Things To Do
take a walk on the beach
We are closest to the southern end of the beach, Kiddy’s Corner, where water is shallow, great for small children.
There is also a beautiful walk around the rock pools to Peal Beach. Epic views and a whole new beach to discover just round the corner. Also a few killer hikes. We love to hike over to Patonga via the Pearl Beach Fire Trail. It takes a couple hours, but lunch at the Boathouse in Patonga makes it well worth it. A few Negronis and an Uber home are highly recommended.
Don’t forget your furry friend: the southern and northern ends of the beach are off-leash areas. You’ll find biodegradable poo bags in the bottom of the pantry in the white dog supplies crate if you forgot to bring some.
Small humans love the Large Playground just a 5 minute walk to the park near the beach– there’s a flying fox, BMX track, skateboard park…all the good kid things. Ok, sure, for big kids, too.
hit the horse trails
Horse-riding on bush trails is a special day out with the lovely folk from https://glenworth.com.au/activities/horse-riding/
Local tip: take a picnic and a drink, there are places to sit on the property afterwards and a long trail ride builds quite the appetite
catch a wave
Umina and Peal Beach get some nice breaks.
There are small waves at Umina middle beach, up near the surf life saving club, ideal for kids who are learning to surf.
If you can’t surf yet, there are a bunch of great local schools. We like the lovely folks at https://centralcoastsurfschool.com.au
Lifeguards patrol during the summer. If you are swimming, not surfing and not a strong ocean swimmer don’t forget to swim between the flags. Umina Beach is super safe, but Pearl Beach gets some gnarly rips.
ride our bikes
Umina is mostly flat, which makes it chill for biking. Our favorite ride is down to Ettalong for lunch and a dip in the bay, then home.
Borrow the four different sized Casa Soleada bicycles from the garage under the house. Perfect for a wee ride to Umina shops, too. Traffic gets a bit busy in summer so take the back streets for a low stress bicycle grocery shop.
Instructions how to access the bikes and helmets are in the Casa Soleada House Guide at the property.
feeling extra adventurous?
It’s not close, close, but we thought worth the ~40 minute drive to Central Coast Treetops for a day of rope climbing.
Super fun and you’ll be knackered afterwards- local tip: plan to order takeaway and have a lazy evening in afterwards as it’s more strenuous exercise than you might expect
sunset drinks on the deck
Finish the day with chill time on the deck and toast the sunset with with our signature Casa Soleada Watermelon Margarita!
Unlike a classic margarita which includes sugar syrup and an orange liqueur like triple sec, this watermelon margarita recipe uses 3 key ingredients: lime juice, tequila, and fresh watermelon. You’ll also need ice and salt for the rim of your glass. If you like your drink with a spicy kick, it’s fun to add a few jalapeño slices too. That’s it!
Locate the blender in the corner cupboard under the stove, blend the watermelon with the lime juice and ice. Salt the rim of your glass, pour in the frozen watermelon juice, and stir in a splash of tequila (or spicy tequila). Taste and adjust, and enjoy!
float in the pool
If all of the above sounds far too active, laze away the day in the pool with the frangipani blossoms. There’s a selection of fun pool floats in the garage for ultimate lounging.
If you want to bring your Watermelon Margarita, no glass in the pool area, please, for your own safety. We have a section of blue and silver cups that are not glass and will do pferectly.