Lake Macquarie

Lake Macquarie is a favourite summer holiday destination but there is also plenty to do during winter with the lake as a backdrop. From gorgeous waterfront restaurants that serve up delicious seafood, high end wagyu or vegan spreads, to night-time paddles in clear, illuminated kayaks to sitting in a hammock on board a 49 foot yacht and staying in a luxe bungalow, Lake Macquarie has a surprise at every turn.

Did you know that Lake Macquarie is twice the size of Sydney Harbour? In fact it is the largest coastal salt water lake in the Southern Hemisphere and spans 110 square kilometers or 42 square miles. It was originally called "Reid’s Mistake" after Captain William Reid who mistook the lake’s entrance for the Hunter River while searching for coal in 1800. Its name was later changed to Lake Macquarie in 1826 after Governor Lachlan Macquarie.

Where To Eat

8 At Trinity, Morisset

Our one and a half hour drive from Sydney to Lake Macquarie is an easy one, ending at Morisset in the Greater Newcastle area. We are having lunch at 8 at Trinity, a waterfront restaurant along Lake Macquarie that transports you straight to Fantasy Island. Take a seat on their sun drenched wraparound deck among the foliage and drink in the water views while sipping a cocktail or wine. 8 at Trinity is designed by Koichi Takada Architects and was designed to blend into the hills of Watagan Mountains. While Morisset is a somewhat unassuming area, the restaurant has rapidly become a place that people flock to.

The restaurant is set on 23 acres on a property owned by property developer Keith Johnson for the last 25 years. In November 2019 they opened the doors of the 450 seater restaurant with a menu designed by his wife Natalie Johnson. The former chef, restaurant owner and property developer came from a family of property developers and harnessed her talents to open what many thought would not work. Incredibly this indoor/outdoor restaurant with an abundance of greenery and 7 metre ceilings is a pop up and will be torn gown in line with their future expansion plans.

Six years later they do 1,000 covers a day with people ordering everything from a $30 pizza and wine for 2 to the extravagant Kagoshima wagyu steak and lobster. There’s even a $6,000 bottle of tequila in their bottle shop where guests can buy any of the wines that they drink in the restaurant. Their guests arrive by car, boat or helicopter.

We start with the watermelon that has been slow roasted and dehydrated for 8 hours. It is paired with burrata, 30 year aged balsamic vinegar, river mint, cucamelons, extra virgin olive oil and toasted crostini. The watermelon takes on a sashimi style of texture and dances between salty and sweet but refreshing.

The kingfish ceviche is also wonderfully fresh and bright with avocado mousse, yuzu, green apple, finger lime & avruga caviar.

Another favourite is the salmon sashimi made with New Zealand Ora King salmon with hot grapeseed oil, soy sauce, sesame seeds and matchstick thin batons of ginger & chives. It is so simple but the flavour perfectly complements the luscious, fatty salmon.

Mains-wise, the fish and chips here are not your regular fish and chips. Here it is a whole beer battered Murray cod with shaved bottarga served with chips, a big pot of tartare sauce and lemon. The fish is meaty and luscious with a resoundingly crunchy batter while the chips are golden crunchy and tasty. And honestly it’s large enough to feed 2-3 people if you have entrees.

The Singapore chilli prawns taste just like my mother’s. It’s a large serve of enormous U6 prawns that have been peeled but with the head and tail still on. These sit in a pool of delicious sweet, spicy garlicky sauce that is made for eating with steamed rice & deep fried buns. It also comes with an extra pot of sauce just because we know that the sauce is what makes this dish so good.

Looking around us, almost every group is having a birthday or some sort of celebration. If you want to seriously impress you can push out the boat (marina joke) with the 400g/14oz Japanese Kagoshima A5 wagyu scotch fillet with a marbling score of 12+. It is served medium which is ideal for wagyu. It comes with a fabulous peppercorn sauce that goes perfectly with the unctuous meat as well as crispy duck fat layered potato maxim dusted with vinegar salt, roasted and quartered portobello mushrooms, pickled pearl onions and chargrilled spring onion and gold leaf. It’s luscious and decadent and melts in the mouth like butter.

And for dessert make sure to try the steamed vanilla cheesecake. Modelled on the one by Alain Ducasse, it’s feather light and sits on a graham crumble and browned butter base with house made honeycomb and edible flowers.

If winter comfort is more your thing, try the bread and butter pudding made with croissants and served warm in copper pan with apricot glaze, almonds, crème anglaise & vanilla gelato.

And if you’re looking for a dessert cocktail, the limoncello daiquiri with limoncello, mandarin liqueur, lillet blanc, lemon sorbet, pink pumpkin with a lemon myrtle salt rim with caramelised lemon sugar and festooned with edible flowers is as eye catching as it is delicious. Even in the middle of winter with the sun streaming in, I can almost lie back and think I’m in an exotic location.

Cam’s Wharf Tavern, Cam's Wharf

For a sunset drink, head to Cam’s Wharf Tavern where you can combine a spritz with a glorious sunset overlooking Lake Macquarie. The tavern has been recently renovated and in the summer months it is a very popular spot (and popular for weddings too).

Tinta, Belmont

For a seafood lunch, head to Tinta in Belmont, a restaurant that focuses on locally sourced, sustainable seafood. The blue and white nautical themed restaurant has a range of seafood as well as meat options and faces the lake.

We start with the tuna crudo. It's is a gorgeous dish with sliced plum, lemon myrtle, onion, chilli oil and finger lime that gives a spicy and tart flavour.

The seared scallops with pickled grapes, almond butter and fried enoki are a standout. The scallops are perfectly cooked while pickled grapes give the dish an acidity while the twists of gnarled, deep fried enoki mushrooms offer a contrasting texture.

The lobster rolls are also fantastic. A lightly toasted buttered milk bun is filled with chunks of Queensland King prawns, W.A. lobster, mayonnaise and lettuce. Usually lobster rolls in Australia can be on the smaller side but here they're the size of a burger.

Market fish is swordfish served with roasted leeks, black garlic and chive emulsion. The steak-like fish is firm and the sauce is lightly sweet and tangy. I particularly like the leeks in this.

Desserts-wise, if you want something light, go for Shay’s piña colada made with coconut mouse, makrut lime, almond praline, charred pineapple, coconut gelato and sunrise lime. It’s surprisingly light with a cloud of coconut foam, compressed pineapple pieces, tangy sunrise lime and a praline crumble.

The Yoga Place, Blacksmiths

If you're looking for somewhere for breakfast, head to The Yoga Place in Blacksmiths for an early morning yoga class or vegan breakfast. The cafe is mostly outdoors with a one section undercover. It's also very popular this morning with some taking a seat in the uncovered area, dodging the patches of light rain that falls. Others tote their yoga mats into the adjacent yoga studio.

On the menu there’s an interesting range of drinks from mushroom tonic that features a blend of medicinal mushrooms blended for gut health and immunity. This is mixed with cocoa and house made cocoa syrup. It ends up tasting along the lines of a hot chocolate and is perfectly warming on this winter's day.

I had read that the Tradies Toastie was the most popular item so we order that. It has hash brown, slices of smoky tofu, cheese, bush tomato relish with spinach that is very tasty and filling. You can opt to add mushrooms, avocado or extra hash brown but you honestly don't need to as it tastes great as is.

Nachos for breakfast? Sure! The yoga place nachos are made with a tomato and bean mix with corn chips, melting cheese, mayonnaise and spring onion with plenty of avocado. It's also hearty and filling with a good flavour to them and you wouldn't even miss the meat here.

Martha Drink & Dine, Belmont

The last meal of our weekend is at Martha Drink & Dine restaurant in the Belmont 16s Sailing Club. Almost everything that we've done on our itinerary has involved having Lake Macquarie as the scenic backdrop and this is no exception with their floor to ceiling windows showcasing lake life below. I watch a man kayaking and a pelican glide past.

And do your remember the story of how Lake Macquarie was originally called Reid's Mistake as Captain William Reid accidentally sailed there while collecting coal? The 30-tonne schooner that he sailed for this voyage was called "Martha" and this ship is what the restaurant Martha Drink & Dine is named after. We are eating from the Feed Me menu. A lot of the cooking is done on the Mibrasa and there’s a Middle Eastern and Mediterranean influence on the menu. Winter tip: start with their spiced mulled wine, it's excellent.

We start with the thick logs of house focaccia that are grilled with lightly honeyed whipped ricotta and toasted almonds.

We all really enjoy the juicy yet crispy edged squares of pork belly that sit on a parsley verde with chopped guindilla peppers to give it a mild heat hit.

Another favourite at the table is the prawn and celeriac remoulade salad with preserved blood orange that is fresh and creamy. It is served with poppy seed lavosh crackers for crunch.

The swordfish comes as cubes of fish on skewers served with wilted cime de rapa and an utterly moreish puttanesca sauce that I can't stop eating. Swordfish is a fish that can easily become a bit dry but the puttanesca sauce helps to counteract that.

However it's the slow roasted lamb shoulder with cavolo nero or Tuscan kale, raisins and spiced yogurt that is the clear star of the table. The lamb is from Pukhara estate (who also make olive oil) and is marinated and cooked over 3 days to give it a wonderful, melting texture. It's also paired with slender, halved Japanese eggplant brushed with spicy harissa paste redolent in cumin and coriander seeds.

The chips with Spanish paprika seasoning are moreish while the seasonal greens (broccoli, green beans and sugar snaps) have a nice crisp bite to them and are served with lemon olive oil and pangrattato for crunch.

Dessert is from da Toni’s in Frenchs Forest. The delicious lemon meringue pie has a crunchy touch from sugar crystals in the meringue and is served with jammy strawberries and fresh strawberries.

Where To Art

Dobell House, Wangi Wangi

In between meals, a bit of a diversion is in order and art lovers can visit artist Dobell House. Bill Dobell was an Australian artist who was born in Cooks Hill in Newcastle who was the subject of the “case that stopped the nation” that shook up the staid Australian art world in the 1950s. He entered a painting of his friend Joshua Smith for the Archibald Prize. However other artists complained saying that it was a distorted caricature and not a portrait and took it to the Supreme Court. The judge eventually ruled in his Bill's favour but not after he had a nervous breakdown. He then moved to Wangi Wangi in 1945 where he lived out the rest of his days with his sister Alice and cocker spaniel dog Casey. Sadly, he and Joshua Smith never spoke again after the case.

The small Federation bungalow house that was built by his father in 1923 to 1925 with views of Lake Macquarie is now a heritage listed museum dedicated to his artwork which ranges from portraiture to landscapes. It has been restored to show what it looked like when he and his sister lived there from the studio and bedroom upstairs where most of his paintings were completed.

Make sure to take a look at the "most expensive bathroom door" aka his sister Alice’s bathroom door that he painted. It is open Wednesday 10-3pm and weekends 1-4pm. Entry is $12 per person.

Museum of Art and Culture, yapang

The MAC or the Museum of Art Culture is located in Booragul and has been at this location for 19 years. They hold rotating exhibitions every 6 weeks and they are currently hosting the young Dobell art competition.

We visit the "Truth Tell" exhibit featuring mixed media art by five indigenous artists and ranges from photography landscapes to videos and paintings as well as political art by artist Penny Evans who writes messages on traditional indigenous tools that questions traditional white ideologies like "Are you tickled pink when you hear Waltzing Matilda?", a question that prompts discussion. The museum also has free guided tours on Wednesday and Saturday

Where To Get Out On The Water

Silver Sun Sailing, Belmont

One of the best ways to make the most of your time at Lake Macquarie is seeing it on a yacht. Silver Sun Sailing started in 2023 and specialises in sunset and sunset cruises on their 49 foot French Beneteau yacht Spellcaster III. The founders of Silver Sun cruises are Scott Ferguson and Kim Sweetnam who used to take friends and family out on the water and it was these friends and family that suggested that they turn it into a business. And if you suffer seasickness (like I do), you'll be glad to know that because the lake is always calm, seasickness is never an issue.

Kim brings out mimosa cocktails, coffee and tea as well as sweet and savoury brioche pastry and ham and cheese croissants by local bakery The Yellow Door Kitchen which we feast on. The sweet and savoury brioche are freshly baked and I particularly love the savoury truffle and tomato brioche and their house baked croissants. "If you’re lucky you'll see the lone dolphin Kevin," says Scott. He explains that from 1920 to 1980, Lake Macquarie was heavily fished. After 45 years of marine rehabilitation there are now turtles, sharks and fish and it has returned to become a normal waterway.

We stop at Wangi Wangi where they cut the engine and we enjoy the quiet and echo of birdsong. One of the most amazing experiences is to get out on the hammock on the stern or back of the boat. I almost drift off to a nap as the yacht glides through the water. It is with much reluctance that we head back to land. This "Watch the Lake Wake" experience is $220 per person for 2 hours of sailing and includes drinks and food (with a minimum of 2 people and a maximum of 8).

For couples you can "be a yacht owner for a night" for $1,500. This overnight experience includes all alcohol and food and they will moor you in a secluded area where you can be alone and private.

Showtime Kayaking

Another slightly more adventurous way to see Lake Macquarie is via kayak with Showtime Kayaking. But their kayaks aren't your ordinary ones. These kayaks are clear with neon lights that allow people to see all of the amazing creatures that live in Lake Macquarie.

The night kayak cruises start in the late afternoon but due to a miscommunication we are late as we are unable to find the meeting point. This means that our kayak sunset tour has left half an hour later than it should and this has changed the program somewhat. We start with our pizza meal which is usually eaten on the banks of an island during the kayak tour.

A few things first: your feet and the bottom of your legs will get wet as the clear bottom kayaks are boarded while it is floating in the water to avoid the bottom scraping the 6mm thick polycarbonate (the same material used for aircraft windows and bulletproof glass). For those that aren't as experienced, there is also the option of being towed by one of the main staff or being in the same kayak as one of the main staff.

Amy and I team up – she has kayaked before as have I but neither of us would be considered experts (or even competent!) at kayaking. I swap my sneakers for aqua slippers and climb in. We are kayaking independently. The first 10 minutes are spent with trying to get everybody familiar with operating a kayak and soon we are off. We stick to the shallow end of Lake Macquarie because this is where we can see the sea animals as the deeper the water the further they are from the surface and view. The kayak's lights also attract them. We see tiny translucent prawns that jump some into the boat, others darting about.

The first sighting is of a sea slug. Then there’s a razor clam that stretches to an enormous length when harvested. An enormous pufferfish glides by before a stingray floats beneath our glass canoe. Sadly, we don’t see any octopuses and there aren’t as many sightings this evening as it is a new moon and they are usually seen during the full moon.

We’ve spent about two hours kayaking before it’s time to head in. Amy and I who had done so well at the beginning are now struggling. While everybody gets towed in, we watch their lights fade in the distance. It’s at this point that I regret not getting towed. We are both struggling against the current but make no progress no matter how hard we paddle. Amy's arms are exhausted and she sets down the paddles, giving up for a few seconds.

Then suddenly, the lights in our kayak go out. We are scared and alone in the water with just our headlights and the sliver of a new moon to light our way. Panic starts to rise. Regrouping, Amy picks up her oar. “We’ve just got to get past this buoy!” she screams above the sound of the water.

Finally, we managed to get past it and then our guides Jo and Alii and arrive in their kayak. “Would you like a tow?” they ask and we could not accept their offer faster. We return to shore where a crackling fire is waiting for us as well as marshmallows ready to be toasted. Would I do it again? Absolutely! But maybe during a full moon while being towed!

Where To Stay

Caves Coastal Bar & Bungalows, Caves Beach

For our 2 night stay in Lake Macquarie, we stayed at Caves Coastal Bar & Bungalows which is located right along the lake. With 41 semi detached and frestanding bungalows, the pick of the bungalows are the ones facing the shallow wetlands and Caves Beach. All bungalows are spacious with their own balcony area. There is a king bed with TV and kitchenette.

The bathrooms have double sinks and a large soaking tub as well as a separate shower with an enormous monsoon head. Most toiletries are provided and the bungalows have a shuttered partition between the bedroom and the bathroom area.

We arrive at night and it's not the best time to see it as it's very dark – some additional lights would be really helpful when negotiating the way to your bungalow. I definitely advise arriving in the daytime just to familiarise yourself with the layout as it can get a bit confusing at night in the dark.

On site, there’s also a restaurant where we have dinner one evening. There are tacos, burgers, pizzas, small plates and pastas. We decide to share a couple of platters including a meat and a seafood platter.

My favourite item was the salt and pepper calamari which was so tender although a little light on the salt and pepper seasoning. The crab and prawn pasta is good as well and the ribs have a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce. And we are so full from the mains that we don't even get to try the dessert menu!