For a scenic and easy harbour walk, head out from Wickham Marina to Honeysuckle on a 1.1km walk, crossing over Cottage Creek along the way.
This waterfront promenade, opened by Hunter and Central Coast Development Corporation (HCCDC) in July 2022 was the final piece needed to complete an uninterrupted 11 km walkway stretching from Wickham all the way through to Merewether.
It’s a shared path for walkers and cyclists, and genuinely child-friendly. Double lanes and clear path markings give everyone room to move safely, which makes it a good option even with younger kids on bikes or scooters.
Starting at Wickham gives you views over the boats and yachts docked at Wickham Harbour. There are a few good fish and chip shops, cafes and restaurants right there too, so it works well as either your starting point or your finishing point.
If you time it right, you might catch one of the fishing trawlers unloading their catch at the Fishermans Co-op.
You don’t need to know anything about boats to enjoy this walk. From the rowers training out of Throsby, to the yachts in the marina, to the tugboats and ships heading in and out of the port, the vessels get bigger and bigger the further along you walk, all the way up toward Nobbys Headland where the harbour meets the ocean.
Heading up from Wickham, you’ll notice plenty of grassed areas lining the path. It’s part of the City’s push to bring more green space into what used to be a fairly concrete stretch of foreshore, and it’s paid off.
The grass is soft and well kept, great for kids to run around on or for throwing down a rug for lunch while you watch the boats go by.
You can’t miss the Cottage Creek bridge. It’s bright blue, a bit quirky, and officially links Wickham to Honeysuckle. The newer apartment blocks going up along this stretch are worth a look too, and add some interest to the walk as you make your way toward Honeysuckle Park.
This is a great spot to build a break into your walk. Honeysuckle Park has a ship play structure with a shade cloth, padded pillars and softfall flooring, plus a small slide, climbing nets and a rope bridge, best suited to kids around 3 to 8.
Alongside it is a little boat with a ship’s wheel and binoculars kids can spin and look through, plus stepping stones shaped like ship bollards and a dolphin rocker for the younger ones. It’s an easy place to let the kids burn off energy halfway through your walk, or to make it your final destination if you’re starting from Wickham.
The path has plenty of benches for rest stops, a few water bubblers and public bathrooms as you get closer to Honeysuckle.
There are also shaded barbecue areas and picnic spaces right next to the park, handy if you want to make a full day of it, with water refill stations on hand too.
This walk (or bike or scooter ride) is worth doing any time of day, but keep in mind, it does get busy on sunny days when families make the most of the outdoor space.
Grab the kids, grab the dog, or hop on the bikes and head down to the Waterfront Promenade.
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