If you travel from the Central Coast of NSW or go there from Sydney, you probably will go through the City of Gosford. Gosford is often referred to as the Gateway to the Central Coast for decades since it is the traffic hub of the region. It is also the capital of the area, being where the Gosford Shire council buildings and other government buildings are located. For these reasons, it is now an important political center in one of the most dynamic regions of NSW.
Gosford and Gosford Shire were not always so well-known. Actually, until after the middle of the eighties, it was a comparatively sleepy spot between the larger centers of Sydney and Newcastle. It was serviced only by slower “country” trains and was on the map only as part of roof repair central coast New South Wales. There were limited jobs within the area, so the permanent population was nade up mainly of retirees. It was a well-liked vacation destination, though, and during the summer Christmas holidays, its population swelled with Sydneysiders looking for an break from the hustle and bustle of the big city.
Then something momentous occurred: In 1987, the F3 Freeway replaced the old winding road that led out of the outskirts of Sydney to Gosford. The wide new freeway, part of National Route 1, cut driving times between Sydney and the Central Coast in half. This allowed people who wanted to live on the Central Coast but had to work in Sydney to easily commute to work every day. Almost in the blink of an eye, new suburbs and shopping centers were built and the population of the area soared. Gosford is no longer a sleepy little country town.
In spite of the large growth within the area, there are still lots of wide open spaces in Gosford Shire. While it’s true that the most popular beaches like Avoca Beach and Terrigal get extremely busy during the Christmas season, there are so many beaches tucked away across the long Central Coast that it is simple to go back in time and find a quiet spot to sit back and unwind. In fact, if the crowds in Avoca Beach get too much for you, it is possible to easily stroll less than a mile up the beach to North Avoca and enjoy a quiet day at the beach there.
Surfers don’t need to be convinced of the attractions of the Central Coast. Since the late seventies and early 1980s, the Gosford area has produced some of the world’s finest surfers, who honed their skills at the fabled beaches, points and reef breaks which are sprinkled throughout the region. Considering the small numbers of surfers who called the area home back then, it is amazing how many world famous surfers came from the region. Several of these names went on to become some of surfing’s superstars. Today, surfing is still a tradition the Central Coast is proud of and local clubs such as Avoca Boardriders Club continue to be where world surfing champions get their start.
There are numerous attractions on the scenic Central Coast, a lot of tourists frequently overlook the city of Gosford itself. Situated along the banks of Brisbane Water, it is a boat lover’s paradise. The waterways that begin in Gosford wind their way quietly past Woy Woy, under the Maitland Bay bridge and eventually through the narrow channel between Umina and the appropriately named Pretty Beach out into the wide expanse of the Tasman Sea. From there it is only a short jump over to Sydney’s Northern Beaches and Sydney Harbour itself. If you do not have a sailboat or power boat yourself, you will find daily trips available.