Lake Cathie

North Coast

The popular holiday destination of Lake Cathie, is known for its beaches, surf breaks, recreational boating and surrounding natural environment.

A Grouping

MMM3

Location

Lake Cathie is 380 km (4 hr 15 min drive) north of Sydney, it is 18 km (20 min drive) from the regional centre of Port Macquarie.

Pronounced Lake 'cat-eye', the tranquil Lake Cathie adjacent to the township, is an area of high conservation value that is frequented by water birds and people alike. Boating and swimming are popular in the lake and the adjoining beach provides kilometres of sea and sand.

How to get there

The closest airport to Lake Cathie is in Port Macquarie, a 20 min drive from Lake Cathie. Direct flights to Sydney are available with Qantas and Virgin Australia. Virgin Australia also operates a direct service to Brisbane and Qantas operates seasonal services (October - May) to Lord Howe Island.

The XPT train service between Sydney and Brisbane stops at Wauchope, a 20 min drive inland from Port Macquarie. A coach connection is provided for passengers travelling to Port Macquarie from Wauchope Station. There are also daily coach services from Brisbane and Sydney, that service the Port Macquarie area.

Population

Lake Cathie is home to almost 3,000 people and the median age of residents is 48 years. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up nearly 4% of the population.

Lake Cathie is located in the North Coast Primary Health Network, this needs assessment provides an insight into population health across the North Coast community.

Healthcare facilities

The closest hospital to Lake Cathie is in Port Macquarie, 20 min north of Lake Cathie. Port Macquarie Base Hospital is a major referral hospital for the Hastings Macleay Network. With 195 beds, it provides the majority of specialist medical and surgical services for the network. 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. Allied health services, including occupational therapy, speech pathology, social work, physiotherapy, dietetics, radiology, pathology, and pharmacy.

Lake Cathie is serviced by the Ambulance Service of NSW station in Port Macquarie.

Accredited GP practices

Lake Cathie Medical Centre

Industry

The major industry sectors employing residents of Lake Cathie are: aged care residential services, supermarket and grocery stores, primary education, other social assistance services and hospitals (except psychiatric hospitals).

Education

There is one primary school in Lake Cathie – Lake Cathie Public School (K-6). Nearby Port Macquarie offers a range of primary, secondary and tertiary education options.

Childcare

For young families the Lake Cathie/Port Macquarie area offers a wide range of childcare options including occasional care, long day care, family day care and pre-school.

Shopping

Lake Cathie has a Woolworths supermarket as well as a variety of specialty retail shops. Nearby Port Macquarie, has two major shopping centres that include Woolworths, Coles, Aldi and SUPA IGA supermarkets as well as major retailers such as Target, Kmart and Big W.

Places of worship

Places of worship in Lake Cathie are limited, there is a Catholic and a community church. There are many places of worship located in Port Macquarie, including Anglican, Australian Christian, Baptist, Catholic, Jehovah’s Witness, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Salvation Army, Seventh Day Adventist and Uniting churches. There is also a Buddhist centre located in Port Macquarie.

Points of interest

In addition to the outdoor activities available at Lake Cathie, there are many sights and activities to be enjoyed in Port Macquarie and surrounds including the Koala Hospital and Billabong Zoo Koala and Wildlife Park, Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail, coastal walk and rainforest centre in Sea Acres National Park, Port Macquarie Museum and the beautiful Hastings River wine region. Events, entertainment, markets and exhibitions are listed in Port Macquarie Events.

Sporting activities

There is a range of sporting facilities, sporting clubs and teams in Lake Cathie including tennis, cricket, surf lifesaving, rugby union, soccer, hockey, fishing, bowls, golf and mountain biking. A listing of groups and their contact details are available at Lake Cathie Sport & Recreation Directory.

Community groups and activities

In Lake Cathie community groups and volunteer organisations including Lake Cathie Landcare, Mid North Coast CWA, Rotary Club and Lions Club. A listing of groups and their contact details are available at Lake Cathie Community Directory. Nearby Port Macquarie is home to a large variety of community and service groups. Port Macquarie-Hastings Council Community Directory provides contact details.