Norah Head is one of those places that all the locals know of but it’s not widely advertised as a must do on the Central Coast of New South Wales. It’s a bit of a blessing for those that do find this gem as it’s only a relatively small place and crowding could easily spoil what is an ideal location for a family holiday.
Norah Head has all the ingredients for the perfect family holiday along with a few hidden attractions that are available for those that like to explore. By mid morning there is a steady stream of families heading for the relative safety of the rockpool. The water is largely sheltered from the waves that break prior to the rock wall and whether swimming, snorkelling or just playing in the sand, there is at least a few hours of fun to be had – remembering of course to slip, slop, slap.
With space at a premium in the rockpool confines, we decided to head off on a trek along the beach to the most famous landmark at Norah Head, the lighthouse. Having been to Norah Head before, I was wary of the wear and tear on the feet caused by the rocks and I made sure we all wore appropriate footwear for our little adventure. While the beach was fantastic, it was the rocky areas that the kids really wanted to explore. Crabs, starfish, fish, shells and more were on offer as we climbed and searched the rocky coastline on the point.
After an hour or so exploring we made it to the base of the point and made our way up the stairs to the base of the lighthouse. There are guided tours of the lighthouse on weekends and public holidays. They start at around 10.00am and run every half hour until 3.00pm.
There are plenty of parks and covered public eating areas, along with restaurants and takeaway outlets. The Norah Head Sports Club has meals, a courtesy bus and plenty of cold beer on tap! Toukley is also only five minutes away for those that cannot find food to their liking. Soldiers Beach is a patrolled beach with a good surf break (so I’m told).
Accommodation at Norah Head ranges from holiday apartment rental to the Norah Head Holiday Park, the latter containing a variety of options from camping to on site cabins.
My family thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Norah Head and found it an excellent place to explore. As a bonus it is also only minutes away from places like Toukley, Budgewoi, The Entrance and all the other towns on the great lakes of the Central Coast. The only real advice I would give is that you have all your sun safety gear well prepared, including hats, sunshirts and plenty of sunscreen. With all the sites, parks and water in the area, we spent most of our waking hours outdoors. The one benefit of all that excercise was that the kids went to bed without any arguments at all. The downside was that their parents were also too tired to take advantage and went to bed soon after.