Holiday houses in Avoca Beach

Perched between two sandstone headlands 90 minutes north of Sydney, Avoca Beach offers a relaxing getaway with patrolled beaches and a calm, shallow rock pool at its southern end. The town is popular with surfers thanks to its variety of breaks, and you can hire a board and book lessons with the local surf school.

Adjacent to the beach, you’ll find Avoca Lake, a large coastal lagoon where you can hire kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and pedal boats, or simply relax on a picnic rug in the shade. The Avoca Beachside Markets, held on the fourth Sunday of every month, offer a selection of local produce, live music, and arts and crafts. You’ll also have several quality restaurants, cafes, and takeaway options in town. The Captain Cook Lookout provides panoramic views of the coastline, from which you can spot whales in the cooler months. You can also explore the Bouddi Coastal Walk, a scenic eight-kilometre journey winding through national parkland to Macmasters Beach.

With its temperate climate, Avoca Beach is a lovely spot to visit any time of the year. Summer is the most popular season, especially over the school holidays, when families come to enjoy the area’s beautiful beaches and relaxed atmosphere. Though it can get hot and humid over the summer months, the days are long, the water is warm, and there’s no shortage of ways to enjoy the great outdoors. Autumn and spring bring slightly cooler weather, fewer crowds, and water that’s still warm enough to swim in. These months are also great for taking some nearby bush walks or picnicking on the coast. Winter is usually the quietest time in Avoca Beach, though it benefits from less crowded surf.

Avoca Lake

Avoca Lake is a large, enclosed coastal lagoon that runs into the ocean in the middle of Avoca Beach. An island sits in the middle of the lagoon, and the wetlands offer plenty of areas to explore. Calm waters make it an excellent spot for stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking, and you can also hire paddle boats. In the warmer months, picnics are popular, as are the children’s playground and the many shaded areas.

Ex-HMAS Adelaide

Less than two kilometres off the coast of Avoca Beach, you’ll find the wreck of the HMAS Adelaide, which in 2011 was deliberately scuttled to create an artificial reef and diving site. The ship is 138 meters long and 15 meters wide, so there is plenty to explore above and below sea level, weather depending.

Bouddi National Park Coastal Walk

The Bouddi National Park Coastal Walk stretches just over eight kilometres from Putty Beach to Macmasters Beach. Known as one of the most beautiful walks on the Central Coast, it offers picnic spots along the way and lots of opportunities for whale and dolphin spotting. It’s a relatively flat walk, and it can also be broken into smaller sections for beginners.