Lake Cathie is a self-contained village community in a tranquil north coast location with a nearby lake, lagoon and beaches.
Quick facts
The population of Lake Cathie is 3,000 people, the median age is 43 years. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 3% of the population.
Lake Cathie is located within the North Coast Primary Health Network, these fact sheets provide an overview of the health needs of the North Coast community.
Lake Cathie is located on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, 20 minutes south of Port Macquarie and just over 4 hours north of Sydney.
This peaceful self-contained lakeside village, only minutes from a surf beach, is a family-friendly place to live.
The closest airport to Lake Cathie is Port Macquarie, which is a 20 minute drive from Lake Cathie. QantasLink operates daily direct services from Port Macquarie to Sydney, with connecting flights to a wide range of destinations across Australia and internationally. QantasLink also operate seasonal summer services (October – May) from Port Macquarie to Lord Howe Island.
Virgin Australia operate daily direct services from Port Macquarie to Sydney and Brisbane, with connecting flights to a wide range of destinations across Australia and internationally.
The XPT train service between Sydney and Brisbane stops at Wauchope, 20 mins inland from Port Macquarie, and Kendall daily. A coach connection is provided for passengers travelling to Port Macquarie from Wauchope Station.
Comfortable air-conditioned coaches provide daily services from Brisbane and Sydney. Greyhound Australia and Premier Motor Service both service the Greater Port Macquarie area.
The main industries people from Lake Cathie work in are:
- Health Care and Social Assistance
- Retail trade
- Education and Training
- Construction
- Accommodation and Food Services
- Manufacturing
The closest hospital is in Port Macquarie, 20 minutes north of Lake Cathie.
Port Macquarie Base Hospital is a major referral hospital with 195 beds. The hospital includes specialist wards/units for general medicine, surgery, day surgery, planned and emergency theatre service, coronary care, intensive care, obstetrics, paediatrics, 24 hour emergency department, oncology, palliative care, rehabilitation, stroke, acute renal dialysis, high dependency and mental health and an extensive range of outpatient clinics.
Lake Cathie is supported by the Port Macquarie ambulance service.
There is on primary school in Lake Cathie: Lake Cathie Public School.
Port Macquarie, 20 minutes to the north, offers a broad range of primary, secondary and tertiary education options.
For young families the Lake Cathie area offers a few childcare options suitable for children from 6 weeks to school aged, for long day care, family day care and pre-school. For more information on child care facilities, please click here.
Lake Cathie has a Woolworths supermarket as well as a variety of retail shops.
Port Macquarie, which is a 20 minute drive from Lake Cathie, has two major shopping centres, both open 7 days a week. They provide a complete shopping experience, with a range of local and national fashion retailers, banks, supermarkets and food courts.
Port Macquarie offers Woolworths, Coles, Aldi and SUPA IGA supermarkets as well as major retailers such as Target, Kmart and Big W. The city also boasts a wide variety of unique retail outlets where you will find everything from stylish men’s, women’s and children’s boutiques to homewares and unusual gift as well as weekend markets.
Place of worship in Lake Cathie include Anglican, Baptist and Catholic churches with many more options available in nearby Port Macquarie, including the Losang Dragpa Kadampa Buddhist Centre.
Greater Port Macquarie is becoming known as a key destination for food and wine enthusiasts, and locals take great pride in the quality of their produce, beers and premium wines. Located in the stunning grounds of Cassegrain Winery is Seasons Café–Restaurant featuring a French-inspired menu with a focus on seasonal and regional fresh food produce.
Port Macquarie boasts a theatre and cinema complex. It is also home to a vibrant creative community with a broad cross section of arts and cultural practitioners and offers a variety of festivals and events.
The region also offers a range of outdoors activities including horse riding, surfing, boating, cycling, water skiing, kayaking, wake boarding, golf, tennis, bowls and fishing as well as skydiving and paragliding.
