There are so many great beaches and coastal towns in Australia, you just have to have enough time and get off the main highway. Catherine Hills Bay is a couple hours drive north of Sydney, halfway between New Castle and the Central Coast. The town is named after a Schooner that ran aground back in 1876 and then with coal mining became the longest most continuously inhabited area in the Lake Macquarie region. That is not taking into account the Awabakal Aboriginal people that have been around thousands of years. I think I like visiting these beach side towns because I think deep down, I fancy myself as a bit of a beach bum. It would be great to find the perfect spot that was no look expensive and hide away from the rest of the busy world.

The view from Hales Bluff we passed a couple of fishermen who were walking down about 20 minutes to fish off the rocks.

The Catho Pub is quite famous; it started off just servicing the local miners. Then it was the first pub owned by an indigenous publican and Mel Gibson stared in his first film here called 'Summer City' in 1976. I have not seen it, but it might be interesting to check it out.

The town seems to be split into two parts. All the old workers cottages on the main road then a new estate full of all the modern and expensive looking houses. I heard there was a lot of drama with the new estate, and the removal of the bush land that happened. There appears to be heaps of land, but the urban sprawl seems to impact the wildlife.