Getting to Lake Macquarie

Getting to Lake Macquarie is easy whether you're travelling by car, plane, bus or train. Situated just 150km north of Sydney on the New South Wales Central Coast, Lake Macquarie is a popular holiday destination renowned for its beaches, leisure activities, hinterland and of course, Australia's largest saltwater lake. The F3 freeway connects Sydney to Lake Macquarie and takes approximately 90 minutes if you're arriving from southern regions.

If you plan on visiting the eastern towns of Lake Macquarie including Charlestown, Swansea and Belmont you'll need to take the Budgewoi Swansea Charlestown exit. For towns in the west of Lake Macquarie, keep an eye out for the Morisset, Toronto or Cardiff exits however if you're arriving from the north, Lake Macquarie can be accessed along the Pacific Highway via Belmont taking approximately 9 hours from Brisbane and 8 hours from the Gold Coast. Don't forget to stop every two hours or so to avoid driver fatigue when driving long distances.

If you're planning on flying into Lake Macquarie, the region is accessible by air with daily direct flights operating from Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and the Northern New South Wales Coast, arriving at the Newcastle Airport, approximately 1 hour from Lake Macquarie. There are a number of car hire companies that offer vehicle rental to get you from the airport to Lake Macquarie as well as transport throughout your stay. Alternatively, there are shuttle buses that operate to and from the airport to Lake Macquarie if you won't be needing transport during your stay.

Another alternative is to travel by rail, with a number of train services regularly operating between the New South Wales Central Coast, Sydney, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie. Stops include Cardiff, Morisset, Wyee and Fassifern. The iconic CountryLink Express rail service also stops at Fassifern, just 15 minutes from Lake Macquarie.