On the southern shores of Brisbane Water lie the holiday villages of Woy Woy, Ettalong Beach, Umina, Pearl Beach, and Macmasters Beach. These quiet hamlets are enclosed by the Brisbane Water / Bouddi National Parks and the mouth of the mighty Hawkesbury River. The small towns all make a convenient base for exploring both parks or for enjoying the various waterways - ideal for watersports enthusiasts. Umina and Macmasters Beach lie beside pretty sheltered beaches, while the enclave of Pearl Beach is so heavenly it's been classified by the National Trust. Ettalong Beach attracts crowds on the weekends with dozens of stalls at their undercover markets.

The most popular nature reserve on the Central Coast, the Brisbane Waters National Park is 12000 hectares of lakes, sandstone terrain, and the northern inlets of the Hawkesbury River. Home to many fine bushwalks and a healthy marsupial and platypus population, the parks most interesting feature is the Bulgandry Aboriginal site containing ten rock engravings over two hundred years old. Nearby, Bouddi National Park has some excellent coastal walks and lookouts, spread across a variety of diverse and flourishing habitats.