Erina Heights, New South Wales


Erina Heights is a suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia between Gosford and the Pacific Ocean at Terrigal. It is part of the local government area.
It is largely semi-rural, and is home to Central Coast Grammar School and a state primary school, as well as a shopping village consisting of a florist, hairdresser and several other specialty shops.
Erina Heights also has a large population of bats. The local residents commonly refer to the area as "Bat Country".
The bats can be most commonly seen upon dusk exiting the "Bat Cave". It is suggested that tourists equip themselves with a Bat Utility belt including Bat-Gas and a Batrang for personal protection. The local residents in close proximity to the Bat Cave ensure their windows and doors are closed upon dusk. The Bat-mobile can be frequently seen driving along Central Coast Highway or at the local IGA picking up milk or fresh produce from Erina Heights shops. It is rumoured that the fresh produce is used to subdue and feed the bats.
Legend has it that if bitten by a bat you turn into a bush turkey. The bush turkeys are known to attack gardens and can only be stopped by chicken wire. The turkeys can often be seen wandering during the day, sometimes in pairs, and should be avoided.

Population

In the 2016 Census, there were 421 people in Erina Heights. 79.3% of people were born in Australia and 89.8% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were No Religion, so described 27.8% and Catholic 25.1%.