Sponsored by Holden
Learn more about the Holden Colorado 7 here.
With it’s gorgeous coastline and stunning beaches, Newcastle and the surrounding areas offer us plenty of places to explore.
The top-spec Colorado 7 LTZ and the Bayliner 170 are our weapons of choice to discover more about this beautiful part of the world.
The Holden Colorado 7 has a 2.8-litre Duramax diesel engine – with 147kW and 300Nm – more than enough to tow our boat on the back.
The automatic grade braking system uses the car’s engine and gearbox to regulate speed during steep declines.
The Holden Colorado 7 is a very comfortable place to be. There’s seven-seats and so much storage space, plus you can connect your phone to Holden’s MyLink touch screen to play streaming music.
Where are we headed?
There are lots of great places around here, so I’ll keep you guessing for our final destination… but I’ll give you a clue – head for the lake.
Lake Macquarie! Let’s get the boat in the water.
If you have done any towing, you’ll know that rear visibility is a big bonus. The Colorado 7 does well here, with a reversing camera (helpful when hitching the trailer) and big wing mirrors to make guiding the boat down the ramp and into the water, with no fuss.
It’s hard to know which way to head, Lake Macquarie is dotted with small marinas, boat ramps and beaches.
There’s plenty to do around here - fishing, waterskiing or even stop for a bushwalk.
On our list of things to do, is Pelican Foreshore, where you are guaranteed to spot these big birds hanging around all over the place.
Lake Macquarie is Australia’s largest costal salt-water lake. It’s not until you see it do you realize just how big and beautiful it is.
Plus the weather is perfect, and so is the boat!
With the Mercury 125 on the back, the Bayliner absolutely hums. The Bayliner 170 is 17-foot or more than 5-meters long. It weighs around 800kg with the standard Mercury 125hp, four-stroke outboard engine – so just shy of one-tonne with the trailer.
It is designed with a relaxing day on the water in mind.
There’s plenty of storage, dual bucket sport seats, and a white bench for those tag-alongs.
Time to get the boat back on the trailer – there’s one more stop we’d like to make today…
There’s a fantastic spot called Cave’s Beach which is well worth the look.
Cave’s Beach is on the Swansea Peninsula, just south of Lake Entrance. Lake Macquarie lies on the other side of the peninsula with the Pacific Ocean lapping the sand here at Cave’s Beach.
It’s a popular area for body boarders and spear fishers. It is easiest to access the caves and rock pools at low tide. The rocks are slippery, but it is worth navigating your way through.
That was amazing and well worth the walk. A real slice of heaven this place.
Some people might say the Holden Colorado 7 is a fraction utilitarian, but when you take into consideration the big towing capacity, room for the family and the little extras you get on the top-of-the-line LTZ, it is a solid vehicle all round.
So, where are we off to next?
Anywhere we want!
