Visited December 2012
We don’t often venture to the Central Coast for the beach, but our last visit left me questioning why that is! We had a great time at Terrigal and found it perfect for all the family, with a combination of surf beach and a lagoon with calm water all in one area.
Terrigal is about 1 hours drive from Sydney (depending on the freeway traffic). We arrived around lunchtime and there was a big queue of cars winding their way into Terrigal. The traffic moved quickly though so don’t let that put you off! We headed past Terrigal shops to Terrigal Haven which is a protected boat harbour and only minutes from Terrigal’s main beach. We had a picnic lunch there and the view was stunning! There was disabled parking and easy access across the grass to where we sat for lunch. There were covered tables and benches but we sat on a picnic rug. I did notice that the restaurant beside where we were picnicking had ramp access so if picnics aren’t your style there is somewhere else to eat.
After lunch we drove back around to Terrigal where parking was tricky. We found a parking lot with plenty of parking in a back street and it was only a short blocks walk back to the beach. Terrigal Lifesaving club has a beach wheelchair available and ramp access down to the beach. There is a dedicated stand alone disabled toilet/change room.
Terrigal beach is patrolled and was fun with the beach wheelchair. We spent the majority of the time swimming in the lagoon as both the kids liked the warm and shallow water. It is an easy and pleasant walk to the lagoon along the beach.
After all that swimming and exercise we decided to treat ourselves to some seafood at The Snapper Spot. It was delicious but probably undid the benefit of the exercise we had done. It was only a small snack though!
We had a fantastic day which left the kids wanting to go back again as soon as possible. It was a stunning summer’s day and certainly the perfect way to spend it.
AJ’s Tips
Terrigal beach is wonderful and very pretty. There is a lagoon which connects to the beach. The lagoon’s water is very warm because it is shallow. This makes it good for boogie boards and learning to surf. As you get closer to the bridge the water gets deeper if you like deeper water. My favourite part is the paddle boats you can hire. The paddle boats are the ones where two people peddle like a bike.
There is a Cold Rock ice cream shop in Terrigal and they make the best ice creams! You can add a choice of different toppings like chocolate bars, sour worms, oreos and lots of other delicious things.
Leave a Reply