Fair Dinkum: Lake Cathie a Village Surrounded by Nature

I would like to acknowledge the Biripi, the traditional owners of this land past and present.

Lake Cathie is a small coastal village located about 20km's south of Port Macquarie NSW Australia.

I have lived here in the Hastings Valley for over 30 years now and for approximately the last 18 years in Lake Cathie. (Pronounced Cat Eye). Stories say that when the original European settlers travelled from Lake Innes down to Lake Cathie they would often see the local aboriginal people peering from behind bushes and it reminded the immigrants of cat eyes.

Later on during the 1930's the European landholders at Lake Innes thought they would be clever by digging a channel between Lake Innes and Lake Cathie, thereby draining the first lake and gaining more farmland. The result was that Lake Innes became tidal and brackish with saltwater.

At this stage Lake Innes was the largest freshwater lake in coastal NSW and was home to an abundance of freshwater species both flora and fauna.It is said it was covered in water lily.

Several years ago National Parks and Wildlife commissioned a report by company "Umwelt" to look at the feasibility of reverting Lake Innes back to freshwater. The report clearly outlined that it was indeed possible and that it would also benefit the water flows in Lake Cathie.

Lake Cathie beachfront has in recent years been subject to coastal erosion, and more recently at the forefront of local council issues due to restrictions placed on property owners.

Perhaps the improved water flows in Lake Cathie from the reversion of Lake Innes would assist with sand leaving the estuary and being redeposited on the beach.

I have put a collection of my favourite images I have taken of Lake Cathie over the last five years in the following YouTube video. Best viewed in High Definition.