Pelican Time at The Entrance (NSW): Free Talks at 3:30pm on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at Pelican Plaza

Pelican Time at The Entrance is a free talk at 3:30pm every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at Pelican Plaza, and it also runs on public holidays except Christmas and every day during school holidays. It is run with Marine Wildlife Rescue Central Coast. The details below come from the Central Coast’s official visitor site, Love Central Coast, read on 10 November 2026.

When and where is Pelican Time?

The Pelican Time page says the talk takes place at 3:30pm at Pelican Plaza, The Entrance, on these days:

Days	Time
Every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday	3:30pm
Public holidays, with the exception of Christmas	3:30pm
Every day during the school holidays	3:30pm

The page does not give a street address for Pelican Plaza, a finish time or the school holiday dates. It says nothing about parking or buses. The council lists a free multi-storey car park at 18 Coral Street, The Entrance, but its page does not say how far that is from Pelican Plaza; see our guide to the free car parks at Terrigal and The Entrance.

Is it free, and what is it about?

Yes, the page calls it a free educational wildlife experience. The talks cover facts about pelicans, including the care and rescue of pelicans in the wild, and ways to protect pelicans and their environment by being waste wise when fishing and visiting the area. The page describes it as family friendly, with a chance to see the birds up close, and says trained volunteers from Marine Wildlife Rescue will share information on other wildlife in the region as well.

The page says The Entrance channel and Tuggerah Lakes are home to many wild pelicans, and that the talk gives visitors a chance to see wild pelicans in their natural environment.

What are the rules for visitors?

The page asks visitors to follow these rules:

• Remain seated until the very end of the talk.
• If you wish to stand, move to the back of the crowd so everyone can see the pelicans.
• Do not raise your hands or make any sudden movements while the talk is underway.
• After the talk ends, do not approach or try to feed any pelicans still in the area.
• If you wish to take a photo, do so at a distance, and do not attempt a selfie or to get in a photo close to a pelican.

The page invites visitors to ask the volunteers questions, and to treat them with kindness and respect. The page also lists an earlier part of the rules that was not readable in the copy used for this guide, so the full list is on the page itself.

What else is nearby?

After the talk, the page suggests a stroll along the water’s edge to the Central Coast Visitor Centre, which sells pelican themed souvenirs. It describes The Entrance as bound by water on three sides, with pubs, cafes and bars along the foreshore, and the historic Carousel on the water’s edge, which it says has been a much-loved icon since the 1930s. For nearby bushland and lookouts, see our guide to Wyrrabalong National Park, and for swimming at The Entrance, our guide to the patrolled beaches.

Why does the program exist?

The page says the Central Coast is one of Australia’s first certified ECO Destinations, certified by Ecotourism Australia and supported by WWF-Australia’s Wildlife and Nature Recovery Fund. It says the region’s story about protecting both pelicans, through Pelican Time, and little terns, through a breeding program, won an award at the Green Destinations Story Awards at ITB Berlin in 2025.

Sources

• Love Central Coast — Pelican Time (checked 10 November 2026)

Featured image: a pelican feeding at The Entrance, 2020 (photo: MNNash / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Love Central Coast, Central Coast Council or Marine Wildlife Rescue Central Coast. Times and rules can change.