Birthday lunch at the Everglades (April 30)

It's a rather damp day outside so I'd thought I'd rattle off a blog post whilst I had the chance. It's (mostly) a quiet day at home this week, though on Friday I'll be heading south to Sutherland for ShireCon for a day of gaming. Actually I haven't really done much since May 7, which was a mental health support group meeting in Gosford. I took an opportunity to do some grocery shopping, including a rare visit to the Abcoe Retail Store at Niagara Park shopping centre (formerly the Sara Lee factory outlet store) just up the road from the Niagara Park train station on Washington Avenue, then topped groceries up again on Tuesday (May 12) seeing, well, when one is at home and the weather isn't that great, one eats, one writes and one plays computer games for four days...

But a couple of weeks ago I decided to venture up the road to the Everglades Club and treat myself to a birthday lunch. I had originally intended to go out to Erina Fair for a bit, then felt I might even stay at home instead. In the end a walk up the boulevard became the plan. Not the first time I've done a birthday stroll up there for lunch (I did the same thing back in 2023 before I had even started this blog) yet it had been quite a while since I had actually visited the club. The last occasion was in 2024 on November 10 for Regurgitator, forgoing a Mariners home match against Auckland on the day. Like I've said before, the Everglades may be just up the road but I still visit the leagues club in Gosford more. In fact I'll be going there for a Blood Bowl league match next Wednesday (May 20).

I also took the opportunity to renew my membership, although it turned out to be a bad day to do it. For starters, when I walked in around 11.40am there was nobody on the front desk. I eventually found somebody, then was told that the financial year ended today and that I should come back tomorrow (May 1) to get the full benefit of my membership. I honestly felt like saying I may not be back again this year, for I might just forget about do it at all, so I just renewed it. It was $25 for three years. I'm certain I didn't pay that much way back in 2022 when I first joined the club. Obviously they needed the extra cash to pay for the recent renovations.

The Nine Restaurant and Bar hadn't been altered at all and for the most part the menu hasn't changed either. I discovered that if my birthday had fallen on a Tuesday I could've taken advantage of their weekly specials, seeing Tuesday is schnitzel day. On that day, a chicken parmigiana is $25. Because my birthday fell on a Thursday this year, it'll cost $29 with a members discount. Then there's a glass of alcoholic ginger beer on top of that as well so it'll be around $40 all up.
The meal, served with my choice of salad and chips (one day I'll find out what vegetables are being served with it and take the mash option) arrived at my table quickly enough seeing there wasn't that many many people present. It was good but not brilliant. I found it was a little too wet in places, with one knobbly end spitting at me like an oyster when I bit into it. Juicy I don't mind but that was just a bit too much. For me, the Gosford Hotel does a more consistent parmi and you're only paying one dollar more for it than a discounted meal at the Everglades. The pub trivia is also cheaper there too. At Everglades they run theirs on a Tuesday, with a cost of $25 but with better prizes. In Gosford you do have a choice of the GH or the leagues club on a Tuesday. We've stuck with GH because we like the atmosphere, the host is pretty good and the food is fine. It's also more convenient to get to for all of us.
And that's the thing. You have to sum it all up when you're going out these days. I look back at my previous post to see I paid $28 for a schnitzel burger at a cafe in Woy Woy. At the leagues club in Gosford I can get a chicken schnitzel for $26 and turn it into a parmi for an extra $3. For a chicken meal these days, that appears to be the standard prices you're paying. The last time I had the Caeser's Palace burger at Grill'd (back in March) with a choice of fries and a drink it was roughly the same. The thing is, they are still consistently good. However, with these prices, someone like myself on a fixed income isn't going to be eating out every week. In the last week of April, it was a birthday and a trivia night within four days. Add bus fare to the tally and that's $90 for two meals. I can buy that much in groceries in two shops yet I'll be eating for most of the fortnight at home.

Links correct at the time of posting.

Pictures taken by Geoff G Turner (c) 2026.

An Afternoon out on the Peninsula (April 21)

The last of a trio of food reviews for the day. We're currently in the twilight period of the day. I've stretched my legs, had a shower and started dinner. Must say it's been a rather productive day today. Hope I can continue in this vein tomorrow.
So on Tuesday (April 21) I had a couple of things to do in the area. The first was to collect some mail from my PO Box in Umina Beach. The second was to get my Flu Vax jab at the surgery I semi-regularly attend in Woy Woy. Once the latter was done, grocery shopping was required. I had decided that I wasn't just going to go to Deep Water Plaza in the afternoon after collecting the mail, might as well make a day of it. The laptop gets packed as well so I can do something in the three hours I'll be hanging around. Of course, I'll need lunch. Today I desired a burger, one of the chicken variety. The choices were BFF outside Deep Water Plaza, Lush 1659 inside the plaza, or stroll to either KFC or McDonalds. Lush won seeing the weather wasn't too great. Sure enough, not long after entering the shopping centre it starts raining again.
Last time I dined at Lush was in 2024 when I had lunch with a friend of mine. BFF was in 2025. Either way I was going to be updating my dining experience at one of these places. Though they were a little busy on Tuesday (it was around midday when I ordered there) I still got my chicken schnitzel burger in about ten minutes. Same sized plate as last time, pretty much the same amount of fries and the burger was practically the same as well.

First bite though and the schnitzel was quite hot. Was it just taken out of a microwave? I had to let it cool for a bit before biting back into it. This time round, there was no problem with finishing the meal off. I even took my time seeing I was going through my e-mails.
I checked my bank account before finishing this post to find a $28 debit from the cafe. That included a can of drink and a surcharge for a bank card transaction. I felt that considering the size of the meal, $28 wasn't worth it. However, that seems to be the average price charged these days for a burger meal. The meal itself wasn't that bad though I'm now thinking that for better value I'd be better off buying a takeaway from the noodle place outside or wait until I got for my monthly trivia night at the Gosford Hotel. I may pay $30 there for a chicken parma with salad and chips but it's worth it.

Link correct at time of posting.

Picture taken by Geoff G Turner (c) 2026.

Exploring Singapore Noodle Options 4 (April 2)

The second of my meal reviews for the day. Since I finished the first post (A Burger in-between Rounds), the weather has changed for the better. The temperature has dropped a point, the sun is out and one member of the local wildlife is wandering around my lawn picking at what's on it. In this case, it's a hungry kookaburra that has been quite successful and is now perched on the fence no doubt feeling rather satisfied.

I was a little busy at the start of April, with my mental health support groups on the 2nd and the 7th. This month being one of the rare occasions where I attended the Thursday group in Woy Woy before co-facilitating the Tuesday anxiety group in Wyoming. I also had to stick around at home on the Thursday, just in case technicians upgrading the electricity meter at the front property needed access to my place. They didn't and by midday I was walking down the laneway to catch the bus into Woy Woy and join the group at our usual location for the meetings on the foreshore during February to April. There was also a Mariners double-header at the stadium on Saturday (April 4th), the last one for the current season.
My choice of meals that lunchtime depended on which stand my bus pulls up at at the station. If it's towards the front, then it's the Noodle House on Blackwall Road. If it's at the rear, it's Woy Woy Asian Noodle and Chinese on the outside of Deepwater Plaza. Either one of them, I had decided, was going to be sampled yet again and this time added to my noodle posts. The bus stopped at Stand A, so it was Noodle House.
However, upon walking down Blackwall Road, I noticed that the casual cafe was unfortunately closed that lunchtime. This made things a little awkward. I had my heart set on a noodle dish and I really wasn't going to change my mind. Tempted as I was to try a nearby Thai place I hadn't dined at before, I decided to wander back towards the plaza, which meant crossing the main road back and forth before progressing towards the waterfront.
One bonus of getting lunch at Asian Noodle is that they have a lunch deal. If you order one item from 1-35 on the menu, you can add a can of soft drink for a $1, bringing the grand total to $13.90. Singapore Noodle is selection number 13. It is little more than a stove and a fridge but there is room for a couple of tables indoor and another pair out the front. The place is also quite popular for various menu delivery services.

On this occasion, I was satisfied with my meal when I finally got to the covered picnic benches where we've been dining for years. Both places that I've mentioned are currently running two and three behind Yi Yi in the Imperial Shopping Centre. The one I ate this time is worthy of being second with just enough curry powder to give it a kick, which is how I usually like it. Like the current leader it is consistently good and even with my fussy diet I find myself emptying the bowl completely, although when I grabbed another takeaway on the 10th, after doing some grocery shopping, one of the pork pieces felt like it had some bone in it and I had to remove it. That's been the only time that's happened since I've ordered food from there

Picture taken by Geoff G Turner (c) 2026.

Links correct at the time of posting.

Xmas lunch with the support group in Woy Woy (Dec 4)

This year, the mental health support group that I've been attending since 2011, decided to go somewhere different for the annual Xmas lunch. There are two pubs in Woy Woy, both within a stone's throw of each other near the waterfront. Both have also changed owners in recent years and have also undergone extensive renovations.
The pub we chose was the Woy Woy Hotel (established 1897), which is right next door to the Gnostic Mana Café (see 4 April 2024 post). I hadn't been there since, well, it had to be well before COVID. The last time I dined there I received some poor service from staff and decided not to go back.

Until now. The venue is a vast improvement from what it once was. The entire pub had been completely renovated - the dining area had been expanded, a covered beer garden with a children's play area installed and it now had a rather pleasant front bar area as well.

There is plenty of choice in the menus. One could choose from the main menu (which offered pizzas, burgers, kids meals and deserts), the $20 lunch time menu and pensioners could order from a discounted $18 menu if they so desired. I opted for the stock-standard chicken schnitzel from the lunch menu, then had Belgian waffles for desert. Whilst I had no problems with the schnitty, with a rather crunchy crust and a juicy breast fillet, I could not finish off the waffles. Whilst I have eaten far better schnitzels, at $20 it is good value and with an alcoholic beverage to wash it down you're only looking at a $30 lunch instead of $40. Honestly, I'd go there just for the waffles.

I also had a mate coming up from Bendigo (Victoria) that evening. Rather than waste time looking for somewhere else to dine, I just took him straight back to the pub. Still a little full from lunch, I ordered a Woy Woy burger whilst he settled for a steak sandwich. We were both happy with our dinner selections and had a couple of drinks before leaving as well.
I dare say I'll be heading back there again. One can sit in air conditioned comfort rather than broiling outside in the summer heat. It's a short walk from Woy Woy station and there's a large public car park almost directly behind the pub.

Links correct at the time of posting.

Pictures taken by Geoff G Turner (c) 2025.

Appointment day in Woy Woy (April 10)

It was overcast, warm and very much like every other day in Woy Woy – busy. As a pedestrian, you really have to have your wits about you getting from one place to the next, especially the carparks around Deepwater Plaza.

Anyway, it was a double appointment day in the little shopping district, starting with the doctor around 11am and the Optometrist at 2.30pm. In-between the two I had to make a quick trip down to Umina to pick up the mail from my PO Box, then find somewhere to eat.

It wasn't too hard. I could've taken the easy way out and grab Chinese takeaway at one of two places in DWP, or walked to one of the two global chain restaurants, but I decided to pay another visit to a café that I dined at a few years ago after moving back to the peninsula.

The BBF Café (Bringing Best Friends Together) is a family owned café in a prime location in The Pavilion, which dominates the carpark. It's a short stroll from the rear entrance of DWP, three bus stops, the train station and the optometrists where I had my appointment. One can dine inside or out, with plenty of choices on the menu.

It was a good idea. Schnitzel burger, no problem, with a can of a popular soft drink and a small bowl of chips $22 all up. It wasn't too busy, so I had my meal within ten minutes and I took my time eating it. Toasted bun, good sized schnitty, crispy, juicy and I really must've been hungry because I devoured the lot.

Personally, I have a preference to eating there rather than Lush 1659. I prefer to have a bit of space when dining with a view, where Lush is in a busy spot indoors and quite cramped. Weather also plays a factor in this. On a fair day BBF is a good option. If I need to grab a bite before heading anywhere in the future (during the day) then I'll go there, weather permitting.

Pictures taken by Geoff G Turner (c) 2025.

Links correct at time of posting.

A rainy day lunch at Woy Woy (April 4)

The Woy Woy Hotel, with the Gnostic Mana Café next door on the corner.
Can't believe this is the only picture I've got of it, taken in 2018.

It wasn't the greatest of days to dine out but we did anyway. It was the monthly meeting of one of my mental health support groups, and with the weather the way it is (a forecast of three days of rain, which started on Thursday) our regular outdoor meeting on the Woy Woy waterfront was transferred indoors to the nearby Gnostic Mana Café on The Boulevard. This was the first time I had been to the café in over twenty years, the previous time being in my first stint on the peninsula (1999-2005), on an occasion when I was getting my laundry done at the nearby laundromat.

We arrived around 11.15am, with our tables waiting for us (only nine of the group were expected to turn up) and the early-comers having plenty of time to peruse the extensive menu that had breakfast and lunch options. Vegans were catered for and those requiring gluten-free options only had to ask. 

Most of the meals were in the $20 to $40 range and I was spoiled for choice in the burger department, but stuck to my regular choice of a chicken burger, in this case a grilled Portuguese version with bacon and lettuce (and a side order of fries) minus the tomato and avocado. No point in putting them in the burger if I'm just going to discard them eh? Other meal options taken by the group were steak sandwiches and good old fish and chips. Meals were prepared quickly despite the place being quite full and the staff were rather helpful when enquiries were made about the contents of the meals.

Must say that the burger was quite good. For $21 it was considerably better than the schnitzel burger I had at Café Lush over at Deepwater Plaza last month and I actually polished the whole lot off. Those that took the steak sandwich option found it tough going seeing the meal was just a wee bit too much for them. However nobody was complaining about the quality and we all left satisfied with our choices. I even had some desert, opting for a couple of choices from their gelato bar. Blood orange and Turkish delight were are stark contrast, with the former rather strong (and just like the soft drink I occasionally drink) and the latter rather mild. At $9 for a small cup with two healthy scoops (unlike the small serves bought at the Central Coast Leagues Club back in December) it was a lovely way to finish the meal.

Still plenty more places to visit in Woy Woy. :)

Pictures taken by Geoff G Turner (c) 2024.

Link correct at time of posting.

Elevenses at Woy Woy (March 15)

Seeing my other two blogs have had new posts recently, it's time for this one to get a little love. :)
The problem with Woy Woy (if it is a problem) is that it's most likely going to get quite a few posts here seeing there are so many places to eat. I could even do a post comparing Chinese restaurants/takeaways, or even Thai restaurants seeing there's a few of them in the CBD as well, apart from the one I prefer.

Deepwater Plaza from the walk-bridge spanning Railway Street in Woy Woy. Taken in 2018.

Anyway, last Friday I had an opportunity to have lunch with a friend who came up from Sydney's West to take care of some family business. So I took her to a nearby café based in Deepwater Plaza that I've been meaning to try - Lush 1659. The location had been taken over fairly recently after the closure of the previous establishment (which I believe was Café DMR but I'd have to check that) and had walked passed it many times and just hadn't been game enough to try it out.
So we did. It's conveniently located almost in the centre of the building facing Lowes. Naturally I opted for the chicken schnitzel burger which came with a small serve of fries. For $20 the meal pretty much covered the entire plate and I was quite satisfied with what I ate. I couldn't quite finish the meal, which seems to be a regular habit of mine.
If you're after a quick fix and not after anything too exotic, then this will suit you. We timed our arrival perfectly (about 11am) and got our meals within ten minutes of ordering with the tables half-full. Service was good, staff were polite and no doubt I'll head back there again at some point when I need a break from Chinese takeaways and fast food chain restaurants. Lol

Links correct at the time of posting.

Photo by Geoff G Turner (c) 2024.

Woy Woy (October 28 & November 2)

Well, the first time a suburb gets repeated here. I had an opportunity to have a night out recently at the nearby Everglades Country Club (a five minute walk from my front door), starting it with a meal and a drink. I had previously wondered what watery site I was going to include with this, but the answer was quite simple in the end – the actual Everglades Public Reserve, which contains a large swampy area and is home to several species of birds, various small reptiles and amphibians, and mammals, such as seasonal fruit bats.

The second was an opportunistic selection. I was returning to Woy Woy from a few nights with mates at Ourimbah (the highlight being the most recent Matildas' match against Chinese Taipei), and decided at some point that I felt like a burger for lunch (seeing I hadn't had breakfast yet) rather than chicken pad thai, and opted to go to Batty's Better Batter, a takeaway cafe on Blackwall Road, the main street of the well-known suburb. On that occasion, it would be the monthly meeting of the mental health support group that I'm a part of, which regularly meets at the Woy Woy waterfront during the spring and summer months.

First, the Everglades. The club is located on Dunban Road and neighbours Rogers Park, which has sporting fields for league and AFL during the winter months and cricket during summer. The club itself also has a bowling green and a golf course. The boundary borders the public reserve and I occasionally find golf balls from poor shots in and around the laneway where my unit is located. One of the first things I did when I moved here was to take up a three-year social membership. I still go to the Leagues Club in Gosford more, because of the football, but I find the local quite convenient if I feel like a meal and a drink, and/or to take visitors. It's a cosy little place, with friendly staff and multiple areas to dine within the venue.

On October 28, I was there for a show. Australian band Dog Trumpet, lead by two former members of the Aria Hall of Fame band Mental As Anything, my favourite Australian band and one that I managed to see live three times in Tamworth and do the door for one of their shows whilst working at a local club. So I arrived around 5.30pm, had a delicious chicken schnitzel dinner, served with chips and a small salad which was all washed down with some Canadian Club on tap. Since I started doing these reviews, I haven't really had a bad schnitzel at all. This one was quite juicy and sticking with a top five is becoming quite hard. The show started around 8pm and finished around 11pm. All-in-all it was a good night out.

So, less than a week later I found myself once again in Woy Woy, having purchased a schnitzel burger with salad. (The 'salad' was lettuce, beetroot, carrot and tomato. Naturally, being a finicky eater, there were items in it that I had to discard. However, seeing they have plenty of variation on the menu I won't make the same mistake twice.) With a small chips and a bottle of water, the cost was $14.50. It was a short walk to the waterfront, past the Thai restaurant that I like, where for once I beat the rest of the group.

The burger was large and delicious, which I barely managed to finish. The chips were presented in a small open cardboard tray and I just couldn't quite complete eating them. I felt quite stuffed, but satisfied that I had received my money's worth. I should add, though it wasn't as good as the burger that I had at Pearl Beach earlier in the year, it was quite adequate for what I wanted at the time. 

 

Links correct at time of posting.

Pictures taken by Geoff G Turner (c) 2023.

 

 

 

 

Woy Woy (Sept 8)

Over 70 years ago Woy Woy was advertised as the 'Venice of Australia'. Legendary comedian, author and longtime visitor to the area Spike Milligan, lovingly referred to the place as 'the armpit of NSW' and 'Australia's largest above ground cemetery'. For his environmental and literary efforts (he did write three books whilst sojourning at his parent's place in nearby Booker Bay, including one volume of his WW2 diaries) a pedestrian/cycle bridge was named after him, though I strongly felt it should've been the local library instead. One can find a small display of his personal memorabilia there though.
Like Umina, it has improved in recent years with an upgrade in facilities (especially medical) and the establishment of a variety of eateries. You still have to be careful with the traffic however, but at least the cyclists now have plenty of bike tracks to utilize.
Woy Woy (or Deep Water as the original inhabitants of area called it) may not have beaches like Umina and Ettalong, but the watery vistas are just as pleasant. Local ferries ply their trade to nearby Davistown (a trip I shall take one day), Ettalong and Empire Bay via the channels and if you want to fish, this is a great place for it. The area is quite flat and walking around is quite easy; a decade ago when my legs were less injured from sporting accidents, I could manage a stroll from the Woy Woy waterfront through Blackwall and Booker Bay, all the way around to Ettalong. The town is connected by road and rail, with Gosford 10-15 minutes away and twice hourly rail services will see you at Central Station in Sydney in 80-90 minutes.

During Spring and Summer one of my mental health support groups meets at the waterfront (just down from the memorial park) seeing the weather is generally much more pleasant. Be advised, the weather can be rather fickle here. Yesterday, when I was there catching up with other members of the group, the weather was rather nice and warm. Today I've been stuck at home for most of the day due to the rain. Such are the 'joys' of living on the coast.
I've eaten at quite a few places in Woy Woy, but my preferred one nowadays is a little Thai restaurant on The Boulevarde called SaTanG-Thai. It is open for breakfast and lunch seven days a week, and open for dinner Thursday to Sunday from 5pm to 9pm. A friend of mine from Bendigo treated me to dinner there on my birthday in 2022 and I have been back there ever since. Western meals, such as the ubiquitous chicken schnitzel burger are available, or you can even have a coffee or a smoothie and enjoy a pastry there which a lot of people do.
Me personally, I'm a sucker for Chicken Pad Thai. Seeing I've been a finicky eater practically all my life, it has taken me a long time to get the nerve to try something different, and when I tried this particular dish for the first time several years ago (when away at an interstate gaming tournament) I was hooked. So, if I dine at a Thai restaurant, that's what I'll go for. This place does it particularly well, it is reasonably priced at $15, and I generally find I just can't quite finish it all off but leave very full indeed. I'm such a regular there that the lady that runs it knows me by sight and knows exactly what I want to order. One day I'll surprise her with something else or even dine with a guest.

Honestly, if the weather is fine, I thoroughly recommend grabbing some takeaway and eating it on the waterfront. Be advised, if you do do that, you will acquire the interest from the local wildlife. Yesterday the seagulls outnumbered the ducks. Other days the ducks will outnumber the seagulls. Local council recommends that you don't feed them, but people invariably do. Some visitors go out of their way just to be photographed with them.

Links correct at the time of posting.

Photographs taken by Geoff G Turner (c) 2023.