A 145km stretch of coastline and hinterland that starts at Hawks Nest, about a 2½ hour drive north of Sydney, and ends at Forster and Tuncurry, the area is characterised by long beach-filled coastlines, meandering inland waterways and an interior of forest and waterfalls. The Great Lakes region is all about water, and if you're here with the family, there is a host of fun activities both above and below it that will keep kids happy. You can book your children for a snorkelling lesson or, if they are already adept, they can swim out from some beaches and spot a surprising number of colourful fish, especially during the summer months. Above the water, the Wallamba River offers waterskiing (lessons are available) and the opportunity to spot swans and pelicans. The rivers also make for good kayaking, with some companies even offering overnight camping escapes at weekends. Pacific Palms Kayak tours also organises sea kayaking along the coast to explore hidden sea caves and coves where marine life is common. For surfers, Boomerang, Blueys, Elizabeth or Cellito Beaches are the places to beMany beaches have surf schools that take children if they have no previous surfing experience, or just want to upgrade their skills. You can also hire catamarans and take a spin on the lake — if you're lucky, you'll be joined by some playful dolphins. At the Great Lakes Sailing Club you can join other families for an evening picnic; this is excellent for younger kids, since they can splash safely in the knee-deep water playground.

Welcome to the new Hunter Valley community website. This new community edited website is a member of The Australian Community Network now covering Australia's Far South Coast, Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne and now The Hunter Valley.

Live registrations to make a website here are free and are open for Community Groups, People and Business. After you register by completing the registration form you will immediately receive a free website that you can edit with customisable graphics, a newsletter mailout system, an Events Calendar System that appears on the Hunter Valley Home page, a Shopping Cart (10% service fee applies), Content Exchange with other community websites in the Network and the capacity to request articles for posting to the main Hunter Valley Home page.

The system provides a great way you can promote your community group, business or yourself and with all of these features built in it is an ideal way to build your local community network.

Over time we will be getting home sites up for all the main areas around the hunter region so feel free to register now and we will move you into the appropriate section once it is up online.