NATURE AFTER DARK
Dive into the night with Pro-Dive Central Coast. As the sun dips below the horizon, the underwater world undergoes a mysterious and alluring transformation. There’s a world of nocturnal activity where curious octopuses, majestic rays and shy marine foragers emerge to hunt, feed and interact under the cover of night. The Central Coast offers a multitude of dive sites from shallow reefs to rocky outcrops, each with its unique eco-system where only your dive light illuminates your world. Comprehensive training courses are available for those new to night diving. Prepare to be captivated by the mysterious beauty that is night-time diving.
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Discover Girri Girra overnight experiences, the ultimate immersive cultural experience, a sleep-out for you and your friends, family, or corporate team members in a remote area that very few people are lucky enough to discover. Enjoy guided bushwalks, smoking ceremonies, cultural singing, dancing and storytelling under the stars and more. Tents and camping equipment are provided. (Minimum of 10 people per sleep-out.)
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Go walkabout on an evening tour, or an overnight stay in a Walkabout Park eco-cabin or safari tent, can be the best way to see many of our wildlife who consider themselves furry, feathered, scaly or spiky ‘night owls’. Bring a torch and comfy walking shoes to follow the ranger through the bush to spotlight wildlife in the trees and undergrowth. It’s eerily beautiful!
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WYONG AFTER DARK
Wyong has unique links to its first inhabitants, the Darkinjung people, as well as preserving remnants of its colonial past and cedar logging days. Its luscious hinterland farms have created paddock-to-plate produce and dining experiences. And residents and visitors alike flock to its performing arts and festivals.
Showstoppers at The Art House, the Coast’s premier performing arts, music, comedy and arts venue. You can count on an eclectic and colourful program that ranges from headline international acts to tribute concerts, and an annual calendar that features touring shows such as the Sydney Comedy Festival, Rent the Musical and The Whitlams band. And don’t forget to grab a pre-show drink and nibbles before a performance at The Art House Bar.
Jerry Sent Me. Located in the historic Chapman Building, you enter via heavy barn-style doors and find yourself surrounded by the Coast’s cool speakeasy vibe. Here you’ll find classic cocktails, whisky and wine. And don’t forget to ask the barman about Jerry!
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Shop, sip and savour at the night markets. Head down to the iconic Wyong Milk Factory where twilight transforms the site into a night market with stalls offering special gift ideas, stylish clothes, unique homewares, arts and crafts, beautiful jewellery, and even treats for your furry friends. Enjoy the music, dining experiences and the play areas will keep the kids amused.
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GOSFORD AFTER DARK
Over summer, Gosford transformed The Laneway and surrounds with new lighting features, a vibrant painted mural and stunning visual projections that transformed building facades. It’s all part of the NSW Government’s Safer Cities initiative to improve the perceptions of safety for women, girls and gender diverse people in public spaces around transport precincts. Come enjoy Gosford come alive at night!
Let your hair down at the Naughty Noodle Fun Haus. It’s fun, it’s cheeky, it’s courageous and a little bit outrageous. And it’s live at Donnison Street, opposite Kibble Park as well as at the original Fun Haus in Broken Bay Road at Ettalong Beach. With events every week, you can let your hair down at a range of occasions from gender positive performances draped in rayon to live music, dancing, drinks and a bite to eat.
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It’s gigs galore in Gossie. Tiki Cove – it’s the latest Bay Rd Brewing cocktail haven, right there at Bay Road. Choose between the beer garden or inside with the chilled buzz of wavering waves and swaying hula girls, cocktails and 19 taps of beer.
The Railway Hotel –a great, old-fashioned pub feel that’s been stylishly railroaded into the 21st century. With all that you expect in a favourite pub, it’s just the place to let off steam, enjoy some music, and savour the best prime steaks not just in Gosford, not just on the Central Coast, but in all of the state (if Singo says so, it must be true!)
Hotel Gosford – beautifully renovated, with inviting spaces to wind back over drinks (beer, wine, cocktails), catch up with the girls over a coffee, restaurant style meals, watch the entertainment or catch the sport on the big screen.
Drifters Wharf – right by the waterfront, it boasts the best location in Gosford. It has a sophisticated boathouse feel, fly-by pelicans, all-day dining, cocktails, and live music at night.
Lyons Den – a sandstone oasis offering a quality, small bar experience. Innovative cocktails, yummy tapas, as well as trivia evenings, PRYDE nights, and DJ hosting. Or for something different, try their cocktail masterclass, life drawing or paint & sip.
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Shop, eat, listen at the Gosford Night Market. They’re on the first Friday of every month at The Entertainment Grounds at West Gosford. Allow plenty of time to explore an eclectic mix of food from around the globe and the convenience of shopping and eating late into the evening. Check out the health and beauty focused stalls, clothing, toys, and entertainment. There’s a wide variety of amusement rides and carnival games to keep the family entertained.
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ETTALONG BEACH AFTER DARK
Ettalong is well known for its cafes, restaurants and bars, with Bar Toto a well-established small bar leading the charge. Try the award-winning craft beer, coffee, wine, cocktails and antipasti and you’ll come back again and again.
Central Coast Italian Weekend – the Galleria and Ettalong Beach Tourist Resort stage their annual Italian festa in March. The piazza is host to a gourmet’s delight of food stalls with crostoli, vino, birra, pasta, gelato and caffè to tantalise your taste buds, as well as the romance of Italian singers, artful artisans and more.
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TERRIGAL AFTER DARK
Terrigal – what’s not to love about this beachside food and drink Mecca? At every turn you can wine, dine and savour cocktails with a view.
Meribella – Crowne Plaza’s latest fine dining restaurant heralds a new era in glamour, blending the old-world charm of its iconic setting and grand ocean vista, with a fine-food focused menu, extensive wine list and legendary cocktails.
Maew Maew – this beachside Asian eatery offers inspired Southeast Asia eats in a neon-spiced upstairs bar and restaurant.
Mumbo Jumbos – colourful and quirky, this rooftop beach shack or maybe a Caribbean rum shack, beckons with food that has a distinct Jamaican influence while the music vibes with reggae rhythms.
Rhonda’s Bar and Restaurant – choose downstairs, or the upstairs rooftop alfresco space to bask in the late evening sunshine. Enjoy a modern take on wood-fired pizza, breezy cocktails, handmade pasta, puffy crust gourmet pizzas. It’s consistently rated as one of the best regional bars in the Australian Bartender Magazine Awards.
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MOVIE NIGHTS AFTER DARK
Neighbourhoods across the region will be hosting outdoor movie nights for you to enjoy during April at the free open-air cinemas. Outdoor movie night at The Entrance, Memorial Park, Toukley, Village Green, Gosford, Kibble Park and Wyong, The Chapman Lawn.
Bring a picnic rug, join in the activities for the kids including crafts, circus play space, roving entertainment and lawn games. Enjoy dinner or grab a takeaway from a local eatery under the stars before the movie – so you’ll also be supporting local businesses.
