The Terrigal Boardwalk curves from beach to headland, with sweeping sea views. Photo / Destination NSW
Despite the heavenly beauty of its golden beaches and subtropical wilderness, where whales and dolphins mingle off a seaboard dotted with quaint coastal towns and national parks, what lingers most after visiting New South Wales’ Central Coast is its history.
In the bouddi (heart) of the region between cosmopolitan Sydney and slower-paced Newcastle lies Darkinjung Country.
Before 1788, the rules of the land were clear. Visitors were welcomed to Country through the songs and storytelling of its Traditional Custodians. Just as a pōwhiri acknowledges the tangata whenua of Aotearoa’s past and present, the “Welcome to Country” I receive from local guide Tim Selwyn honours 65,000 years of Aboriginal culture and custodianship.
Of course, the destination has transformed in recent years, and oyster farms, fine dining restaurants and vineyards have popped up amongst the sacred surrounds.
Yet rather than dominate, these places seemingly defer to Darkinjung Country values, offering new ways to respect and connect with the soil under your feet.
So, come with me into Darkinjung Country to see how this earth walks and talks today, balancing the appetites of Sydneysiders and further-flung visitors with its heritage still intact.
The Terrigal Boardwalk links the town’s bustling Esplanade with its rocky headland, named Kurrawyba or “big rock in the sea”, curving between the sand and surf to offer undisturbed ocean views and a pedestrian-friendly route to Terrigal Haven.
Opened in 2021, the wooden walkway hosts a stream of locals and visitors from dawn to dusk daily, while child-sized pelicans patrol the waterline.
Kurrawyba, known to locals as “The Skillion”, is the region’s most recognisable lookout. A short climb rewards you with an unbroken vista from Terrigal Beach to faraway central Sydney. Take it all in, because we’re just getting started.
There are few experiences as humbling as witnessing a whale breach just metres from your boat.
Terrigal Ocean Tours takes visitors offshore into the deep blue fringe of Darkinjung Country. During our visit, migrating humpbacks – a totem in local culture – are returning south to Antarctica from Queensland’s tropical breeding grounds.
Each surge and tail slap sends a fine mist of seawater over the boat deck, followed by a pause of stunned awe before a tour member spots the next exhale echoing across the bay.
Our guides position their well-wrought ecological teachings within the local context, reminding passengers that these waters have also shaped the Darkinjung people’s songlines for millennia.
It’s an unwavering communion between the area’s indigenous inhabitants and their marine guests, one that has lasted despite the odds forged against them both throughout history.
To walk on Country with Girri Girra’s Tim Selwyn is to revisit the Central Coast in a whole new light.
My resume includes a few Aboriginal tours, but Girri Girra’s cultural experiences go far beyond tourism and invite visitors to listen rather than simply look.
As we walk along its sandstone escarpments, Tim shares tales written into the earth; stories of the region’s landmarks and their mythical origins. The silence between his words is palpable, challenging us to lean into the landscape for answers rather than deviate to some comfortable defence.
It’s a powerful, grounding experience that makes space for the oldest narratives on this land to speak, shared under the same sun and stars of yesterday’s elders in preparation for tomorrow’s.
Tucked amid Holgate’s leafy hinterland, Firescreek is not the typical chateau.
Owner Nadia O’Connell and her daughter greet us while setting up the premises for a community art exhibition, ushering us in for a chocolate and wine tasting amidst her Garden of Eden.
If the mention of vino puts you off, please hold; grapes are outnumbered by botanicals here.
Nadia’s wines are brewed from fruits, flowers and herbs grown largely on-site, pairing blueberry with lavender, and raspberry with apple.
As Nadia pours, she explains how her regenerative farming practices bring these botanical pairings to life.
Sculptures peek through the greenery and a live band begin to set up, as artists and buyers meander the grounds for the exhibition; a whimsical way to spend a sunny Friday arvo.
New South Wales’ lone cultured pearl farm lies just shy of Sydney’s northern boundary in the village of Mooney Mooney.
A brief boat ride through the glassy waterways of the Hawkesbury River takes us past an exquisite ecosystem towards several oyster leases.
Our local guide, Guy, talks us through the life cycle of the Akoya pearl oyster – a rarity in Australia – while paying kudos to Aaron Pannell’s Marlborough-born FlipFarm system, which has revolutionised pearl aquaculture to lessen a day’s workload for 10 men.
There’s the opportunity to try different oyster species – Sydney Rock, Angasi and Pacific to name a few – each freshly shucked from the estuary and offering a signature flavour profile.
The farm shop itself contains bedazzling items of pearl jewellery. It’s worth hanging around for, and tempting on the wallet.
On the hilltops overlooking Terrigal Beach, The Cowrie is a restaurant that wears its setting proudly. We’re seated in its enviable outdoor terrace, where floor-to-ceiling windows pull the Pacific into a picture-perfect frame.
We’re welcomed with a refreshing fruit-infused water, steeped overnight with garden produce; the restaurant’s local-seasonal display warns fussy diners not to make too many demands.
Don’t be fooled, it’s still your real-deal Aussie establishment. The menu features proteins like kangaroo and Fremantle octopus (personal favourites, but not for the faint-hearted), but its mantra gestures to a broader acknowledgment of the interconnectedness of place and people.
A short drive south delivers us right behind the forested folds of Bouddi National Park, where Bells at Killcare lies quietly among the gum trees.
Perfectly manicured and sculpted gardens set the scene at this boutique retreat. Its coastal cottages are an elegant Central Coast base, and the main building houses an on-site bakery and larder that’s filled to the brim with artisan goods.
The Wild Flower Bar & Dining is the centrepiece of the estate – a restaurant that distils the region’s terroir into a menu several continents wide yet finely polished.
As a special treat, go for the Italian-style pasta; given the chance, we opt for the duck and pancetta ragù pappardelle and Tasmanian clam spaghetti, matched with the finest Portuguese red on the menu.
Central Coast, Australia
GETTING THERE
Fly from Auckland to Sydney with Air New Zealand, Qantas, Jetstar, LATAM, China Eastern or Emirates.
Hire a rental car to travel onwards to the Central Coast.
DETAILS
New Zealand Herald Travel visited courtesy of Destination NSW.