Bateau Bay, New South Wales 4.74

Bateau Bay is a suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the local government area. Bateau Bay lies in the area known as Darkinjung to Indigenous Australians. "Bateau" is French for "boat." The suburb was previously known as Boat Harbour, it was changed to the French version as a marketing activity in the 1970s.GeographyBateau Bay is about 6 km south of the town of The Entrance and 17 km northeast of Gosford's central business district. In 2006, it had a population of 11,599 people. Bateau Bay Beach provides access to Crackneck Point, which is a popular local surfing spot. Crackneck Point Lookout (about 100 metres above sea level) is a short distance from the beach, where there is a large clearing and carpark with information boards and a picnic-barbeque area. It provides views of The Entrance peninsula and north across Tuggerah Lakes.Wyrrabalong National ParkPart of Bateau Bay is covered by the southern 140 ha section of Wyrrabalong National Park. A feature of the park's coastal cliffs are extensive rock platforms, which are good bases for rock fishing or low tide exploration. Wyrrabalong National Park is a haven for marine, bird, and native wildlife, which include goannas, bandicoots, fantails, and the tawny frogmouth. A 1.6 km walk through Wyrrabalong National Park links Crackneck Point Lookout and Forresters Beach.