Located at the northern end of Brisbane Water and 79 km north of Sydney via the Newcastle Freeway and Pacific Highway, the town of Gosford is the commercial and administrative and centre of the City of Gosford which covers 1029 sq km. The population is in excess of 100 000 and climbing as the city attracts retirees, commuters and young families drawn by the mild climate, the ocean beaches, the bushland and forests and the easy access to Sydney by means of the freeway and the electric train service. Gosford is characterised by steep hills and valleys with extensive state forests to the west and north-west and the Tuggerah Lakes to the north. Tourism, plus citrus orchards, pigs, chickens, prawning, fishing, oysters, vegetables, plant nurseries, forestry and a number of secondary industries are the basis of the city's economy. |