You’ll find there are plenty of Lake Macquarie attractions that are accessible for visitors with limited mobility. Whether you are capable of assisted walking or use a wheelchair, here’s how to make the most of your holiday on the lake.

Take a dip in the water

Lake Macquarie is home to more than 30 kilometres of coastline boasting a string of spectacular surf beaches. Some of the main swimming beaches – Redhead Beach, Caves Beach and Blacksmiths Beach – are wheelchair-friendly, with accessible parking, toilets and change rooms.

During the beach patrol season, ask a member of the Redhead Beach Surf Life Saving Club if you can use the club’s beach wheelchair, and head out onto the sand via the wheelchair ramp in front of the clubhouse. At Blacksmiths Beach, the Swansea Belmont Surf Life Saving Club can also provide a beach wheelchair, as can the surf life saving club at Caves Beach.

Enjoy easy access to Grannies Pool, a shallow inlet on the Swansea Channel breakwater near Blacksmiths Beach, via level pathways and beach matting from a nearby car park. Or ease into the calm waters of the lake at Belmont Baths in Belmont, where there’s a wide ramp into the netted swimming enclosure and a complimentary amphibious wheelchair stored in a MLAK locker.

Follow trails and play around the lake

Many of the scenic paths winding around the lake foreshore are sealed and mostly flat or gently sloping, making a lakefront stroll enjoyable for everyone. Grab a bite to eat at the dining strip facing the water at Warners Bay before exploring the Warners Bay Foreshore, or check out the accessible pathways along the pretty Toronto Foreshore Reserve at Toronto. Both of these foreshore reserves have MLAK toilets and accessible parking.

Follow Warners Bay Foreshore to the all-abilities Lake Macquarie Variety Playground in Speers Point Park, which features a quiet zone for kids with sensory sensitivities as well as a Liberty swing and a Changing Places bathroom. Other all-abilities parks around the lake include Thomas H Halton Park Playground at Eleebana and the Bernie Goodwin Oval Playground in Morriset.

Looking to beat the heat on a summer’s day? Wheelchair users can join in the fun at Hunter Ice Skating Stadium at Warners Bay, as long as a responsible person helps with steering on the ice.

Try your hand at sailing across Lake Macquarie on a stabilised boat with volunteers from the non-profit organisation Sailability, which operates out of Belmont 16s in Belmont and T in Toronto – contact Sailability for more information.

Keep an eye out for wallabies and goannas as you tackle the adaptive mountain biking trail at Awaba Mountain Bike Park, a world-class network of trails through Awaba State Forest, on the edge of Watagans National Park near Morriset.

Immerse in art the Multi-Arts Pavilion, mima in Speers Point Park and the Museum of Arts and Culture yapang, across the water at Booragul – both venues have wheelchair ramps, and sections of the Museum of Arts and Culture yapang’s lakefront Sculpture Park can be navigated on concrete pathways.

Stay in thoughtfully designed accommodation

Rest up and recharge after a busy day on the lake at one of the council-run accessible holiday parks. Belmont Lakeside Holiday Park at Belmont, Swansea Lakeside Holiday Park at Swansea and Blacksmiths Beachside Holiday Park at Blacksmiths all offer villas designed with wheelchair users in mind, with features ranging from ramps and lowered or adjustable benchtops to wide internal spaces for moving around with ease.
Sails Holiday Park now offers Safari tents. The inclusive safari tents has ramp access designed with mobility restrictions in mind. Go to the Accessibility tab on each holiday park’s website to see the full set of features and to book your stay.

Bringing a gathering to the lake? Catalina Lakefront Retreat at Rathmines, on the western side of the lake, offers accessible accommodation for community groups and meetings. Or surround yourself with nature at Yara Balba Stables, a horse-riding centre near Morisset that offers accessible farmstay accommodation for up to six guests.