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| Norah Head lighthouse
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Norah Head
Famous lighthouse and holiday area
Norah Head is located 115 km north of Sydney via the
Newcastle Freeway. A lighthouse, interesting walks on the
rock platforms, fishing, an excellent rock pool, a cliff top
walk with dazzling views across the Pacific, a great café
and a couple of excellent public parks. These are the
attractions that draw people to Norah Head, a sleepy
settlement located north of The Entrance, Tuggerah Beach and
Lake Tuggerah on the Central Coast.
The last Aborigine to frequent Tuggerah Lake on his bark
canoe was Billy Fawkner who died in 1875. He was known as
'the last of the Brisbane Water blackfellows', the remainder
of his tribe killed by disease and dispossessed of their
land by force.
Tuggerah Lake is the principal coastal lagoon of an
interconnected 80 sq km lake system which includes Lake
Munmorah and Budgewoi Lake. The three lagoons are separated
from the Pacific Ocean by large sand peninsulas but share
common access to the ocean at The Entrance. Less than 2 m
deep on average, shark-free and fed by small streams such as
Wyong Creek they are ideal for waterskiing, canoeing,
sailing, rowing and sailboarding. The lakes and foreshores
were cleaned up and restored in the late 1980s.
Tuggerah Lake is also ideal for anglers. Blackfish,
whiting, mullet, snapper, bream, flounder, tailor, flathead,
jewfish, tarwhine and crabs can all be caught from the
foreshores. Prawns are usually plentiful in mid-summer and
can be snared at night with a lamp and net by wading into
the shallows. Lake Budgewoi is particularly good for bream.
The first Europeans to discover the lakes were a search
party looking for some shipwrecked fisherman who landed on
the coast in 1796. With the construction of the
Sydney-Newcastle railway in the 1880s and a new emphasis on
health and leisure in the culture urbanites began to travel
by boat, train and horse-drawn vehicle to the fishing,
bathing and walking opportunities afforded by the lakes and
it was in the wake of the railway that Toukley emerged.
Things to see:
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Tourist Information
The closest Tourist Information Office (and a small gallery)
is in Wallarah Point Park at the corner of Wallarah Rd and
The Corso in Gorokan. It is open 10.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m.,
Tuesday to Friday and from 10.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m. on
weekends and public holidays, contact (02) 4334 4213.
Noraville House
At the eastern end of Toukley, by the ocean shore, is the
area known as Noraville which was named after Noraville
House, built by Edward Hargraves, the prospector who, in
1851, discovered the first payable gold in Australia.
Attracted by the beauty of the district Hargraves bought
640 acres at Noraville in the 1850s and built the home later
in the decade. It was one of the first houses in the
district. A replica of his grandfather's residence in
England, it still stands on the clifftop overlooking
Hargraves Beach and the ocean below. Noraville House is
located at 3 Elizabeth St (turn off Scenic Rd).
Hargraves' wife was the first white woman to live in the
district and she tended the estate after his death. Made of
cedar it is not a remarkable house but it does have a large
verandah with intricately carved supporting posts and
pilasters and an elaborate front gate. It is private
property and thus is not open for internal inspection but it
can be seen from the roadside.
Cabbage Tree Harbour
South of Noraville House and Hargraves Beach is Jenny Dixon
Beach. From there the coastline curves south-eastwards out
to a massive headland known as Norah Head. If you start at
the roundabout in Noraville where Wilfred Barrett Drive,
Budgewoi Rd and Main Rd intersect, head south along Wilfred
Barrett Drive and take the first left into Bungary Rd which
runs in a south-easterly direction parallel to the
coastline. After a little over a kilometre turn left into
Maitland St then take the first left into Bald St. There is
a carpark on the upper tier and the views are very good.
However, it is best to walk down the short roadway to
Cabbage Tree Harbour, a lovely little bay enclosed by small
rocky cliffs on either side which faces northwards up the
coastline. There is a boat ramp and ocean pool and some
houses perched on the hillside with what must be beautiful
views.
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| Norah Head lighthouse
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Norah Head Lighthouse
The Norah Head lighthouse was built in 1903. It is
considered one of the major coastal lights in NSW. The beam
has been seen 28 km out to sea. Only two ships have been
lost off Norah Head. In 1917 the small 219-tonne Nerong was
wrecked and in 1940 the 1052-tonne Nimbin was sunk after
hitting a German mine with seven lives lost.
Around the lighthouse is a viewing area which offers an
excellent perspective over the coastline, lakes and
westwards to the mountains. The stacks of Munmorah and Vales
Point are again plainly visible to the north-west. Looking
north along the shoreline the view is similar to that of
Cabbage Tree Harbour. Wybung Head is some 10 km away. Beyond
that Stockton Beach can be seen in the distance making its
way eastwards to the tip of the Tomaree Peninsula, around
the corner from Port Stephens, nearly 80 km distant. Tiny
Jewfish Pt is visible just offshore 3.5 km to the north with
Bird Island further north and out to sea. To the south is
Pebbley Beach with Soldiers Point at its end.
Below the lighthouse is an enormous rock platform, ideal
for catching salmon, drummer, tailor, jewfish and snapper.
Indeed, there are large rock platforms off each of the
headlands to the immediate south.
Headland Nature Trail
For those eager to do some cliff top walking there is a
path, the Headland Nature Trail, which makes its way from
the park at the Bush Street Reserve for 800 metres around
the coast to the lighthouse. Bush Street Reserve, on the
road to the lighthouse, is an ideal stopping place. It is
next to the Lighthouse Coffee and Takeaway Café which offers
good coffee, breakfast and lunch. The park over the road
provides a range of activities and has a delightful kids
park catering for toddlers. Below the Bush Street Reserve
there is a small beach, a boat ramp and a rock pool. The
pool is cleaned daily by the tide. For those who want to
just sit and enjoy the view there are a number of parks
along the headland notably Maslin Reserve and the Lions
Park-Jenny Dixon Reserve which have good seating, plenty
of open space and picnic facilities.
Soldiers Point
Return along Bush Rd/Maitland St, across Bungary Rd and turn
right at the next cross-street into Soldiers Point Drive
which continues south-east to Soldiers Point which is an
expansive, grassy headland where there are showers, toilets,
a kiosk and views down over Pebbley Beach on the northern
side and to Soldiers Beach on the southern side, a major
surfing beach in the area. The view southwards from the
point is extensive, from The Entrance to First Point (south
of Avoca Beach) and on to Barrenjoey Head at the tip of the
Sydney beaches.
Wyrrabalong National Park
At the southern end of Soldiers Beach is Pelican Point which
marks the northernmost point of Wyrrabalong National Park.
The park covers 597 ha but is divided into two quite
distinct and physically separate sections. Wyrrabalong,
meaning 'headland looking over the sea' is a word of the
Darkinjung people who once occupied the narrow strip of
coastline between Bateau Bay and Forresters Beach, which now
constitutes the southern section of the park.
The park's northern section covers most of the North
Entrance Peninsula. There is a considerable diversity of
fauna and flora, including the lace monitor, flying fox,
bandicoot, squirrel glider, diamond python, possum, New
Holland Mouse, antechinus and many birds.
The ocean side is mostly coastal dunes with beach access
via Pelican Beach Rd (at the northern end) and the Tuggerah
Beach Walking Track (700 m) which leads to a popular but
unpatrolled surfing and fishing area.
On the western side of the road there is a lovely strip
of red gum forest though there are also remnants of littoral
rainforest and some open scrubland and wetlands. All can be
explored by means of colour-coded walking tracks, accessed
mainly from two carparks on the western side of Barrett
Drive. The wetlands trail extends northwards to the rim of
the main sand dune where there are viewing platforms.
Budgewoi
Just 3 km north of Noraville is Budgewoi (meaning 'young
grass'). It occupies two small portions of land which mark
the boundary between Budgewoi Lake and Lake Munmorah. One is
effectively a shoulder bulging westwards from the shoreline
of Budgewoi Peninsula and the other is a stubby finger of
land extending eastwards from the mainland. The two almost
meet, leaving only a narrow channel. There are boat ramps on
opposite sides of the channel.
Just as you enter Budgewoi from the south you will see a
well-shaded picnic-barbeque area (known as John Slade Rotary
Park) to the left as the road bends westwards. A cycleway
heads south alongside Budgewoi Rd. The park is located at
the north-eastern corner of Budgewoi Lake and there are good
views across to the tip of Toukley Golf Course (but one
kilometre away) and south-west to the Wallarah Pt Bridge
which separates Budgewoi and Tuggerah Lakes.
At the north-western tip of the eastern section is
another large and very fine reserve with lots of trees,
picnic-barbecue facilities and a footbridge across to a tiny
island. The waters of the channel are exceedingly calm and
shallow making this a popular and ideal spot for family
outings and anglers. There are also clear views northwards
over Lake Munmorah. Nearby, in Weemala St, is a tourist
park, contact (02) 4390 9019.
Munmorah State Recreation Area
Turn into Ouringa St before you cross the bridge at
Budgewoi. Cross over Weemala St and continue north along
Mimosa Rd which becomes Elizabeth Bay Rd which heads along
the Budgewoi Peninsula, past Elizabeth Bay (where there is a
boat ramp and views southwards over Lake Munmorah). After 7
km it reaches a set of traffic lights at the intersection
with the Pacific Highway. Turn right here and follow the
highway for 2 km to the signposted right turn into Blue Wren
Drive where there is a toll booth marking the entranceway to
the main body of 1444-ha Munmorah State Recreation Area
where scenic driving, sailing, fishing, surfing, bushwalking
and picnicking can all be enjoyed. There are also some truly
spectacular views. The reserve contains a number of
ecosystems - wetlands, forests, woodlands, littoral
rainforests and heath communities.
You can obtain a pamphlet from the toll booth which
charts the reserve's roadways. Blue Wren Drive heads
south-east. 700 m from the highway the Melaleuca Walking
Track departs yo the right.
Blue Wren Drive continues on past Campbell Drive, to
Birdie Beach Drive. Turn left and follow the latter past the
turnoff, to the left, to Freemans Camping Area. It is a
tranquil location a few minutes from Birdie Beach and it
caters mostly to tent campers though there is limited
caravan access.
Birdie Beach Drive continues on to Tea Tree Picnic Area
by the coast. It is a beautiful and well-maintained spot
with excellent facilities enclosed by coastal tea tree
which, together with its remoteness and the scarcity of
other human beings, gives it a secluded Edenic feel. It is
but a short walk to Birdie Beach, a remote, scenic and
lengthy beach. Red Ochre Beach at the northernmost end is
open to nude bathing.
Return along Blue Wren Drive then take the right into
Campbell Drive. About 800 m along the road the Geebung Heath
Walking Track, to the right, follows the cliffline to Birdie
Beach Lookout. About 2 km from Blue Wren Drive turn right
into Wybung Head Rd. About 1 km along this road is a barely
distinguishable parking bay where you can pull over and take
in what are probably the finest views to be found on the
entire Central Coast - south over Bird Island to Norah Head
Lighthouse, south-west over Lake Munmorah, Budgewoi,
Budgewoi Lake and Munmorah Power Station, west to Chain
Valley Bay and beyond to the mountains, north-west over Lake
Macquarie to the stacks of Eraring Power Station and north
to the ships in Newcastle Harbour and beyond to Stockton
Beach.
Just past this roadside lookout are walking tracks headed
north to Frazer Beach and south to Birdie Beach Lookout. At
the end of the road is a carpark looking down over Wybung
Head itself. There are also excellent perspectives, albeit
more localised ones - north along the immediate coastline
into beautiful, sequestered Frazer Beach, with Snapper Point
at its northern end and Flat Rocks Pt nearly 3 km away.
The dramatic rock forms are the product of years of
jolting, warping, erosion and ruptures of a surface formed
in part by the sedimentation deposited by a river which used
to run from the mountains in the west and which had its
estuary at this location. Walk down on to the spectacular
headland where fishing is popular from the rock platforms.
Return along Wybung Head Rd and turn right into Campbell
Drive then take the first right to Frazer Beach Rd. 200 m
along this road, to the left, is The Palms Picnic Area and
an excellent loop track through a section of littoral
rainforest and open eucalypt forest. The road also leads, of
course, to Frazer Beach, noted for its surfing and fishing.
There is a walking track north to tiny Timber Beach on the
other side of Bongon Head.
Return along the road to Campbell Drive and turn right
again following the roadway out to the carpark at Snapper
Point and the rather small Frazer Camping Area, set within a
tranquill and secluded gully of the Frazer Valley. It is but
a short walk to Frazer Beach and to Snapper Point which also
has fine views and is popular with anglers. It is still
possible to see the remains of an old gravel operation which
used a deep-sea cave at Snapper Pt. Bookings are essential.
There are also plenty of excellent walking tracks in the
park -
In spring Munmorah offers the visitor a beautiful
wildflower display. All up it is a very worthwhile day out,
particularly if you are looking for something more pacific
and secluded and something a cut above the popular family
beaches and sights of the Central Coast.
Follow the Pacific Highway for 2 km to the signposted
right turn into Blue Wren Drive where there is a toll booth
marking the entranceway to the main body of 1444-ha Munmorah
State Recreation Area where scenic driving, sailing,
fishing, surfing, bushwalking and picnicking can all be
enjoyed. There are also some truly spectacular views. The
reserve contains a number of ecosystems - wetlands, forests,
woodlands, littoral rainforests and heath communities.
You can obtain a pamphlet from the toll booth which
charts the reserve's roadways. Blue Wren Drive heads
south-east. 700 m from the highway the Melaleuca Walking
Track departs to the right.
There are a large number of attractions in the park.
Birdie Beach is a remote, scenic and lengthy beach. Red
Ochre Beach at the northernmost end is open to nude bathing.
The Geebung Heath Walking Track follows the cliffline to
Birdie Beach Lookout. About 1 km along Wybung Head Rd is a
barely distinguishable parking bay where you can pull over
and take in what are probably the finest views to be found
on the entire Central Coast - south over Bird Island to
Norah Head Lighthouse, south-west over Lake Munmorah,
Budgewoi, Budgewoi Lake and Munmorah Power Station, west to
Chain Valley Bay and beyond to the mountains, north-west
over Lake Macquarie to the stacks of Eraring Power Station
and north to the ships in Newcastle Harbour and beyond to
Stockton Beach.
Just past this roadside lookout are walking tracks headed
north to Frazer Beach and south to Birdie Beach Lookout. At
the ends of the road is a carpark looking down over Wybung
Head itself. Walk down on to the spectacular headland where
fishing is popular from the rock platforms.
Return along Wybung Head Rd and turn right into Campbell
Drive then take the first right to Frazer Beach Rd. 200 m
along this road, to the left, is The Palms Picnic Area and
an excellent loop track through a section of littoral
rainforest and open eucalypt forest. The road also leads to
Frazer Beach noted for its surfing and fishing. There is a
walking track north to tiny Timber Beach on the other side
of Bongon Head.
Return along the road to Campbell Drive and turn right
again following the roadway out to the carpark at Snapper
Point and the rather small Frazer Camping Area. It is a
short walk to Frazer Beach and to Snapper Point which also
has fine views and is popular with anglers.
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Norah Head
