There's more to Terrigal than scenic beaches and hikes. A gourmet food and wine scene is also part of its charm.
The NSW Central Coast town of Terrigal is often bypassed for the Hunter Valley or Byron Bay, but a post-lockdown renaissance is seeing a group of artisan makers claim the area's rightful place as a foodie destination.
The Central Coast Makers Trail is described as "a self-indulgent food and drink discovery trail". Invited to check it out with my family in tow - including two boys, aged nine and 12 - I had reservations: I didn't know how much I could enjoy wine tasting or gourmet food while making sure the boys weren't feral.
But the trail allowed my husband and I to adult and not feel like we were terrible parents. In fact, we may have instead felt a little smug that we were introducing the boys to a bit of foodie culture.
Whether you take to the trail with family, friends or as a couple, we've got some of your key questions covered.
Why Terrigal?
Terrigal is a town of white-sand beaches with a buzzing bar and foodie scene. And if you've ever been there, you'll know that weekends are not wasted by the locals. Despite a five-foot surf, the waterfront was packed with ocean swimmers, nippers, surfers and surf skis.
We took a walk along the Terrigal Boardwalk and browsed the Terrigal Beach Markets, where local makers, craftspeople, artists and designers were selling their wares. Because we'd eaten a huge breakfast at the Crowne Plaza, we kept walking to Terrigal Lagoon, where the water was millpond calm.
We hired a couple of paddleboats for $30 each and worked up an appetite for lunch at Terrigal Beach House, where we ordered the hot seafood platter and half a dozen oysters.
Where can you do a wine tasting?
Saturday afternoon saw us hit the Central Coast Makers Trail, including a wine-tasting session at Firescreek Botanical Winery in Holgate, where winemaker Nadia O'Connell introduced us to her sustainable fruit wines that result from full-circle farming.
The winery is set in beautiful gardens maintained by the team and was perfect for two boys ready for adventure. Nadia took the time to show them the farm's wormery, the resident green tree frog colony and her organic kiwis.
The boys were settled, so we got stuck into the tastings and were pleasantly surprised by the exquisite flavours created by Nadia's unique concoction of ingredients - so much so that we bought a bottle of each.
And what about gin?
We took a taxi over to the Distillery Botanica in Erina, where the children enjoyed sorbet from the Bar Botanica and a wander in the fragrance garden. At the same time, we indulged in a tipple of gin. The distillery is behind two award-winning offerings, Moore's Dry Gin and Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur.
Our tasting was conducted outside, but the distillery is planning to accommodate group tastings and distilling sessions in a purpose-built workshop overlooking its gardens.
While the boys had fun here, this is the place I'd come back to with a group of girlfriends and maybe a packet of Panadol.
What's a good place to eat?
We dined at the Joker and the Thief in Terrigal, where the boys should have looked out of place in the trendy interior but felt welcomed.
Our table had the best views of the ocean, and while the restaurant was packed, the food - modern Australian with a subtle Asian twist (think charred cauliflower with miso plant butter, and salt and pepper squid tossed in with a papaya salad) - was delicious. The youngest opted for a kid's cheeseburger, which was so large it defeated him. But possibly the winner of the day was the loaded brownie ordered by the eldest. We rolled back to the hotel.
Can you run all that food off?
Saturday had been a day of indulgence, so Sunday started with burning off a few calories to do it all again. Terrigal is an excellent spot for the adventurous foodie. The boardwalk and beach are perfect for running, and The Haven - a sheltered bay that you'll find over a hill from the main Terrigal Beach - provides plenty of elevation to get a burn on.
We may have felt a little smug that we were introducing the boys to a bit of foodie culture.
For those confident enough, ocean swimmers take advantage of the protected bay every morning. Next time I'll be bringing the togs. And, of course, there is always the surf, and with board hire available from the world's first fully automated surfboard rental machine at Rabbit Surf Hire, you don't even need to bring your gear.
Any other highlights?
On the way home to Wollongong, we had two kid-friendly experiences planned to break up the journey - a visit to the Chocolate Factory Gosford, the largest nougat maker in Australia, and a tour of Broken Bay Pearl Farm on the Hawkesbury River.
The chocolate factory was a dream come true for the youngest, who could barely be dragged away. It's only 20 minutes from Terrigal and a good pit-stop for a coffee.
The Broken Bay Pearl Farm was an excellent chance to find out more about the Hawkesbury River and the business of growing gems on the waterway.
Production at the farm has been an issue since floods in 2020, but the hands-on tour gave the boys an insight into pearl farming and a close encounter with the river.
What else can you do there?
We arrived home well rested. There will be a next time and on top of the boys' list was the Central Coast Aqua Park in Gosford, while I have my eye on the Artisan Estate Farm Stay. For my husband, he'd happily sit in the Crowne Plaza Terrigal's breakfast room for the rest of eternity.
Gayle Tomlinson travelled courtesy of Destination Central Coast
Gayle Tomlinson
Editor of the Illawarra Mercury. Scottish but fell in love with Dharawal Land. Send us your feedback and questions. Subscribe so we can continue to speak up for the Illawarra.
Editor of the Illawarra Mercury. Scottish but fell in love with Dharawal Land. Send us your feedback and questions. Subscribe so we can continue to speak up for the Illawarra.
