New sealed road leads to secluded Lake Mac gem

Published on 13 October 2022

One of Lake Macquarie’s hidden gems has become a little more accessible thanks to a new sealed road and car park on its doorstep.

Salts Bay, near the mouth of Swansea Channel, has long been a favourite of locals for its quiet stretch of white sand, lapping waves, coastal saltmarsh and littoral rainforest.

A recently completed Lake Macquarie City Council project has sealed the old dirt road leading to the site, as well as a car park overlooking the bay.

Manager Assets Management Helen Plummer said the work opened the picturesque site to everyone, and eliminated the clouds of dust previously thrown up in dry weather when cars drove down the access road.

“It will also ensure the road remains accessible during periods of increased wet weather,” she said.

“We’re so lucky to have such serene and beautiful places to visit in Lake Mac, and we’re glad this kind of work might encourage more locals to discover them.”

Salts Bay got its name from a short-lived saltworks established on the site in the mid-1800s.

Those buildings are long gone, with the saltmarsh that provides habitat for native fauna eventually enveloping the area once again.

Also nearby is a tract of littoral rainforest rarely found in the area.

Work is underway throughout the area to protect the rainforest and eliminate bitou bush and other invasive plants, replacing them with native species.

Council’s acting Manager Environmental Systems Daniel Hartin said saltmarsh and mangroves helped protect shorelines from erosion and provided vital nurseries for juvenile fish.

The car park and road sealing project was one of more than 300 actions to deliver infrastructure across Lake Mac in 2022-23, with almost $135 million set to be spent by the end of the financial year.

Go to lakemac.com.au for more information.