Fast facts
- Centre of the Great Lakes, a region dominated by water sports
- Coastal town divided by Wallis Lake
- 312 km north of Sydney, population 18,000
Why go there
Dolphin cruises, fishing, sailboarding and scuba diving are among the activities that attract large numbers of holiday visitors to Forster, and the town's own ocean beach is majestic.
There are few places in the State that offer such a superb choice of fishing – deep-sea, lake, rock, river or beach.
Covering the narrow isthmus just south of Forster, Booti Booti National Park incorporates a marvellous stretch of coastline between Cape Hawke and Seagull Point.
History
Timber cutting, shipbuilding and fishing were the industries that first attracted European settlers to Forster and the smaller neighbouring settlement of Tuncurry.
The completion of the bridge over Wallis Lake in 1959 saw the two towns merge into one. Since that time it has become a popular tourist town, especially for water sports enthusiasts.
Things to do
- Climb the steep 223-m summit of Cape Hawke – the views are spectacular.
- Admire the Curtis Collection, a large private display of vintage cars, buses and horse-drawn vehicles.
- Walk the Pebbly Beach Bicentennial Trail, which wanders past some of Forster's fine beaches.
Don’t miss
- The beaches – they’re all fabulous.
- Oysters farmed in Wallis Lake, a local specialty.
- Tobwabba Art Gallery, which showcases outstanding contemporary Aboriginal art.
- Australia's only Amish store, at Nabiac, 22 km north-west of Forster on the Pacific Highway.
- A dolphin cruise, either on the lake or out to sea.
