where you are bound to find something within seconds of stepping in.
At the risk of sounding like a tourism ad, the best part of this beautiful place – is it’s a 90 minute drive from home. For readers not from Sydney, if you ever get to this lovely city, hire a car and hit the freeway. Fish and chips, lazy days and endless stretches of pristine beaches await you.
Liv xxx
