It’s almost one year on from the country’s first lockdown, and to support the heavy-hit tourism industry, the domestic travel website, Wotif, are hoping to encourage and inspire trip-seeking Aussies to consider how worthwhile a local trip can be.
With local travel inspiration in mind, Wotif has just announced the winners of its 2021 Wotif Aussie Town of the Year Awards – and The Entrance on the Central Coast is proudly one of them!
Celebrating Australia’s most loved town centres
Now in its fourth year, Wotif’s annual Aussie Town of the Year Awards aims to support local communities by recognising ten deserving locations across the country. Each winning destination is celebrated for its efforts to entertain visitors through its people, quality experiences and local businesses.
Top 10 Aussie Towns need to score golden stars in their accommodation quality, affordability and traveller satisfaction, as well as meet the changing needs of travellers throughout the unfolding pandemic. It seems The Entrance has entered 2021 with glowing reviews, offering flexibility, good-value and its popular range of seaside entertainment and activities.
Who got the top #1 spot this year, you ask? While New South Wales dominated the Top 10 with Pokolbin, Mudgee, Port Macquarie and of course The Entrance, it was actually Queensland’s Cairns that claimed number one. So our region is in good company!
Pelicans, pubs and paddling
The Entrance is a relaxing family favourite on the Central Coast of New South Wales. As an iconic coastal gateway where the lake meets the ocean quite beautifully, this coastal town offers plenty of water activities – from fishing to hiring a boat, kayak or SUP, or exploring one of the many local beaches.
But The Entrance isn’t all pelicans, pubs and paddleboats. With more than a century of practice entertaining locals and visitors alike, this is a town with an underbelly that knows how to show you a good time. Whether you choose to enjoy your visit lakeside, over the bridge, swimming at a beach or ocean bath, in a park, parade or nostalgic ice cream parlour – this is one seaside village always ready to entertain. And it’s that resilience throughout what has been an incredibly tough year for tourism that ultimately helped our town take home the Top 10 position in this year’s Wotif Awards.
Top 10 Things to do at The Entrance
Bounded by water on three sides, The Entrance certainly lives up to its name as the main mouth connecting Tuggerah Lake to the Pacific Ocean. This is also the location of the Central Coast’s Visitor Information Centre, with friendly staff on hand to help organise your local experience.
- Catch the iconic Pelican Feed, a rite of passage for locals and tourists
- Ride a 19th Century carousel on the water’s edge
- Swim in Heritage listed ocean baths
- Conquer the scenic Coast to Lake Walk
- Fish in the aqua blue channel or catch fresh Tuggerah Lakes Prawns
- Daily scoop at the local ice cream parlours
- Venture over the bridge to The Entrance North
- Outdoor sport at Picnic Point Reserve
- Seaside fish & chips, pies or superb pork rolls
- Indulge with seaside dining or a casual BBQ at lakeside reserves
For the complete bucket list of exciting things to eat, play and explore at The Entrance on the Central Coast, check out our Town Centre Guide. To tailor your visit, you can also easily build an itinerary to suit your schedule – try this two-day trip for the perfect weekender.
Experience Bright Lights @ The Entrance
11-28 March, 2021
The Entrance will continue to shine this March with a creative, nightly lighting display at its centre, the Waterfront Plaza, from 7pm. Bright Nights @ The Entrance is a free public spectacle featuring unique 2D patterns projected cleverly onto the real-life 3D pavement and infrastructure of the town centre. You can also experience an intermittent, vibrant water light show at night that guarantees to surprise passers-by (you’ll have to see it to believe it). This COVID-safe event will run nightly throughout the month of March and is free to attend, but to avoid missing out bookings are recommended for the water light shows running Thursday through to Sunday. This is a brilliant way to enjoy an evening out on the Coast with friends or family. Simply pack a picnic or dine at one of the local eateries, including The Lake House, Pizza Capers, Euro Bean Café & Bar, Fonzirelli Italian Resturant, The Entrance Lake House, Ocean Restaurant, Cue and Crew, Ciao Bella Gelato Bar or The Entrance Hotel. .
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