How to spend a lovely weekend in Lake Macquarie
Imagine waking up to the sound of gentle water lapping the shore, with golden sunshine dancing across one of Australia’s largest coastal saltwater lakes. Welcome to Lake Macquarie where weekends feel like holidays and nature is always just a step away.
Whether you are craving a peaceful escape or a weekend packed with outdoor adventure, Lake Macquarie offers a perfect blend of relaxation and excitement. Just a short drive from Sydney or Newcastle, this hidden gem is how to charming lakeside towns, pristine beaches and breathtaking bushland. How to spend a lovely weekend in Lake Macquarie is a weekend guide for a relaxing weekend getaway. From discovering sculptures along the foreshore to exploring intriguing sea caves and indulging on fresh seafood as the sun sets over the Lake, here’s how to spend a truly lovely weekend in Lake Macquarie.
I’ve spent many holidays visiting family and sailing on Lake Macquarie. Let me show you around.
A bit about Lake Macquarie
Lake Macquarie, or Lake Mac as the locals call it, is Australia’s largest coastal saltwater lake and twice the size of Sydney Harbour. It is located 90 minutes north of Sydney.
Basically, it’s split up into 3 sections.
- The east side is the most developed and is nestled between the coast and the lake. This includes places like Caves Beach, Swansea and Warners Bay.
- The west side is less developed and located between the lake and the Watagan Ranges. This includes Morisset, Wangi Wangi and Toronto and is serviced by the Sydney to Newcastle train line.
- The southern end is more like the upper Central Coast and includes Mannering Point, Wyee Pont and Gwandalan.
Each year, the Lake gets invaded by the Superboats! A weekend long event of speed boats on steroids. It’s a must see free event and can be seen from many vantage points around the lake, with a festival vibe along Warners Bay foreshore. If you want to get up close and personal, head to the Empire Marina at Marmong Point on the west side of the lake.
Superboats – Empire Marina Lake Macquarie
Getting Here
Lake Macquarie is located 90minute drive north of Sydney, 30minute drive from Newcastle or a 45minute drive from Newcastle Airport.
Flying
Newcastle Airport has direct flights from Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Gold Coast and Melbourne and Perth. If you fly, make sure you book your taxi, Uber or airport transfer in advance.
Driving from Sydney
When driving from Sydney, head up the M1 towards Newcastle. Keep an eye out for the dinosaur at Somersby on the motorway. Just after the Caltex Service Centre, take the Doyalson link road exit and continue around the lake until you reach Swansea. At Swansea, you will cross the Swansea Bridge which opens to let boats through the Swansea Channel to the ocean. This is the only water entrance to Lake Macquarie. Follow the Pacific Highway north and you will reach Belmont. At Belmont shops, turn left, the road hugs the shoreline of the lake to Warners Bay.
Driving from Coffs Harbour
When driving south from Coffs Harbour, follow the M1 south. After crossing the Hunter River at Hexham, turn left and head towards Newcastle past Ozzie the Mozzie, then turn right down the Newcastle bypass.
Public Transport
Catch the Newcastle train from Central Station to Cardiff Station. From there, jump on bus line 29 to Swansea. The bus passes through Warners Bay, Belmont and Swansea.
Use Trip Planner | transportnsw.info for timetable information.
Where to Stay
There are many accommodation options in Lake Macquarie. Here are some options for different budgets.
Caves Beach – Caves Beach Bar and Bungalows
Belmont – Squid’s Ink Waterfront Motel
Warners Bay – Pippi’s at the Point
Holiday Park – Belmont Lakeside Holiday Park
Friday
Escape work, the earlier the better to arrive at your accommodation.
Stretch your legs and breathe in the salt air. Ahhhh, you’re going to have a great sleep tonight.
Saturday
Explore the Sea Caves at Caves Beach
Caves Beach is absolutely gorgeous sandy surf beach. It is patrolled from September to April. The surf lifesaving club has a cafe and there is free parking available at the top of the hill before you walk down to the beach.
Remember to stay safe and swim between the flags and learn How to identify Rips at Australian Beaches – it could save your life.
“Where are the caves?” you ask. When you arrive at the beach, turn south and walk down the beach along the cliffs. There you will find a network of sea caves are best explored at low tide. You can go right inside the caves, some of the caves form tunnels that you can walk right through. When I was there, the sea was very calm and I found a cave that I could swim through. Take care and do so at your own risk.
There are also lots of rockpools to explore and tidal pools to swim in.
If you walk north, you will get to the dog friendly Hams Beach.
Depending on tide times, I recommend you go for either a lunch or dinner cruise on the lake. Or if sailing is your thing, explore the Lake on a luxurious sailing yacht then dine at Crusoe’s on the Lake at the stunning Lake Macquarie Yacht Club.
Take a Cruise
Be captivated by the beautiful scenery of the foreshore as you cruise around the northern suburbs of Lake Macquarie on Lady Mac. Indulge yourself in a freshly prepared BBQ lunch. Enjoy steak, sausages, seasonal salads and fresh Australian prawns from the galley servery.
Yes, I want to cruise the Lake
Go Sailing – luxury yacht cruise
Lake Macquarie is home to Australian gold medallists Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen in sailing (49ers). Yep, the sailing is that good that it produces world champions.
Imagine, relaxing on luxury yacht for a couple of hours, enjoying drinks and canapes with the breeze in your hair as you sail around Lake Macquarie, exploring her islands, sand bars and water wildlife. If this sounds like absolute bliss, then join Scott on his luxurious yacht.
Scott’s Luxurious sailing cruise
After your cruise, I recommend stopping for a fabulous lunch or dinner at the Lake Macquarie Yacht Club right in the middle of the marina.
Sunday
Creative Lake Sculpture Trail
Take a stroll along the Lake Macquarie foreshore and be intrigued by the creative sculptures along the way.
Stretching 5km from Speers Point via Warners Bay to Eleebana along the foreshore, you’ll discover an eclectic collection of contemporary artworks – from sculptures to conceptual installations and 3D murals – by Australian and international artists including Guan Wei, Guy Maestri, Alex Seton, Naidee Changmoh and Antone Bruinsma. Walk, bike and even rollerblade between the sites via the Warners Bay Foreshore Shared Pathway, or drive between them with on and some off-street parking available.
Meander through the Markets
The Homegrown Markets are held at Speers Point Park on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month featuring over 120 stalls. You’ll find everything from gifts, artworks and fashion through to homewares and produce.
If the markets aren’t on, satisfy your hunger at Pippi’s on the Point. Got kids in tow, head to Speers Point Park and the epic playground.
Speers Point Park
Play at Speers Point Park on the most epic kids’ playgrounds. Kids can cycle on the bicycle track complete with traffic signs, slide down huge slippery dips, climbing rockets, sail pirate ships and so much more. There is a sensory section, a section for smaller children and a larger section for bigger kids.
There is a cafe for parents who don’t want to play, BBQ and picnic facilities.
See the Lake from the Air
You haven’t seen the Lake until you have seen it from the air. It’s absolutely stunning plus you’ll also get to see the coastal beaches and Newcastle. It all depends on the thrill level you seek.
Sky Diving
Skydive Newcastle operates sky diving out of Aero Pelican on the banks of Lake Macquarie. Try a tandem skydive from 15,000ft and freefall at over 200km/hr for an insane 60 seconds, then float under canopy over Newcastle for 5 – 7 minutes soaking up spectacular views of the Hunter Valley region, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the beautiful beaches.
Let’s go Sky Diving
Aerobatic Joy Flight with Matt Hall Racing
Lake Macquarie is home to Matt Hall, legendary fighter jet pilot turned aerobatic Red Bull air racing champion. And I bet, you’ve seen him fly. You have either thought, “hell no, you aren’t getting me up there” or “that would be so cool to fly like that!” Well guess what? You can fly with Matt Hall Racing.
Helicopter Flight
So, an aerobatic flight was a little too extreme. What about a 20minute helicopter flight?
Fly by helicopter from Blacksmiths to Nobby’s Beach while along the way taking in the stunning cliffs between Red Head around to Dudley and return via Charlestown & Lake Macquarie.
You’ll get a bird’s eye view of the City of Newcastle and the surrounding areas, peer deep into Newcastle Stadium and have the most amazing aerial experience of Lake Macquarie and surrounding area.
Why not fly in a helicopter?
Too adventurous? Chill out on the water’s edge and do a little fishing.
Fishing
It’s home to 80 different fish species including mulloway, bream, dusky flathead, tailor, squid, luderick, sand whiting, yellowtail kingfish and Australian salmon.
Make sure you have your fishing licence (kids under 18 do not need a fishing licence) Recreational fishing licence | Service NSW and Get the FishSmart app | Service NSW. It shows you where you are and where the marine parks are, and the legal size and number of each species for sustainable fishing.
Try these popular fishing spots to cast a line.
Swansea Channel – target dusky flathead, bream, whiting and luderick. In the cooler months there can be huge schools of Australian Salmon. Actually, you can catch absolutely anything here. Once I caught an enormous octopus, it chased me all around the tinny. The kids thought it was hilarious!
Belmont Bay – there is a boardwalk and pier that you can fish from. You can catch bream, flathead and snapper.
Shingle Splitters Point is great for shore fishing for flathead and whiting.
Wangi Wangi is located on the west side of the lake and has several jetties to catch flathead and bream.
Caves Beach is known for luderick, bream and drummer. Remember to keep your eyes on the ocean when rock fishing.
Dine with a View
Lake Macquarie has so many dining options. Here are a few where your eyes can feast on the view whilst your taste buds feast on the food.
- Caves Beach Bar and Restaurant
- Pippi’s at the Point
- Crusoe’s on the Lake, at Lake Macquarie Yacht Club
- Belmont 16s
- Sunset Dinner Cruise with BBQ
As the weekend winds down, and the sun sets over the lake, it’s clear that Lake Macquarie isn’t just a destination – it’s a memory maker for the whole family. From outdoor adventures to peaceful moments by the water, every experience here leaves you wanting just one more day.
If you’ve enjoyed a taste of what this beautiful spot has to offer, don’t keep it to yourself – share your favourite moments and let others in on the secret. Tag your travel crew, drop your highlights int he comments, and share this post to inspire the next family getaway.
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