After a well-deserved sleep in, skip over the hill for a breakfast spot with the locals! We all know that the key to travelling well is to go where the locals go, and that's precisely how you are going to start today. Hardy's Cafe is a local haven known for its delicious baked goods, pastries and, of course, great coffee. Our top pick is the breakfast wrap and a few sweet goodies to enjoy on the road.

Making your way back towards Sydney, your next stop, is a unique experience discovering an incredible Australian story of how pearls are grown right on the Central Coast. Join a tour and go on a boat cruise exploring the pearl farm and learning the fascinating way of how the sublime and rare Australian Akoya Pearl is cultivated right in Broken Bay. You'll be a pearling expert in no time!

Your adventure in the Central Coast is coming to an end, but not before a fantastic lunch at the Hawkesbury River Oyster Shed. Located right in the heart of the Hawkesbury, the Oyster Shed is a small local oyster farm supplying produce straight from the source. Enjoy tasty grazing board options, including delicious award-winning cheeses from Little Creek Cheese. 

After a restful night at Boathouse, it's time to take your #emptyesky to Bar Botanica and indulge in garden-inspired breakfast meals. Located in the fragrant gardens of Distillery Botanica and awarded one of the top 5 places to brunch in regional NSW! If you enjoy gin, check out the tasting experience onsite to try Botanica Distillery's award-winning drop. Be sure to get a few bottles for your #emptyesky!

There is no time like the present for a quick wardrobe refresh! This can also be called 'supporting the local economy' if you need to justify any of your new purchases when back at home! La Boheme is a luxury life fashion boutique showcasing some great Aussie labels, homewares and lifestyle products. The team also created their own in-house fashion label called 'La Boheme Girls' featuring limited edition pieces made from luxe fabrics. 

It's time for lunch, and your next stop is just as fun as it is delicious! Mumbo Jumbos is a Caribbean inspired restaurant featuring beach shack vibes, lots of local seafood and unique cocktails, which you can order from the Ice Coconut Bar. Enjoy a Jamaican influenced meal from the kitchen, and sip on your freshly made cocktail while taking in the panoramic views of Terrigal beach. 

After cocktails and reggae tunes with a view, we bet you're wondering how today could get any better. Cue your accommodation for the night! Bells at Killcare is a boutique hotel, restaurant, and day spa luxury stay destination. The onsite suites and villas are elegant and charming with a high attention to detail. The property is situated on pristine Bouddi Peninsula surrounded by National Park and secluded beaches. The KODO signature body massage is highly recommended!

After your relaxing afternoon at Bells, it's time to wander over to the restaurant on premises called The Wild Flower. Inspired by food from the sun, from the Mediterranean to Morocco, and paired with an excellent wine list repeatedly awarded 'Best Regional Wine List'. The Wild Flower is famous for its kitchen garden of orchid trees, beehives, olive trees, free-range hens, and local seafood produce. The Chefs Menu is an excellent option for those overwhelmed by all the delicious choices on offer. 

First on the agenda is a nourishing breakfast in a flurry of native flora. Kew Dining offers an experience cuisine lovers yearn for – a calm, harmonious space that utilises local produce and puts forth straightforward, classic food with an edge of creativity. After breakfast, wander through the Ken Duncan Gallery, situated next door.

Fires Creek Winery understands wine and how well it pairs with chocolate! So grab your #emptyesky and get ready to experience a tantalising chocolate board with a selection of matching Fires Creek Wines served in crystal glassware to enjoy while overlooking the vineyards. The winery also offers a unique foraging experience where you'll get to pick and select your own spectacular garnishes to create Instagram-worthy cocktails. 

What's for lunch? How does absolute waterfront dining sound! Your next stop is Box on the Water, a fun, stylish and modern Australian restaurant offering spectacular views and delicious food. Renowned by locals for ​their signature dishes include The BOX seafood sharing plates, the drunken pâté, the house craft ale-battered flathead and chips, and the whole fried tamarind snapper. Enjoy a long lunch and soak up the views!

Once you've finished enjoying your excellent long lunch, wander down to the Ettalong Foreshore, where you can walk it off and explore the waterfront. It's an easy 7.5 km return walk leading to the Peninsula Recreational Precinct, one of the best playgrounds on the Central Coast. If bike riding is your thing, you can hire bikes from in front of the Mantra Hotel.

Your final stop for today is the stunning Boathouse Patonga, a coastal boutique hotel and restaurant with serious Hampton vibes! Located in the quaint beachy town of Patonga situated right on the waterfront, the hotel has a vast range of beautifully furnished accommodation options. The Boathouse hotel restaurant is an idyllic dinner location with a very European feel. Weather permitting, get an outdoor table under one of the umbrellas and enjoy a glass of wine watching the sunset. 

The Coast Walking Track is one of the Central Coast's most scenic bushwalks. Traversing through Wyrrabalong National Park, climb from Bateau Bay beach lookout to Crackneck Lookout, and onto Forresters Beach water tower viewpoint. Enjoy endless coastal views, in spring you'll spot wildflowers, and from May to November this walk is one of the best for whale watching.

Founders Tim & Hannah use regenerative methods to produce 100% grass-fed, grass-finished beef and pasture-raised organic chicken and eggs. Visit their farm to connect with the paddock to plate philosophy, or to teach kids where their food comes from. "Farmer Tim was so generous with his time, knowledge and experience of regenerative farming practices" Kara said, "The kids were stoked to collect their own eggs and meet the animals."

Discover the Fanelli's ‘Farm Store’ to embrace a PYO (pick your own) experience with the kids! Open Wedsnesdays & Sundays, 10am-2pm, collect freshly harvested produce from the Fanelli family's regenerated farm to form an amazing spread. "What a special lunch...The kids planted some seeds, harvested veggies straight from the field and swam in the dam (and were absolutely exhausted by the end of it)" said Kara.

Follow Bumble Hill Road down to Regan’s Fine Foods & Butchery for all the old school charm of a traditional hinterland store. This shop is a butcher, but also serves home-made cakes, ready-made dinners and is an ice-creamery. Owner Regan may even be in to say hello.

Established in 1906, the Wyong Milk Factory has been lovingly restored, saved and salvaged and is now a great hub for the whole family. Enjoy dinner at Wyong Milk Factory Tavern, with its menu featuring old pub favourites plus a daily choice of blackboard specials offering local produce. Check ahead to see what special events are on too including comedy and pub trivia.

Starting with adventure, Kyal & Kara led the fam to an exciting bushland stop at Calga. This 180-acre working wildlife sanctuary is set among the gum trees with a scenic, on-site bushwalk weaving past NSW Heritage-listed Aboriginal cultural landscape. The Demmrich's enjoyed a 'Meet the Meerkats' experience, "It was so funny, we couldn’t stop laughing at their curious and playful nature" Kara said.

Pop into Saddles at Mt White - they have casual outdoor picnic tables by the pond that are just perfect for families. Browse bakery goods available at the bakehouse eatery and enjoy in the great outdoors with a quintessential Australian bush backdrop in the beautifully landscaped grounds. Kyal & Kara used this opportunity to let the kids run around the pond and burn some energy!

Set on 3,000 acres of Central Coast wilderness, Glenworth Valley Outdoor Adventures is Australia's largest outdoor activity centre one hour north of Sydney CBD. Follow the winding road downhill to go horse riding with the kids or meet Hilda the Highland cow but don't miss the Running of the Horses! Taking place daily around 430pm, witness 200+ horses released into the field for an evening's rest. In Kara's words it's "magical".

Perfect for a short staycation, family glamping at Glenworth Valley is run by Simple Pleasures Camping Co. With camping essentials provided for a comfy stay and the belle tent set up for your arrival, all you need to bring is your own campfire dinner! As the stars come out, roast marshmallows by the fire and spend quality family time in nature, with the resident horses sleeping in the field nearby.

This itinerary is inspired by some of the special places beauty editor and entrepreneur, Eleanor Pendleton, loves visiting in our region. In addition to founding and managing her own business, Gritty Pretty, standing as brand partner for David Jones and Landrover Australia, she's also leading a cottage renovation project. As a proud local, this is just a small edit of the many beautiful experiences Eleanor and her family have enjoyed since returning to the NSW Central Coast in 2021.

_{Photography: Bianchi Photography and Dawn & Folk}

Eleanor's favourite place to start the day is Terrigal Boardwalk. Experience the new Terrigal Boardwalk located at the southern end of Terrigal Beach, connecting the main Promenade to The Haven and Skillion landmark. As a new icon of the Central Coast, Terrigal Boardwalk offers sweeping views of the ocean and beach, within easy reach of Crowne Plaza Terrigal Pacific and Terrigal Beach House.

New to the Central Coast creative cafe scene, Studio Lane is swiftly turning heads with its bright, modern interior, abstract artworks on display and creative workshop space. Tucked in a revamped factory space at Erina, their specialty coffee is pretty exceptional too, with local pastries and handmade toasties on the menu. In the words of Eleanor, you go in for coffee, come out with some art! 

Browse some incredible dresses in this boutique shopping location on the Central Coast, hidden in the leafy surrounds of the Scenic Highway connecting Terrigal, Avoca and Kincumber. La Boheme Lifestyle has a thoughtful selection of international fashion brands, homewares, lifestyle and wellness goodies curated by founder Steph Davies under one roof.

This hands-on experience in Umina combines two of life's most playful things - wine and clay! Centered Ceramics was created by Jennifer and Guy, who will guide you on a journey to make anything from a cup, mug, dish or bowl in your own signature style. Decorate your piece with colour, emboss patterns, or just enjoy getting your hands dirty and meeting likeminded souls. Book ahead as sessions are popular.

New arrivals to Grace Springs Farm in the Central Coast hinterland are always warmly welcomed by dedicated owner, Virginia. Eleanor's son Banjo led the way with tackling a Morning Chores Farm Tour with the family. Kiddies can pat a calf, cuddle a chick, collect eggs and see pigs happily devour their brekky. Interactive tours take 90 mins and support this family-run, chemical-free, sustainable working farm.