Love the Lake

Lake Macquarie’s stunning natural beauty and jaw-dropping outdoor pursuits are on show as part of the biggest tourism push in the City’s history. Targeting the overnight Sydney market, the Love the Lake campaign will seek to connect with under-45 visitors in search of adventure and fun, encouraging them to stay longer, consider the region in winter and take advantage of the full range of activities on offer.

More than 1.3 million international and domestic visitors spend time in Lake Macquarie each year, however the majority of them (68 per cent) are daytrippers who do not stay overnight. With postcard-perfect beaches, wild mountain ranges and the largest coastal saltwater lake in the southern hemisphere sitting side by side across the region, it’s little wonder that Lake Macquarie’s amazing natural assets and the activities that go with them are at the heart of this campaign.

From jet-boating on Lake Macquarie to skydiving over the coast, bushwalking and abseiling in the Watagan Mountains and aerobatic joy flights, Lake Macquarie offers an adrenaline-packed package of attractions for locals and visitors alike.

Cruising around the region’s spectacular waterways is also a popular option but there’s no need to miss out on the fun if you don’t have your own boat, with Newcastle-based Nova Cruises launching regular scheduled journeys on the lake last summer under the banner of Lake Macquarie Cruises.

Departing from the public wharf at Booragul on the Lady MAC, a beautifully refurbished and upgraded twin-deck vessel, cruises include the Loop the Lake, Sunset Dinner Cruise and the popular Boom Net and Biscuits Cruise favoured by the younger members of the family, who get to splash about in the ship’s boom net as part of the fun.