Until the late 1980s, Terrigal and the rest of the New South Wales Central Coast, was still considered to be “country” New South Wales. The region became very busy for a few weeks over the summer season and then was left to the locals for the remainder of the year. Then, after the F3 Freeway was completed in 1987, everything changed. Now Terrigal, always one of the more popular Central Coast tourist spots, is busy 365 days a year.

While Terrigal has never been a populous suburb, it has always been thought of as the Central Coast’s most upscale community. This reputation was cemented further when the Peppers Resort (now Crowne Plaza) was erected. This large resort led to the establishment of many more upmarket boutiques, restaurants and cafes along Terrigal Drive. However, they never pushed the older establishments out of town and you can still enjoy fish and chips from a sidewalk cafe or buy your surfing gear from a surf shop that has been established for 20 years or more.

The fact that Terrigal, while definitely an upscale community, retains many of its older, more modest establishments is one of its charms. It’s a place where you can feel comfortable in a pair of boardshorts, a tee shirt and flip-flop sandals, even while you’re enjoying a gourmet brunch outside an alfresco cafe. As you sip a cappuccino, just across the street, surfers will be checking out the waves out at the Haven, families will be frolicking in the waves in front of the Terrigal Surf Life Saving Club under the watchful eye of the lifeguards and “Mums and Dads” will be waiting for a big serving of fish and chips wrapped in paper to take down to the beach for lunch.

Terrigal Beach can get very crowded and busy, especially in the summer. If you feel like you want a little peace and quiet, that’s easily achieved: simply take a short stroll north to Wamberal Beach. After you pass Terrigal Lagoon, you will feel like you’ve entered another, more peaceful world.

Terrigal makes a great base for exploring the rest of the Central Coast. Travel just a few miles south and you arrive in Avoca Beach. Over the years, Avoca Beach, like Terrigal, has gone more upmarket, but in a thoroughly unpretentious way. A small, tight knit community, Avoca Beach has a proud sporting history. The Avoca Boardriders Club has been ranked as one of Australia’s top surfing clubs for decades and the Avoca Sharks football team is always a first-place contender in the Central Coast region. Like Terrigal, the beach in front of the Avoca Surf Lifesaving Club can get very crowded, but just take a short stroll to North Avoca and you can have a stretch of beach all to yourself.

Travel north a few miles from Terrigal and you reach the Entrance. The Entrance is the largest beach community on the Central Coast and has a distinctly family-oriented atmosphere.

In keeping with the Terrigal lifestyle, you don’t have to stay at one of the other more luxurious Terrigal accommodations. There is something for everyone in Terrigal or one of its neighbouring beach communities. Make Terrigal the base for your Central Coast vacation: from fish and chips to scampi – Terrigal has it all.