Local Area

Avoca Beach

Avoca Beach is a lengthy, pleasant and popular beach enclosed at either end by rocky headlands. It is considered a major surfing beach though the surf at the northern end is considered to be for the more experienced. There is a surf lifesaving club. The beach is also ideal for fishing and its length makes it good for beach walking and exercise.


Avoca Lake

Just behind the beach is Avoca Lake, which is quite large and essentially in two sections, separated by the Avoca Drive bridge. A narrow arm extends south of the bridge while, on the northern side it spreads out to the west, the north and east to the beach. Bareena Island sits in the middle. North Avoca lies to the north and east of this northern section of the lake. On the eastern side of the bridge is J.F. Hazlett Park which is a pleasant spot for a picnic or barbecue.



Copacabana Beach

Turn off Avoca Drive into Cape Three Points Rd and follow it south until it winds into Copacabana Drive. As it bends to the right turn left into Pampas St then left into Del Monte Place which runs along the length of Copacabana Beach, another popular surfing and holiday beach which is patrolled.

Captain Cook Lookout

Follow Del Monte Place north along the beachfront then take the road to the right (Del Monte Place) which leads up the steep headland known as First Point. A signposted side road leads to the carpark for the Captain Cook Lookout which lies at the end of a short path. A cairn bears a plaque which explains that, when offshore in 1770, Cook, looking south along the coastline, found it distinguished by three prominent headlands which he named, imaginatively, First Point, Second Point (Mourawaring Point at the southern end of MacMasters Beach) and Third Point (Bombi Point south of Little Beach). The three are readily discernible from the lookout which is one of the best on the coast. Not only are the views to the south excellent but it is possible to look north beyond Avoca Beach to the oddly shaped headland known as The Skillion at Terrigal.

Cockrone Lagoon and MacMasters Beach

Cockrone Lagoon lies just behind the beach. A pleasant family spot for a swim or paddle its eastern neck almost reaches to the beach and then expands westwards effectively dividing the hinterland in two. Thus while it is possible to walk all the way along the beach, to circumvent the lagoon and access the southern residential section it is necessary to return to the top of Copacabana Drive, turn left into Cullens Rd, follow it west for over 4 km into Kincumber and then turn into The Scenic Rd, heading south-east for 4 km. Hence the southern section has been given a separate title - MacMasters Beach.
 

Horseriding

2 km south-west of the Avoca Lake Bridge via Avoca Drive is a roundabout. If you turn right into The Scenic Highway then take the left into Picketts Valley Rd you will find Blue-Bead Arabian who offer trail riding in Picketts Valley.