Riding into the sunset

Published on 11 November 2024

Home | Let's Lake Mac

A visit to an old friend turned into a life-changing move to Lake Macquarie for father-of-two Dave Mulquiney and his family.

“A mate moved here and I came up for a weekend and just loved the place,” Mulquiney says.

“I spoke to a recruiter as soon as I went back home and had four interviews lined up the following week. Within three weeks, I moved here.”

Mulquiney’s profession as an accountant didn’t change – he runs a firm with clients nationwide – but everything else did.

“You get a house with a yard here for the price of an apartment in Sydney. Commuting time doesn’t even compare, and, to put it simply, it’s more relaxed. Less people and a smaller city make it feel more chilled,” he says.

“I love that my two boys can grow up with the beach and bush at their back door, but still be in a region that can offer them plenty of opportunity as they grow.”

“We take the 4WD on to Redhead Beach, we run down by the lake of an evening and play a few local sports. There are plenty of options for a weekend, and we are still discovering new places.”

Since moving to Lake Mac in 2010, Mulquiney has also developed a love of mountain biking.

It’s a passion fuelled by some of the State’s best single-track trails snaking through the bush nearby at Glenrock State Recreation Area, at Awaba Mountain Bike Park at the foot of the Watagans, and at Killingworth near the historic town of West Wallsend.

“For the last three years, I’ve been working from home which is great, and this flexibility allowed me to get out on the bike more,” Mulquiney says.

“The more I explored, the more I got into it. It was amazing the variety out there for riding.”

Having those outlets for physical activity has proved a boon –for both Mulquiney’s physical and mental health.

“To be honest, it wasn’t even on my radar when I moved here,” he says.

“But it has become one of the reasons why I don’t think I could leave.”

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