Located on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Gosford has been a popular holiday destination for Sydney-siders for more than a century, attracted as they are by the region’s beautiful scenery, beaches and plethora of water sports.
The city of Gosford, which has a population of around 300,000 and is just over an hour’s drive from Sydney, sits on Brisbane Water and has no fewer than 12 national parks and reserves on its doorstep.
Rugby World Cup 2003 coincides with the Spike Milligan Comedy Festival – his parents’ house can be visited in Woy Woy – together with a Jazz Festival at The Entrance Waterfront and a Surf Carnival in Gosford.
Among the places worth a visit are the award winning Australian Reptile Park and the Calga Springs Sanctuary, where you can see animals in their natural habitat, as are the Yarramalong Macadamia Nut Farm and pelican feeding at the Entrance Waterfront Park.
The eateries of Gosford and the surrounding area cater for a variety of tastes, including those offering local seafood specialities amid a waterfront setting, with Montis Ashore said to boast the “best fish and chips on the Central Coast”.
Gosford provides tourists with good value accommodation with rooms for under $100 available at the likes of the Gosford Palms Motor Inn, Metro Inn Motel, Phoenix House B&B and the Waterfront Resort.