Lake Macquarie cruise and guided nature walk
Lake Macquarie State Conservation Area
Overview
Jump aboard CoastXP’s adventure boat for an exciting, all-inclusive cruise and guided nature walk at Lake Macquarie State Conservation Area.
- When
- Contact CoastXP for tour dates.
- Accessibility
- No wheelchair access
- Grade
- Easy. Suitable for all ages. Basic fitness level is required.
- Price
- Contact CoastXP for tour pricing.
- Entry fees
- Price includes park entry fee
- Bookings
- Bookings required. Book online or email or call CoastXP on 1300 852 682.
Explore the largest permanent saltwater lake in the southern hemisphere on this exciting tour with CoastXP.
Your adventure starts at the idyllic Pelican Foreshore. Take to the water on CoastXP’s custom-built eco-tourism vessel and cruise around Lake Macquarie’s bays, beaches and islands.
Your next stop will be at the Wangi Peninsula where you’ll set off on a 2km, guided bushwalk through Lake Macquarie Conservation Area. Your accredited tour guide will tell you about the area’s wildlife, Aboriginal heritage and maritime history.
You’re sure to have worked up an appetite by the time to reach Dobell Park. Sit back, relax and enjoy a premium grazing box with unobstructed views of Pulbah Island Nature Reserve. You’ll then return to Pelican Foreshore by boat.
CoastXP is a is a licensed commercial tour operator with a Parks Eco Pass.
Local alerts
For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/guided-tours/lake-macquarie-cruise-guided-nature-walk/local-alerts
Operated by
Park info
- in Lake Macquarie State Conservation Area in the Sydney and surrounds and North Coast regions
Lake Macquarie State Conservation Area is always open but may have to close at times due to extreme weather or fire danger.
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Lake Macquarie cruise and guided nature walk.
Getting there and parking
Get driving directions
Contact CoastXP for directions.
Parking
Contact CoastXP for parking information.
Maps and downloads
Accessibility
Disability access level - no wheelchair access
Not wheelchair-accessible.
Learn more
Lake Macquarie cruise and guided nature walk is in Lake Macquarie State Conservation Area. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
Activities galore
Whatever pace you like to take life at, there's stacks to do on Lake Macquarie. Kayak the serene waters, meander along Awaba Bay Foreshore walk or try Wangi circuit walking track for a gorgeous helping of nature. Picnic at Alexanders, throw a line over your boat, or take things a little bit faster with some waterskiing.
- Alexanders picnic area This very peaceful picnic area with scenic views, at the southern end of Awaba Bay Foreshore walk is the perfect spot to rest after a bushwalk along beautiful Lake Macquarie - indulge in birdwatching, picnicking, and relaxing among the diverse habitats.
- Marmong picnic area Marmong picnic area is an idyllic place to picnic by the lake, with opportunities for walking, swimming, boating, paddlnig, fishing and birdwatching within Lake Macquarie State Conservation Area.
- Wangi circuit walking track Take a peaceful bushwalk through towering forests to the shores of Lake Macquarie on Wangi circuit walking track, with wonderful scenic views of Pulbah Island, birdwatching and picnicking opportunities, and even sea turtles to see.
An important place
The plentiful nature and beauty of this area have made it a special place for thousands of years. The Awabakal Aboriginal people were the original inhabitants, enjoying plant foods such as cabbage palm and lillypilly, and shellfish like pipis, cockles, mussels, whelks, and oysters collected from rock platforms, the lake's foreshore, and beaches. Local people caught fish with lines or spears, or trapped them in weirs built at the entrance of tidal channels. The beautiful Pulbah Island is considered sacred by the Awabakal People.
Holidaying history
The special atmosphere of Lake Macquarie has long drawn holidaymakers. A ferry service between Wangi Wangi Point and Toronto led to a growth in tourism in the 1910s and 1920s, and a number of swimming enclosures and guesthouses catered for the area's many visitors. Miners came to Wangi Wangi Point from the Cessnock coalfields, and it became a tent city during December and January when the mines closed for Christmas. You can still stay at Wangi Wangi Point in the Tourist Park.
Wonderful wildlife, diverse habitats
The animals love it here too, making their home among the diverse habitats. Green sea turtles, dolphins, sugar and squirrel gliders, and kangaroos all call the park their home. If you look up, you'll find sea eagles, kookaburras, lorikeets, and the threatened pied oystercatcher in the trees and sky above the lake. On bushwalks, look out for lovely orchids, spectacular wattles, and coastal banksia.
- Alexanders picnic area This very peaceful picnic area with scenic views, at the southern end of Awaba Bay Foreshore walk is the perfect spot to rest after a bushwalk along beautiful Lake Macquarie - indulge in birdwatching, picnicking, and relaxing among the diverse habitats.
- Awaba Bay Foreshore walk Take a stroll along the shores of Lake Macquarie on Awaba Bay Foreshore walk, enjoying the spectacular scenic lake views while birdwatching and keeping an eye out for dolphins and green sea turtles.
- Lake Macquarie cruise and guided nature walk Jump aboard CoastXP’s adventure boat for an exciting, all-inclusive cruise and guided nature walk at Lake Macquarie State Conservation Area.