Things to Do in Central Coast

Small but well-curated gallery inside a 1930s Queenslander house, showing rotating exhibitions of local and Indigenous art. The adjoining Edogawa Commemorative Japanese Garden is free to walk through.

🕐 Tuesday to Sunday 10am–4pm

💡 Visit during weekday mornings when it's quiet. Grab a coffee from the kiosk and sit in the garden by the koi pond. The garden has a free guided tour on the first Sunday of each month.

A 105-hectare bushland reserve with over 8km of walking trails through eucalypt forest, sandstone outcrops and creek gullies. Look for swamp wallabies and lace monitors. The main track leads to a lookout over Brisbane Water.

🕐 Daily sunrise to sunset

💡 Do the short loop past the old quarry and waterfall after rain – the falls are only a trickle in dry weather. The reserve is dog-friendly on-lead.

A 8.5km one-way walking track from Putty Beach to MacMasters Beach with stunning clifftop views over the ocean and Broken Bay. Spot goannas, lyrebirds and wildflowers in season.

🕐 Open 24 hours, but best in daylight

💡 Start at Putty Beach at low tide to see the Aboriginal shell midden deposits in the eroding cliff face near the car park.

A broad patrolled beach with good swimming, backed by a grassed headland called The Skillion. Climb the short steep path to the lookout for panoramic views from Barrenjoey Head to Norah Head.

🕐 Open 24 hours

💡 Park at the car park near The Haven restaurant rather than the main beach lot. The climb up The Skillion is just 5 minutes but the view is better than the one from the main beachfront path.

A restored 1840s slab cottage once home to poet Henry Kendall, set in a quiet garden. Inside are period furnishings, local history exhibits and a small library. Entry by donation ($5 suggested).

🕐 Sunday 2–4pm, or by appointment

💡 Call ahead to check opening, as it's run by volunteers and sometimes closed on short notice. The cottage is right next to the Edogawa Garden, so combine visits.