Lake Mac Action Fest: planes, powerboats and cars

If you've been following the Lake Mac Action Fest, you'll know the headline this year is the one that puts planes and powerboats in the same frame. The festival runs across Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 October, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at Park Road in Speers Point, and the whole thing is built around the Offshore Superboat Championships, which take to the water at Empire Marina on both days. The races loop around the northern end of Lake Macquarie across three boat categories, each race clocking in at 30 minutes, with boats capable of pushing well past 200 km/h. The start and finish line sits at Marmong Point, so that's the place to be if you want to see the boats cross the line, though you can follow the action from Eleebana through to Warners Bay and Speers Point as well.

The show opened with a preview duel between air racing pilot Matt Hall and powerboat racer Darren Nicholson at Marmong Point, presented by 222 Offshore, which comes in aiming to defend its title at 140 mph. Nicholson is both the driver and the team owner of 222 Offshore, so there's a fair bit riding on it for him. Hall's team keeps the aerial displays going throughout the weekend, with passes scheduled for 11:40 am and 1:40 pm on Saturday and 11:40 am on Sunday, all centred on the Warners Bay Live Site.

That live site is really the hub for anyone who'd rather stay on dry land. It runs from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm on both days and packs in a big screen, live commentary broadcast over the loudspeakers, markets, food stalls, amusements and kids' activities, with a licensed bar open from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm. For families, there are roving characters from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm daily — Leonardo, Batman, Spider-Man and Miles Morales on Saturday, and Batman, Raphael and Captain America on Sunday — plus paid activities like jumping castles, a trampoline and face painting from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. There's also a free children's entertainment zone with Giant Connect 4, Jenga, cornhole, quoits and bubbles, and Hannah Indigo brings bubbles and hula hoops from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm.

And if you're only heading down for the Sunday, there's a second act on land. The Lake Macquarie Show 'n Shine Cars event takes over Speers Point Park from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, and it's free for everyone to walk through. It brings together vintage, classic, custom, muscle cars, hot rods and motorbikes, all competing for trophies and lucky car prizes, with the main gate opening at 7:30 am and closing at 9:00 am for entry and exit between 2:00 pm and 2:30 pm. Display vehicles enter through the main gate on Park Road, and general public parking is over to the west of the swimming pool. The Newcastle Restored Vehicle Club Incorporated puts it on, so it's a proper local effort.

Between the Superboats, the aerial displays and the show 'n shine, there's plenty to fill a Sunday afternoon near the water. If you need the full program or want to check the latest before you head out, Lake Macquarie Tourism is the one to ask, and the whole festival is run by Lake Macquarie City Council.