90-505: The Central Coast is a peri-urban region lying on the Pacific Ocean in northern-eastern New South Wales , Australia . The region is situated north of Sydney , which is filled with subtropical national parks, forests and also encompasses the major coastal waterways of Brisbane Water , Tuggerah Lakes and southern Lake Macquarie . The region's hinterland, which has fertile valleys, rural farmland and wineries, and also includes
180-539: A 122-seat raked auditorium, 49m stage area and professional standard staging, lighting and sound capabilities. Central Coast Mariners represent the Central Coast in the A-League . The Mariners have been A-League premiers twice ( 2007–08 and 2011–12 ), and were A-League champions in 2013 as well as in 2023 and again in 2024. The Mariners play out of Central Coast Stadium at Gosford , the largest stadium on
270-492: A community facility, including office facilities, hot desks, training rooms, a commercial kitchen and art exhibition space for use by the community and the Red Tree Theatre, a small adaptable space for forums, seminars, concerts, theatre rehearsals and productions. The Red Tree Theatre features a 144-seat ranked auditorium equipped with professional standard lighting and sound. The Peninsula Theatre at Woy Woy features
360-660: A large number of vineyards , restaurants, shops, golf courses and country guesthouses. Other parts of the valley including the Wollombi Valley and Broke Fordwich subregion are also well known for wine, along with the Upper Hunter Valley . The main town in the Upper Hunter Valley subregion is Muswellbrook . For the purposes of Australian federal elections for the House of Representatives ,
450-478: A locally produced breakfast show from 6am to 9am weekdays, outside this it broadcasts Sydney programming from ABC 702 AM . A 24-hour Country music station TodayCountry94one is based in Gosford and broadcasts online and in syndication across the country. It also has a Christian radio station Rhema FM on 94.9 MHz. As at January 2021, The Central Coast has a locally based internet Radio Station providing locals with
540-575: A multi-purpose space suitable for conferences, board meetings, annual general meetings, cabaret and small musical acts. The resident amateur theatre group, the Gosford Musical Society, currently contribute 5 shows a year. The largest theatre on the Central Coast is The Art House, Wyong, which opened in May 2016 and replaced the old Wyong Memorial Hall which was used mainly by Wyong Musical Theatre Company and Wyong Drama Group. The Art House
630-489: A quantitative (e.g. new residential zones) sense. It is frequently seen as a result of post-modernity . In science, the term was used initially in France and Switzerland . Peri-urban areas (also called urban space , outskirts or the hinterland ) are defined by the structure resulting from the process of peri-urbanisation. It can be described as the landscape interface or ecotone between town and countryside, or also as
720-580: A radio station being broadcast by local presenters from their place of business/home. In most locations on the Central Coast, Sydney and Newcastle radio stations can be received at reasonable levels particularly on the AM band. The Central Coast is not serviced by its own daily print newspaper though has three weekly local newspapers as well as a fortnightly paper and several popular monthly newsletters. A series of locally owned local papers have grown in popularity over time. Central Coast Community News services
810-546: A sudden growth in arts companies producing theatre in the region including Endless Night Theatre Company, Gosford Theatre Company, Nate Butler's Studio, Salt House Theatre Company, and the regions only youth theatre body, Jopuka Productions. In late 2018, the Elderslee Foundation purchased a large building along the Tuggerah Strait close to Wyong which has subsequently been renovated and repurposed into
900-400: Is a multipurpose venue with a 500-seat proscenium arch theatre with a 12m x 9m stage and automated fly tower as well as a 285m studio space with retractable tiered seating for 130 people and AV link to the main theatre. The Art House also features a 500m space suited to functions and events, as well as an exhibition wall ideal for visual art and photography displays. The opening of this venue saw
990-780: Is approximately 8 km (5.0 mi) north of the Wyong town centre, along the Pacific Highway with 274 beds. Additionally, there is a small public hospital in Woy Woy and a Health Care Centre at Long Jetty . The largest private hospital on the Central Coast is Gosford Private Hospital located at North Gosford . Brisbane Waters Private in Woy Woy , Tuggerah Lakes Private at Kanwal and Berkeley Vale Private are also major healthcare providers. The region has 21 aged care facilities. New South Wales Ambulance has seven ambulance stations on
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#17327721106971080-677: Is home to Erina Fair , the largest single level shopping mall in the Southern Hemisphere and the largest regional shopping mall in Australia. It provides many of the area's amenities such as restaurants, cinema, fast food and shopping. Another large shopping mall exists to the north, Westfield Tuggerah . Peri-urbanisation Peri-urbanisation relates to the processes of scattered and dispersive urban growth that create hybrid landscapes of fragmented and mixed urban and rural characteristics. Such areas may be referred to as
1170-448: Is one of Australia's most famous wine-growing regions, known for both its red and white wine varieties. The most important economic activity in the valley is coal mining (through businesses such as Rio Tinto and BHP ), mostly for export. The Port of Newcastle is the world's largest export facility for coal, most of which is brought to the port by rail . Coal ships are often seen off the coast of Newcastle. Electricity generation at
1260-831: Is part of the Sydney to Brisbane corridor. The Pacific Motorway is approximately 3 lanes wide from the southern end of the Central Coast to as far north as Doyalson . The section between the Tuggerah interchange and Doyalson interchange was widened to 3 lanes in each direction in 2020 and another section between the Kariong interchange and Peats Ridge interchange was also widened to 3 lanes in each direction in 2020. The roads that link Kariong with Doyalson (Pacific Highway, Dane Drive, Masons Parade, York Street, George Street, The Entrance Road, Oakland Avenue, Coral Street, Wilfred Barrett Drive, Budgewoi Road and Scenic Road) became known as
1350-487: Is serviced by an extensive and burgeoning road system. A combination of bus and rail provide limited public transport options for locals. The region also has a number of taxis operated by Central Coast Taxis. Transport has been a constant issue for the region and has been cited as high a priority over the last 20 years in regional plans and priorities by local, state and federal government agencies, with incremental investments largely in road infrastructure. The main access to
1440-532: Is supplied from the Tomago Sandbeds , via a series of bores. The Hunter Region includes four cities. In order of population these are Lake Macquarie , Newcastle , Maitland and Cessnock . Other major centres of the Hunter Region are Dungog , Gloucester , Kurri Kurri , Muswellbrook , Raymond Terrace , Scone and Singleton . The climate of Hunter Valley is humid subtropical , similar to
1530-542: Is supplied with water diverted from the Williams River just north of the Seaham Weir, through a large pump station at Balickera. The dam itself has only a small natural catchment and relies mainly on the pumped water from the Williams River. A proposal to build Tillegra Dam on the Williams River existed since the 1950s, but was scrapped in 2010. In addition to the dams, fresh water for the lower Hunter Region
1620-643: Is the third-largest urban area in New South Wales and the ninth-largest urban area in Australia. Geographically, the Central Coast is generally considered to include the region bounded by the Hawkesbury River in the south, the Watagan Mountains in the west and the southern end of Lake Macquarie , lying on the Sydney basin . The region has been inhabited for thousands of years by Aboriginal people. The local Kuringgai people were
1710-581: Is the driest time, with often minimal to no rain. The Australian Bureau of Statistics publishes population census data and regular population estimates on the Central Coast under a Significant Urban Area. In 2021, the estimated population of this region was 343,180, with population forecasts projecting it will grow by more than 20 per cent to 415,050 by 2035. The median age was 43, with an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population of 4.9%. The main countries of birth were Australia (78.9%), United Kingdom (4.6%), and New Zealand (1.7%). ABS currently includes
1800-448: Is the most popular service, linking Lake Haven with Warnervale via Hamlyn Terrace and Woongarah. This service on weekdays occasionally extends to Westfield Tuggerah and Wyong Station via Hue Hue Road. CDC NSW operate services between Cheero Point, Mooney Mooney with the bus line extending to Sydney areas such as Brooklyn and sometimes as far as Hornsby. The bus route is isolated from rest of the Central Coast bus network. The Central Coast
1890-659: The Australian Ice Hockey League from 2006 to 2008 and the Australian International Ice Hockey Cup from 2009 to 2012. They played out of Erina Ice Arena at Erina Fair , which is the Central Coast's only ice rink . The Erina Ice Arena has been closed since the 19th of August 2019 for renovations and is looking to reopen on the 2nd of January 2021. Other teams include the Central Coast Crusaders –
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#17327721106971980-844: The Central Coast Highway from 9 August 2006. The Central Coast's roads are maintained by the Central Coast Council as well as state roads by the NSW government; however, due to the relatively large geography maintenance issues often arise. The western and south-eastern towns and suburbs of the Central Coast are on the Main Northern railway line . The rail line is primarily used to provide mass transport for those that commute to Sydney or Newcastle and as such services are most frequent during peak commuter times (typically one hour before Sydney and Newcastle peak times in
2070-469: The Eraring , Bayswater , Liddell , Munmorah , Redbank and Vales Point coal-fired power stations is a major industry of the region. The Hunter Valley is Australia's main region for the breeding and rearing of Thoroughbred horses and most of the country's best racehorses. The Upper Hunter area around Scone is one of the largest horse breeding areas in the world. Commonly known as "Wine Country",
2160-580: The Greater Western Sydney region, with distinctive maritime influences from the Pacific Ocean . With its northerly latitude and close oceanic influences, the Hunter Valley is one of Australia's hottest and wettest wine regions. Flanked by mountains to the west and north the Hunter Valley acts as a funnel, pulling cool ocean breezes into the area. With those cooling breezes also comes heavy rainfall and periodic cyclonic storms in
2250-469: The Hunter Institute of TAFE located at Gosford, Wyong and Ourimbah along with multiple private colleges. The Central Coast has a large number of primary and secondary school institutions. The Central Coast has four broadcast translators across the region, located at Bouddi (between Killcare & MacMasters Beach), Gosford and Wyong ( Forresters Beach ), and Mount Sugarloaf (Newcastle). Due to
2340-549: The Hunter Valley , a few years after the Central Coast got its definition, it officially got recognised to be part of Regional NSW instead of Greater Sydney by the NSW Government. The Central Coast has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification : Cfa), with warm humid summers and mild winters. Rainfall is spread fairly evenly throughout the year, but is slightly more frequent during autumn. Winter
2430-552: The Nine Network . Both WIN Television and the Seven Network produce short local updates to fulfill local content quotas. Foxtel is also available via satellite. The Central Coast has a number of local radio stations. The three large commercial stations are Triple M Central Coast , Star 104.5 , Hit101.3 Central Coast , all being part of national networks. The ABC has an outreach station on 92.5 FM that operates
2520-647: The Sydney Basin to the south. Between these two geological areas is the Hunter- Mooki Thrust fault. At one time this fault was very geologically active and gave rise to the Brokenback range that feature prominently in the Hunter region. Strips of basalt found throughout the region also bear witness to the volcanic activity that has occurred in the history of this fault. The Permian rocks in
2610-489: The Watagan Mountains . The Central Coast is known for its regional coastal towns like Terrigal , The Entrance , Ettalong Beach , Budgewoi and Bateau Bay with resorts and holiday parks, which feature many expansive beaches and lagoons with surfing and coastal tracks, as well as scenic views. Gosford is the main commercial hub and gateway. The Central Coast includes major localities, villages and towns such as Gosford, Wyong , Terrigal, Woy Woy and The Entrance. The area
2700-610: The rural–urban fringe , the outskirts or the urban hinterland . The expression originates from the French word périurbanisation ("peri-urban" meaning "around urban"), which is used by the INSEE (the French statistics agency) to describe spaces—between the city and the countryside—that are shaped by the fragmented urbanisation of former rural areas in the urban fringe, both in a qualitative (e.g. diffusion of urban lifestyle) and in
2790-423: The (Lower) Hunter Valley proper in 1820. Today, the modern Putty Road between the cities of Windsor and Singleton follows Howe's exact path and is a major thoroughfare for wine tourists coming into the Hunter Valley from Sydney. As previous plantings in the coastal areas around Sydney succumbed to the humidity and wetness, and plantings to the west were limited by spring frost damage, northern reaches leading to
Central Coast (New South Wales) - Misplaced Pages Continue
2880-529: The British Empire. The Hunter River itself was discovered, by accident, in 1797 by British Lieutenant John Shortland as he searched for escaped convicts. The region soon became a valuable source for timber and coal that fuelled the steamship trade coming out of Sydney. Land prospector John Howe cut a path through the Australian wilderness from Sydney up to the overland area in what is now known as
2970-636: The Broken Bay Tribes". In addition to Kuringgai-speaking people (referred to as the "Pittwater tribes" and "Broken Bay tribes" by early colonists), Awabakal lived around Lake Macquarie , and Darkinyung people lived inland, to the west of the Mooney Mooney Creek . The Kuringgai (Guriŋgai), Awaba and Darkinyung languages are related to each other, but are distinct from the Dharrug and Sydney languages that were spoken south of
3060-547: The Central Coast being split between the Sydney (metro) and Northern NSW (regional) licence areas, these translators carry stations from both areas. In total eight television stations service the Central Coast: Each station broadcasts a primary channel and several multichannels. Of the three main networks, NBN produces a bulletin containing local, national and international news screening every night at 6:00pm on
3150-485: The Central Coast by road is by the 127 kilometres (79 mi) Pacific Motorway that carries the designation National Highway 1 . From January 2013 it officially has been renamed as the M1 Pacific Motorway. The freeway provides the most important road link between Sydney and the northern areas of New South Wales such as Central Coast, Hunter , Mid North Coast and Northern Rivers . The Pacific Motorway
3240-563: The Central Coast located at Bateau Bay , Doyalson , Ettalong , Point Clare , Terrigal , Toukley and Wyong . The Central Coast falls in the fixed phone 43xx xxxx region and is classified Regional 1 for billing with the exception of northern suburbs Gwandalan and Summerland Point, which fall in the fixed phone region for Newcastle and Lower Hunter 49xx xxxx. Fixed-line telephone service is universally available. 3G , 4G and 5G mobile network services are available from Optus , Telstra and Vodafone , though numerous black spots exist due to
3330-623: The Central Coast region population wholly within Greater Sydney which results in Greater Sydney's population being larger than that of Greater Melbourne, however the NSW government definition for the Central Coast region it has its own regional population definition as a stand alone region. The Central Coast has two campuses of the University of Newcastle located at Ourimbah and Gosford Hospital . There are three campuses of
3420-680: The Central Coast with a capacity of 20,059. The Wyong Roos currently play in the Intrust Super Premiership at Morry Breen Oval in Kanwal . They are the feeder team of the Sydney Roosters National Rugby League team, who have developed an agreement to play one regular season fixture per year at Central Coast Stadium for five years, starting in 2015 . The South Sydney Rabbitohs also play regular games. The Central Coast Rhinos played in
3510-578: The Central Coast. Post-settlement disease, disruption and war greatly reduced the numbers of Aboriginal people. In 1811, the Governor of New South Wales , Lachlan Macquarie , gave the first land grant in the region to William Nash, a former marine of the First Fleet . No further grants were made in the area until 1821. The region is a network of towns that have been linked in recent years by expanding suburban development. The main urban cluster of
3600-613: The Central Gosford region and the Coast Community Chronicle services the northern part of the region and the Pelican Post services the postcodes of 2256 and 2257. All are published by a local independent publishing house Central Coast Newspapers bucking the trend in declining newspaper sales. The Peninsula News run by a community association services the southern part of the region centred around
3690-547: The Gosford City Council, and claims of councillors being bullied into the merger, as part of the process, merging into a single Central Coast Council local government area passed all administrative and legislative requirements and came into effect in 2016. As of mid-2020, the amalgamation process had cost $ 49 million. The newly amalgamated Central Coast Council held elections in September 2017. The Central Coast
Central Coast (New South Wales) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3780-549: The Hunter Region are: There is an active movement campaigning for the Hunter Region to secede from New South Wales to form its own state. The sale of the Port of Newcastle and the refusal of the NSW state government to build a container terminal in Newcastle has been cited as the motivation behind the campaign. The movement's demands include a Royal commission into the feasibility of Hunter Valley Statehood as soon as possible, and
3870-562: The Hunter Region is contained within the divisions of Hunter , Lyne , Newcastle , Paterson , and Shortland . For the purposes of New South Wales elections for the Legislative Assembly , the Hunter Region is contained within the electoral districts of Cessnock , Charlestown , Lake Macquarie , Maitland , Myall Lakes , Newcastle , Port Stephens , Swansea , Upper Hunter , Wallsend , and Wyong . The following local government areas are contained within
3960-587: The Hunter Valley is a major tourist destination in New South Wales and is the 6th most visited place in Australia attracting more than 2.5 million people annually. There are regular events held in the Hunter for visitors, including the Hunter Valley Steam Trains running the first three Sundays of each month and regular scenic cruises on the Hunter River and Lake Macquarie . The Hunter Valley Wine Zone Australian Geographical Indication
4050-679: The Hunter Valley wine region. Along with the Worimi to the north and the Awabakal to the south, the Wonnarua developed a trading route connecting the Coquun (Hunter) Valley to the harbour now known as Sydney harbour . The wine-making history of Hunter Valley begins with the European settlement of the Sydney and the New South Wales region of Australia in the late 18th century as a penal colony of
4140-628: The Hunter Valley. This temporarily produced an up-tick in plantings but the global Great Depression as well as a series of devastating hail storms between 1929 and 1930 caused many growers to abandon their vineyards. The Hunter Region is considered a transitional area between the Paleozoic rock foundation of the New England Fold Belt located to the south and the Early Permian and Middle Triassic period rock formations of
4230-728: The Hunter and Central Coast. In November 2015 both Gosford City and Wyong Shire councils controversially voted to merge following a NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal assessment which found the Gosford City and Wyong Shire Councils did not meet the stand-alone operating criteria for the NSW State government's "Fit for the Future" plans for the Local Area Councils within the state. Despite local opposition and concerns over Wyong Shire, in effect, being subsumed within
4320-478: The Hunter became, almost by default, the wine region of the new colony. The expansive growth of the Hunter Valley wine industry in the mid to late 19th century arose from its monopoly position in the lucrative Sydney market. The provincial government of New South Wales had enacted regulations that placed prohibitive duties on wines from other areas such as Victoria and South Australia. Following World War I , many returning Australian veterans were given land grants in
4410-469: The Hunter region is almost as large, and includes most of the wine-producing areas, excluding the metropolitan area of Newcastle and nearby coastal areas, some national parks, and any land that was in the Mudgee Shire (at the western heights of the catchment). The Hunter wine region is one of Australia 's best known wine regions , playing a pivotal role in the history of Australian wine as one of
4500-454: The Hunter, many endangered ecological communities (EECs) have been declared under the TSC Act . These communities are found on both public and private land, and prior to development of land, the landowner is required to undertake an environmental assessment to ascertain whether it will impact endangered species or endangered communities. Examples of endangered ecological communities found within
4590-623: The Lower Hunter vary widely from sandy alluvial flats (often planted to Semillon), to deep friable loam (often planted with Shiraz) and friable red duplex soils . In the Upper Hunter, the rivers and creeks of the region contribute to the areas black, silty loam soils that are often overlaid on top of alkaline clay loam. Among the hills of the Brokenback range are strips of volcanic basalt that are prized by growers for their tendencies to restrict vigor and concentrate mineral flavours in
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#17327721106974680-550: The NBN to the remainder of the region is in question following a change of government in September 2013. Trials of fibre to the node technology are planned for Umina Beach and Woy Woy. The Central Coast is administered by one local government area which is the Central Coast Council . It has an estimated population of 348,930 as of June 2022, growing by 1% annually. Politically, the Central Coast Council has administered
4770-553: The NRL. This attempt was financed by a consortium led by John Singleton , but the Gold Coast Titans were ultimately successful. The Northern Eagles , a merger of NRL clubs Manly Sea Eagles and North Sydney Bears began their tenure playing half of their games at Gosford; however, within three years the team was solely playing back at Brookvale. South Sydney were also unsuccessfully approached to play out of Gosford, despite
4860-490: The Northern NSW line are (from south to north): North South Bus services in the region are operated by Busways which has depots at Kincumber and Charmhaven , Red Bus Services and Coastal Liner . All companies serve their own individual areas covering almost all areas of the region and rarely overlapping. Busways operates services using Lake Haven , Tuggerah, Erina Fair and Gosford as central points. In
4950-444: The Upper Hunter, the more Triassic sandstone that can be found leading eventually to the carboniferous rocks that form the northern boundary of the Hunter with the New England Fold Belt and the foothills of the Barrington Tops . Overall, the Hunter Valley has more soils (mostly hard, acidic patches of poorly draining heavy clay) that are unsuitable for viticulture than they have areas that are ideal for growing grapes. The soils of
5040-455: The Woy Woy area with a fortnightly paper. Previously the major print publication of the region was the weekly Central Coast Express Advocate , published by News Limited 's News Local, though that ceased printing in 2019. It is now purely a subscription-based online service. The area has three operating theatres. Laycock Street Theatre, located in North Gosford , has a proscenium arch configuration and seats 392 patrons. The venue also contains
5130-428: The area since 12 May 2016, when the Gosford City Council and the Wyong Shire Council merged. In September 2006, the New South Wales government released a revised long-term plan for the region that saw the Central Coast classified as an urban area, along with Wollongong and the Hunter Region , but is not considered a metropolitan area. As of April 2015, Scot MacDonald served as the parliamentary secretary for
5220-417: The area's investments in wine production and its emergence as a tourist destination. The Broke Fordwich area is located along the Hunter River tributary of the Wollombi Brook near the suburb of Pokolbin and was founded in 1830 by Major Thomas Mitchell who named the region after his fellow Napoleonic War veteran Sir Charles Broke-Vere . Much of the rolling countryside around Pokolbin is under vine and has
5310-422: The area's namesake, the Hunter River itself is not the dominant feature of the region—falling behind the Brokenback Range for that distinction. The greater river system of the Hunter, which includes the Goulburn and important tributaries such as Giants Creek, do provide needed irrigation for areas such as the Upper Hunter than can be prone to drought condition. The origins of the river begin the Liverpool Range of
5400-431: The boundary of the urbanized area. Hunter Region The Hunter Region , also commonly known as the Hunter Valley , Newcastle Region , or simply Hunter , is a region in northern New South Wales , Australia, extending from approximately 162 km (101 mi) to 310 km (193 mi) north of Sydney . It contains the Hunter River and its tributaries with highland areas to the north and south. Situated at
5490-421: The central and southeastern expanse of the Lower Hunter Valley were formed when the area was underneath a shallow marine estuary . The remnants of this period has left an extensive network of coal seams that fuelled the early population boom of the Hunter Valley in the 19th century as well a high degree of salinity in the water table of much of the area. The further north and west, towards the Brokenback Range and
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#17327721106975580-448: The density may be as low as 500 per square mile. Urban areas also include outlying territory of less density if it is connected to the core of the contiguous area by road and within 2.5 road miles of that core, or within 5 road miles but separated by water or other undevelopable territory. Territory with population density below 1,000 people per square mile is included in the urban fringe if it eliminates an enclave or closes an indentation in
5670-418: The early roll out regions for the National Broadband Network 's fibre to the premise installation which will offer stable speeds of 100/40 Mbit/s down/up load respectively. Two Points Of Interconnect (POI) are located in the region at Gosford and Berkley Vale exchanges. The regional rollout will radiate out from these two super exchanges. Services in areas around the two POI are now available. The rollout of
5760-407: The economy by the tourism industry. While the Hunter Valley has been supplanted by the massive Riverina wine region as the largest producer of New South Wales wine, it still accounts for around 3% of Australia's total wine production and is one of the country's most recognisable regions. For over 30,000 years the Wonnarua people of Aboriginal Australians inhabited the land that is now known as
5850-406: The elite senior basketball program of the Central Coast region and the Central Coast Centurions – the Central Coast's junior rugby league representative team who compete in the S.G. Ball Cup and the Harold Matthews Cup . Several attempts have been made to have teams enter other national competitions. The most notable of these was the attempt to enter the Central Coast Bears as the 16th team into
5940-540: The few games that are played on the Central Coast attracting large crowds. The Central Coast Storm rugby league team play in a number of NSWRL lower grade competitions, and the Central Coast Waves rugby union team plays in the Shute Shield . The Central Coast Rays rugby union club who competed in the ill-fated Australian Rugby Championship 's only season late in 2007, called Central Coast Stadium home. The Central Coast has numerous sporting ovals, golf courses, skate parks, tennis courts and swimming pools that are open to
6030-448: The first Aboriginal people to come in contact with British settlers. An Aboriginal man from the region named Bungaree became one of the most prominent people of the early settlement of New South Wales. He was one of the first Aboriginal people to learn English and befriended the early governors Phillip, King and Macquarie. He accompanied explorer Matthew Flinders in circumnavigating Australia. Macquarie later declared Bungaree "The King of
6120-401: The first wine regions planted in the early 19th century. The success of the Hunter Valley wine industry has been dominated by its proximity to Sydney with its settlement and plantings in the 19th century fuelled by the trade network that linked the Hunter Valley to Sydney. The steady demand of consumers from Sydney continues to drive much of the Hunter Valley wine industry, including a factor in
6210-414: The frigate HMAS Adelaide was scuttled off North Avoca Beach as an artificial reef. The Central Coast has two large public hospitals with emergency departments . The Gosford Hospital is the largest hospital in the region that is located near the Gosford CBD with 460 beds, Wyong Hospital is the second largest hospital of the Central Coast which has 274 beds, it is located at Hamlyn Terrace that
6300-442: The grapes. The Warkworth Sands Woodland of the Hunter Valley are situated on these soils. The main river in the region is the Hunter River, after which the region is named. Other rivers in the region include the Allyn , Avon , Barrington , Bow , Bowman , Chichester , Gloucester , Goulburn , Isis , Karuah , Krui , Mammy Johnsons , Merriwa , Munmurra , Pages , Paterson , Wangat and Williams rivers. Despite being
6390-411: The large urban population of more than 500,000 living near the coast and centred on the cities of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie. State Water Corporation's Glenbawn , the largest dam in the region, Chichester and Lostock are dams on the Hunter, Chichester and Paterson rivers respectively. Hunter Water Corporation's Grahamstown Dam , the largest dam supplying the urban areas of the lower Hunter Region,
6480-542: The morning and one hour after in the evening due to the distance). Gosford station is the largest and main railway station in the region, which is considered a rest stop for long rail services to Sydney , Newcastle , Tamworth , Armidale , Taree , Port Macquarie , Coffs Harbour , Grafton , Casino , Gold Coast and Brisbane . The line has connections with most bus services as well as taxis. Trains terminate at both Gosford and Wyong stations which are also utilised by long-distance services. Central Coast railway stations on
6570-434: The northern end of the Sydney Basin bioregion, the Hunter Valley is one of the largest river valleys on the NSW coast, and is most commonly known for its wineries and coal industry. Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives within 25 km (16 mi) of the coast, with 55% of the entire population living in the cities of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie . There are numerous other towns and villages scattered across
6660-1289: The northern section of Lake Haven, Charmhaven, Gorokan , Toukley , Noraville , Budgewoi , Buff Point , San Remo , Blue Haven and Gwandalan . Further services also utilise routes which goes as far north as Swansea and Charlestown in the Hunter . Red Bus Services operate services mainly between Wyong and The Entrance as well as The Entrance and Gosford, although some services do reach Ourimbah and Wyong Hospital at Hamlyn Terrace . Its services also operate to West Gosford, Wyoming , Holgate , Matcham , Point Frederick and Springfield . Although most services operate to/from Wyong Hospital via Berkeley Vale and Westfield Tuggerah , one service (Route 29) operates from Bay Village to Wyong Hospital via The Entrance, Magenta Shores, Toukley, Gorokan and Lake Haven. Red Bus have around 25 buses that are suitable for wheelchairs. Coastal Liner operate limited route bus services around Westfield Tuggerah, Wyong, Hamlyn Terrace, Woongarrah , Warnervale , Dooralong and Jilliby . Routes 10 (Tuggerah-Wyee via Hue Hue Road and Wyong), 12 (Tuggerah-Jilliby via Dicksons and Mandalong Roads) and 13 (Tuggerah-Dooralong via Jilliby Road) all operate only on weekdays with limited services. Route 11
6750-481: The public and one target shooting facility. Attempts are underway to build a series of bicycle paths. A velodrome is also open to the public at West Gosford . National parks on the Central Coast have a large range of walking paths and mountain bike trails. Water sports like sailing, rowing and water skiing are popular activities on the Central Coast lakes. Attempts are being made to attract pro golf tournaments to Magenta Shores (a new resort north of The Entrance). In 2011,
6840-469: The region in the eleven local government areas (LGAs) that make up the region. At the 2021 census the combined population of the region was 682,465, and is expected to reach over 1,000,000 people by 2031. Under Australia's wine appellation system, the Hunter Valley wine zone Australian Geographical Indication (GI) covers the entire catchment of the Hunter River and its tributaries. Within that,
6930-499: The region surrounds the northern shore of Brisbane Water and includes the Coast's largest population centre, Gosford , stretching east to the retail centre of Erina . Other major commercial "centres" on the Coast are Wyong , Tuggerah , Lakehaven, The Entrance , Terrigal , Bateau Bay and Woy Woy . On 2 December 2005, the Central Coast was officially recognised as a stand-alone region rather than an extension of Greater Sydney or
7020-494: The region's annual rainfall will fall with January and February being the wettest months. Between the months of October–April, the 3pm average for relative humidity in the Lower Hunter is 49%, while it is 43% in the Upper Hunter. The main industries in the Hunter Region are coal mining , manufacturing, agriculture, viticulture and wine making, tourism, horse breeding, electricity production, dairy farming and beef cattle farming, and associated service industries. The Hunter Region
7110-506: The region. Many areas experience very slow and/or unreliable ADSL connections due to the age and quality of the infrastructure. Fibre optic based broadband services are available in some areas serviced by the National Broadband Network NBN. These include Kincumber , Gosford , East Gosford , West Gosford , Springfield , Berkeley Vale , Tumbi Umbi and Long Jetty . In 2011, the region was selected as one of
7200-587: The region: The Hunter Region contains the Goulburn River National Park , Myall Lakes National Park , Barrington Tops National Park , Werakata National Park , Watagans National Park , Mount Royal National Park , Polkolbin State Forest, Putty State Forest, Chichester State Forest, Running Creek Nature Reserve, The Glen Nature Reserve, Black Bulga State Conservation Area , Myall River State Forest, and Karuah Nature Reserve. Within
7290-458: The rural—urban transition zone where urban and rural uses and functions mix and often clash. It can thus be viewed as a new landscape type in its own right, one forged from an interaction of urban and rural land use . Its definition shifts depending on the global location, but typically in Europe where suburban areas are intensively managed to prevent urban sprawl and protect agricultural land,
7380-516: The scattered urban facilities. "Peri-urbanisation" is also sometimes used to fill the gap between suburbanisation and exurbanisation , and thus relates moreover to the movement of people in space. In this case, it implies the expansion of functional rural-urban linkages such as by commuting . In the United States urban areas are defined as contiguous territory having a density of at least 1,000 persons per square mile, though in some areas
7470-443: The sea. During the spring the Hunter Valley receives an average of 7.3–7.5 hours of sunshine a day. Mid-latitude westerly winds bring high pressure weather front that alternate with cold fronts on the winter. This leads to generally drier conditions in the winter months of July and August. In the summer, southeasterly winds bring weather fronts harbouring extensive amounts of moisture. Between October and April more than two thirds of
7560-506: The south services cover as far south as Woy Woy, Umina , Ettalong and Pearl Beach / Patonga , and also stretch out to Kincumber, Erina, Avoca Beach and Terrigal in the east. Occasional services are conducted to Kariong, then to Mangrove Mountain in the west. Busways' northern services cover from Gosford and north to Tuggerah (through the Narara Valley and Ourimbah ), then continue north to Wyong via Tuggerah, which in turn services
7650-403: The summer and autumn months. In the summer, the average daily temperature regularly exceeds 21.1 °C (70.0 °F) while during the winter the temperature averages around 14 °C (57.2 °F). Temperatures during January average between 22.7–23.3 °C (72.9–73.9 °F), with the temperature becoming progressively hotter the further inland you move away from the cooling influence of
7740-505: The topography and remoteness of some parts of the region. Steps to improve coverage areas along the railway have been announced by the Federal Government. ADSL and good quality fixed-wireless broadband services are widely available; however, significant blackspots continue to exist. High speed ADSL2 is available at most exchanges through Telstra. Few other providers exist, leading to an expensive high speed broadband offering for
7830-472: The urban fringe will be characterised by certain land uses which have either purposely moved from the urban area or require much larger tracts of land. As examples: Despite these urban uses, the fringe remains largely open with the majority of the land for agricultural, woodland or other rural uses. The quality of living of the countryside around urban areas tends to be low with severance between areas of open land and poorly maintained woodlands and hedgerows with
7920-474: The village of Fordwich. Pokolbin , located in the "Lower Hunter Valley", is the centre of the Hunter Valley wine country, which claims to be Australia's oldest wine region. It is located between the towns of Cessnock and Branxton , about 50 km (31 mi) west of Newcastle. The wine country is primarily located within the Cessnock and Singleton LGAs. Its proximity to Sydney has been an influence on
8010-548: The volcanic Barrington Tops and flows south and then east down to the Pacific Ocean at the seaport city of Newcastle . Fresh water supply for the region is provided from a number of sources, which are managed by the Hunter Water and State Water Corporations. State Water Corporation's dams supply water for irrigation, industrial use at coal mines and the region's coal-fired power stations , and town water to upper Hunter Region towns. Hunter Water Corporation's dams supply
8100-506: Was registered on 1 May 1996 and is approximately the entire Hunter River catchment. It contains only one named wine region, Hunter. The Hunter Wine Region Australian Geographical Indication was declared on 18 March 1997. It is not as large as the Hunter Valley zone, but includes most of the significant vineyards. It does not extend east of the Pacific Highway . Some of the oldest vines in the Hunter Valley were planted in 1924 around
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