SydneySentric -- The Central Coast

THE CENTRAL COAST :: NEW SOUTH WALES

YOUR GUIDE TO THE NSW CENTRAL COAST. The best place to live in Australia if you take the word of the locals. In fact, Bondi is one of the most popular places in Sydney for the booming backpacker population to set up shop, or set down roots, as you might say. Brits in particular seem to love Bondi.

CATHERINE HILL BAY

THIS IS NOT ONLY ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND WILD AND PHOTOGENIC PARTS OF THE CENTRAL COAST, BUT IT IS ALSO A PLACE STEEPED IN THE WORKING CLASS HISTORY OF THE 19th CENTURY. The village is named after the Catherine Hill, a schooner wrecked here in 1867. Coal was discovered and mined by the New Wallsend Company which bought up the land, built a jetty and opened the mine in 1873. Back in those glpry days about 1000 tons of coal a week were taken by horse-drawn skips from the mine to a loading chute on the jetty. That has all faded today -- but to my mind, there is nothing more enchanting than ghostruins from the past. Especially anywhere near the coast with its frequent salty gusts, any ruin is priceless. And Catherine Hill Bay is a ruin. Of a very friendly kind.

The last time I was there I took this photo from the nearby Munmorah National Park, which is a fabulous place with a retro Aussie beach holiday vibe. While we were there, watching the crows battle eagles in the sky, we were treated to an inpromptu flyover by Australian Air Force jets from the nearby air base. It seemed to be a particularly popular place for fishermen of all nationalities, and the seas off the rocks looked lethally strong and dangerous.

The Sydney Morning Herald said thus about Catherine Hill Bay: "Catherine Hill Bay is a quiet old mining village within the City of Lake Macquarie, 119 km north of Sydney via the Newcastle Freeway and the Pacific Highway. Despite the beauty of the bay and its attractive situation in a valley surrounded by high hills and bushland the presence of the rusty iron and lifeless machinery inevitably colours the visitor's perspective of the bay. Certainly Catherine Hill Bay has a very different feel to the gay, busy tourism-based towns of the Central Coast.

"The village is named after the Catherine Hill, a schooner wrecked here in 1867. Coal was discovered and mined by the New Wallsend Company which bought up the land, built a jetty and opened the mine in 1873. The coastal location facilitated shipment and avoided the bar at the entrance to Lake Macquarie. The enterprise employed 70-100 men, whose cottages, still lining the roadside, formed the basis of the nascent township. Approximately 1000 tons of coal a week was taken by horse-drawn skips from the mine to a loading chute on the jetty."

ERINA HEIGHTS

YOU DRIVE NORTH ON THE ENTRANCE ROAD TO GET TO ERINA HEIGHTS. The land originally belonged to William Bean in 1824, who had been granted this stretch of paradise after his arrival in the colony of New South Wales. According to notes from the period, the land here was heavily timbered with "trees of gigantic height". Indeed, some of the tree stumps were so large they could be hollowed out and used as temporary sheds and homes. The area quicly became an important source of hardwood once the Sydney building boom began in the 1860s.

These days, Erina Heights offers visitors an old-world village atmosphere. Beyond the village, you will find remnants of the great hardwood forest that brought prosperity to the place a century ago. Here, among the shadows, is tranquility -- and a reminder of what once was.

Neale Joseph Fine Art Gallery: 1 Old Tuggerah Beach Road, Erina Heights. Phone: 02/4367 3777.

Wildflower Place: 453 The Entrance Rd, Erina Heights. Phone: 02/4365 5510
I drove past this place the last time I was in Australia, coming back from an oral examination -- it looked kind of mysterious and natural in this obscenely natural land. It might be worth a look inside if you have time or are in the area.

SWANSEA

THIS IS NOT REALLY THE CENTRAL COAST PER SE, BUT CLOSE ENOUGH TO VISIT IF YOU ARE COASTSIDE. In the days of the the Awabakal Aborigines who used to live here, this area was called Galgabba. It was said to be an ideal place to live with plenty of sea and fresh water fish, birds and animals to sustain upon.

When the white fellas came they called the area Pelican Flats (can you imagine why?) The present rather more genteel and pretentious name Swansea didn't come about until 1887 following the successful petition work of a local postmaster.

I also have to agree with that nameless I've Been There Brit quoted below him, who says that Bondi is populated by a series of diverse urban tribes. When I used to live in the city, my favourite to come down from a Saturday night out was to drink and play pool at a Bondi bar whose name I have forgotten, with a guy whose name I do remember, Sal -- and I also remember they used to have a hip-hop night at the bar every Sunday.) Kirkpatrick mentions that Sydney's young film-makers have flocked to Bondi, and at the moment my friend Garnet, who dreams of being a movie director, lives on Campbell St with a commanding view of the "kilometer long crescent". But Garnet is not the kind of person you would living in any community close to you -- he is so passionate about making it in the film world, he once stole two 35mm cameras and led police on a two-chase across Europe, resisting arrest on numerous occasions. But enough about Garnet -- he will get his place on this Sydney City Guide soon enough, for he is one of the city's great characters! When it is told, that story will be called "BeWarehouse Downunder".

TERRIGAL

AS I SAID BEFORE, THERE IS MORE TO SYDNEY THAN JUST THE BEACH, BUT THE BEACH FEATURES FAIRLY PROMINENTLY IN THE ATMOSPHERE OF THIS PLACE. It is never very far away. Apart from swimming and lazing on the beach, here are a few other things you can do:
++-+ FESTIVALS. There are loads of festivals held at Bondi Beach. Last year my visit coincided with the annual Festival of the Winds, held on the second Sunday of September. This is Australia's largest and most exciting kite flying festival, featuring hundreds of kites of all shapes and sizes from local and international makers and flyers. This is just one festival out of many. For a more comprehensive list of Australian festivals and events, click here.
--+- SHOPPING. Street markets are all the rage in Sydney, and Bondi Beach has its share. The Bondi Beach Market is held every Sunday in the grounds of Bondi Beach Public School (phone 02/9398 5486). At nearby Bondi Junction, a market is held from 10am-5pm in the Oxford Street Mall (phone 016/288 907.) There is also a night market held at Roscoe Mall on Campbell Pde, Thrusday-Sunday, from 5pm. The goods here are mainly cotten wear, jewellery and leather.
++-+ NIGHTLIFE. The daylife in Bondi centers around the beach, as it rightly should. One Brit Downunder hinted at the problem when he wrote:
"A trip to Bondi Beach first. Although it was hardly a trip in the traditional sense, more of the literal sense -- trip up outside my brother's place, and after a deft roll down Francis Street you find yourself on Campbell Parade overlooking the world famous beach. And then you get up off the floor before one of the many Sydney City buses mows you down. Or one of the scooter people.
"As for those barbies, yep, it's true that Brits abroad syndrome manifests itself at its worst on Bondi at Christmas. The climate is almost the opposite of the UK -- and so December 25th is a glorious day, but the beach parties are almost cliché now, and the locals have had enough. As we left to catch a bus into the centre (whatever that meant) we passed a nutter walking the length of Campbell Parade having a damn good conversation with himself."

HINTS FOR BACKPACKERS

SOME GENERAL HINTS FOR BACKPACKERS AND WORKING HOLIDAY MAKERS IN AUSTRALIA.
++-+ Australia is part of the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visa scheme. This program provides opportunities for resourceful, self-reliant and adaptable young people to holiday in Australia and to supplement their funds through incidental employment. The visa allows a stay of up to 12 months from the date of first entry to Australia, regardless of whether or not you spend the whole time in Australia. Currently, Australia welcomes over 85,000 working holiday makers every year!
--+- Australia has reciprocal working holiday arrangements with 18 countries -- the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, the Republic of Ireland, Japan, Korea, Malta, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Cyprus, Italy, Belgium and France. Only applicants from these countries who are aged between 18 and 30 years and without dependent children are eligible to apply for a Working Holiday visa.
--+- If you have a working holiday visa, or are a student intending to work, you should obtain a tax file number (TFN). You can apply for this in person, or online at the Tax Office's website. If you start work before getting your TFN, you have 28 days to provide it to your employer. When you stop work, ask your employer for a payment summary showing your total income and the amount of tax withheld, as you will need this to complete your compulsory tax return.
++-+Temporary residents are able to access their retirement savings (superannuation) upon permanent departure from Australia. For more information please visit the Australian Taxation Office's website. --+- Backpacker jobs available in Australia include: Waiting in restaurants and bars, labouring and building work, shop assistant and retail jobs, nursing, nanny and cleaning services, office temping, fruit picking, and other farm work such as jackeroo'ing.
++-+ Those looking for work downunder should register with online employment services such as seek.com.au and mycareer.com.au.
The Harvest Trail Website is also good for jobseekers and provides information about harvest work opportunities, working conditions, transport and accommodation options in the key harvest areas around Australia.

Aboriginal Australia