Forster is a classic New South Wales seaside holiday town, joined to Tuncurry by a long bridge over the lake mouth. Families come for calm swimming, surf beaches, paddle boats, fishing, and the simple pleasure of having water on almost every side.
The town's best day is built around the coast. Start with the view from Cape Hawke Lookout, swim at one of the beaches south of town, then come back to the lake edge as the light softens over Wallis Lake. Between May and November, whale watching adds a good reason to look out to sea.
Forster is not polished in a big-resort way, which is part of its appeal. It works best as an easy coastal pause on the Mid-North Coast, with enough beaches and headlands to fill a spare day well.