Looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of Sydney for a day? Try a family daytrip to Booker Bay on the Central Coast, writes NSM Kylie Field.
Instead of packing the kids in the car for the short trip, take them on the ferry from Palm Beach. The wharf is just past the Palm Beach RSL, where the ferries leave for The Basin and Patonga. The ferry timetable is online and tickets are bought onboard. Leaving every half an hour the ferry stops at Wagstaffe and Ettalong/Booker Bay and takes about 30-35 minutes each way. The ferry cruises between the heads that separate the Northern Beaches and the Central Coast. During migration time you may even be lucky enough to spot whales from the ferry. Pulling a small pair of binoculars from my bag our daughter spent the whole ferry trip looking for whales. The ferry zigzags its way into the channel and, at low tide, scrapes the bottom of the large sandbank adding to the excitement of the journey.
Wagstaffe is the first port of call and close to the wharf is a family-friendly cool cafe called The Fat Goose, which is great for breakfast and lunch or just a coffee. On the other side of the channel lies Booker Bay and Ettalong where the ferry pulls into an old wooden wharf by the beach. Local kids can be found in the summer using the wharf as a diving spot.
Booker Bay is a small seaside town nestled between Ettalong and Umina, but it feels like a million miles away. The beach is ideal for exploring and collecting shells not to mention watching the hundreds of ducks who casually wander around the cafes and streets often with ducklings in tow. In the warmer months the water is shallow making it ideal for kids to paddle close to the shore.
The path from the ferry snakes its way into town and is perfect for riding scooters and bikes. There are many family-friendly cafes and pubs to choose from in the area including The BOX on the Water, which is true to its name and looks like a box built close to the beach. There is formal dining at the front and, at the back of the restaurant, a kiosk that caters for takeaway coffees and sandwiches. Next to The BOX is a newly built playground, suitable for every age group and is an ideal spot to sit and take in the spectacular view of Brisbane Water and its bays while the kids play and make new friends.
On the main street you’ll find the village markets at Ettalong – an indoor marketplace open weekends and public holidays selling myriad clothes, antiques and food. For the children, there is a pottery-painting workshop and the kids’ masterpieces can be collected on the same day. Before the last ferry departs for the day there is just enough time for a coffee and milkshake at Coast 175, a stylish cafe with yellow and white awnings and funky interiors selling a great range of cakes and biscuits. Then it’s only a short stroll back to the ferry for the afternoon departure back to Palm Beach. As the ferry pulls out, our lovely daytrip has reinvigorated us for another busy week of work and school.
Have you been to Booker Bay? We’d love to hear about your visit in the comments section below.
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