The Entrance to Terrigal

15 km (979 km) | 5 hours

Started off the morning with a short sand, rock, and high tide splash around from The Entrance to Toowoon Bay. After a coffee and a wonderful bushwalking chat with a local follower at the remarkably busy, and very pretty, SLSC cafe there, I continued around to Shelly Beach. Blue Lagoon and beautiful Bateau Bay Beach (no boats and not, technically, a bay - but that's Aussie place names for you) followed, and from there it was the Wyrrabalong Coastal Walk trail up to Crackneck Lookout (now that's a mighty fine name), Wyrrabalong Lookout, and on to Forresters Beach. There were still plenty of flannel flowers along the way, and these must have been even more magnificent a few weeks earlier in full bloom. Wyrrabalong is another of the many great coastal bushwalk trails - especially if you're looking for an easy coastal walk on a well-made track with amazing views.

I was delighted to then meet up with one of my closest friends at gorgeous Spoon Bay. Spoon Bay looks idyllic but has had some tragic drownings in recent years - very powerful rips immediately outside the protected rock pools. Wonderful place nevertheless!

Next was a convivial chat and the final stretch across Wamberal and Terrigal Beaches with the Skillion coming ever closer. And then I ended the day and the week and this section of the walk with an afternoon tea (and an afternoon beer) with my sister and her husband before jumping on a train to return home for the night.

I was only heading home for the weekend, though. I would be returning to Terrigal on the Sunday evening to continue my coastal journey on to the very heart of Sydney. Like a hobbit crawling ever closer to Mt Doom, Sydney was getting ever closer. The plan for Stage 8 was to 'arrive' at The Opera House at the end of the stage and then celebrate completion of 'The Northern Way' on my NSW coastal camino. Heave ho!