Since their stint on The Block in 2013 and more recently The Living Room, local couple Kyal and Kara Demmrich have become well-known faces of the Central Coast. As well as their television appearances, the couple runs a successful building and design company and online homewares store, KK Homewares. They have worked on more than 35 renovations, including their current family home in Bateau Bay, a former fibro shack turned dream coastal abode.

We chatted to the local design super duo to build a better idea of their favourite things to see and experience on the NSW Central Coast.

What’s your favourite local place for coffee?

Flour & Co in Toowoon Bay is a firm favourite for us. It has great coffee, raw treats and the breaky burritos are amazing! We spent four years living a short 50-metre stroll from the café and I have so many fond memories of walking my babies there each morning, followed by a walk to the park at Toowoon Bay Beach. Tim & Grace took over the Picot family business around the same time we moved to Toowoon Bay and it’s been so amazing to watch them grow as a business and also to now call them close friends.

We also love Bateau Beach Café for the same reason – it has great coffee and a lovely community vibe. Our favourite dishes are the salmon poke bowl and nasi satay lunch. It’s the perfect place to start (or end) the Coast Walking Track in Wyrrabalong National Park.

We also recommend Café Mocha at Bateau Bay or The Pantry at Forresters Beach.

What’s your favourite local restaurant? 

Yellowtail at Terrigal for its amazing fine dining food in a relaxed setting. Also in Terrigal, we love Arc. Est for a long lunch with friends and The Reef for its ocean views.

Where is the first place you would take a visitor?

We often have friends who’ve never been to the Coast come and stay in our Blue Lagoon Studio. I encourage them to talk a sunrise walk from Shelly Beach up to Crackneck Lookout. It’s the best way to start the day!

If they’re surfers I’d take them to North Shelly Beach or, if they’re not, paddle boarding at Toowoon Bay. We’d finish the day with a bike ride at Long Jetty along the lake, followed by and sunset drinks and a picnic.

What is your go-to outdoors experience? 

We’re avid surfers so we’re always checking out our local breaks. We love Shelly Beach, Toowoon Bay for the kids and Blue Bay. We have a boat so we love exploring the Central Coast waterways, whether it be launching at The Entrance, Terrigal or heading down to Patonga and making a day of it.

Our little ones are into skateboarding so we spend a lot of time at Bato Yard Skate Park. We feel pretty lucky to have one of Australia’s top skate parks at our doorstep.

Where would you recommend guests to the Central Coast go shopping?

If I’m after a new outfit or staple piece for the wardrobe, Plain Janes at Long Jetty is a go-to. They also have a great selection of gifts including kids’ games and puzzles and styling pieces for the home.

If I’m shopping for the home, another favourite is Drift Home & Living at Forresters Beach, which has a great range of pieces from around the world. I also love Blackbird, a beautiful small lifestyle boutique at Bateau Bay, which sells fashion, homewares and gifts.

Do you have a hidden local secret you’d be willing to share? 

The rockpools at Blue Lagoon on low tide are amazing and we spend hours down there exploring with the kids. It’s magical at any time of day but we love enjoying a sunset drink with friends whilst we all explore the ever-changing rockpools.

What do you love most about living on the Central Coast?

The community of people we have around us and the magical beaches. We couldn’t think of a better place to raise our young family.

Our next build is set to kick off any day now and again we’ve chosen to invest in our current postcode. Once complete, it’s a project that we’ll be selling and we know that we’re not just selling a house, but a home with an amazing lifestyle – a lifestyle that we’re lucky enough to live every day.

Describe a typical day on the Central Coast for you…

On the weekend, our mornings start with either an early solo surf, run or walk up to Crackneck Lookout (kid-free!) and coffee at one of our favourite cafes.

Then we will walk down to Blue Lagoon with the kids or pack the car for a surf at Toowoon Bay. We spend hours with the kids running between the surf, exploring the rockpools or building castles in the sand.

Afternoons are spent in the rockpools at Blue Lagoon, skating at Bato Yard or meeting up with friends for sunset drinks at Long Jetty. As I write this, I realise how much our life revolves around the beach, lake and our community of friends.