A new tourism venture is shedding light on some of Lake Macquarie’s most spectacular – but rarely seen – natural wonders.
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Coastal sightseeing operator CoastXP recently launched an ‘Adventure Tour’, taking passengers 30 kilometres along the coast as far south as Catherine Hill Bay.
Founder and managing director Dominic May said the two-and-a-half-hour tour took in parts of the Lake Macquarie coast only accessible by boat.
They include huge sea caves near Pinny Beach, an isolated inlet known as Shark Bay, and Moon Island off Swansea Heads.
The region’s tallest coastal cliffs at Dudley – towering more than 90 metres above sea level – are another highlight.
“For tourists, it’s a chance to see some really spectacular coastline away from the crowds and to immerse themselves in the beauty of our natural environment,” Mr May said.
“But it’s also very popular among locals, many of whom haven’t seen the coastline from the water before, despite living in the area their entire life.”
The tours are aboard Atmos, a custom-built rigid inflatable vessel seating up to 20 passengers and built for a wide range of offshore conditions.
Lake Macquarie mayor Kay Fraser said the new Adventure Tours would provide further opportunities to lure the lucrative international market to Lake Macquarie.
The city welcomed an estimated 1.2 million visitors annually, however only about one per cent were international tourists, she said.
“Domestic visitors will always be at the core of our tourism income, but even a relatively modest increase in international tourism numbers would have vast flow-on benefits for Lake Macquarie,” Cr Fraser said.
“Experience shows that international tourists want these unique experiences that capture Australia’s wilderness and natural beauty, so to have this offering on our doorstep is a fantastic drawcard.”
The mayor got to experience the Adventure Tour thrills for herself when she boarded Atmos on Thursday.
According to Destination NSW, the top five countries of origin for international visitors to regional NSW are the United Kingdom, New Zealand, the United States of America, Germany and China.
However, Chinese tourists were by far the most lucrative, spending almost 30 per cent more per night than any other nationality.
CoastXP’s introduction of Adventure Tours along the Lake Macquarie coast follows last month’s launch of Lake Macquarie Cruises – the first regular scheduled cruises on the lake in more than four years. Nova Cruises said bookings had remained strong throughout the holiday period.