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City in New South Wales, Australia
Photo: MDRX, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Newcastle is a city at the mouth of the Hunter River, approximately 150 km north of Sydney in the Hunter region of New South Wales. The city is the focal point for the diverse Hunter region that encompasses beaches and mountains, restaurants and wineries. Newcastle is a great place for surfers, wine buffs, bush walkers, and anyone interested in Australian history.
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See Newcastle's Cathedral. Tour the inside and climb the tower, with a guided map.
In and around the city. Notable buildings in the CBD area include the courthouse (top of Bolton St), former Customs House, Newcastle Railway Station, and Post Office (cnr of Hunter St and Bolton St).
Nobbys Island is connected to the mainland by a pier built using convict labour (completed in 1846). The pier is accessible to pedestrians, and is flanked by Nobbys Beach. It provides an excellent vantage point to take in views of the harbour and Stockton Beach across the water.
Opened in 2011, this museum is spread across three historic railway workshop buildings with permanent exhibitions on local history, the BHP steelworks and coal mining, and interactive science.
A historic site which now houses a military museum. The fort defended Newcastle in 1942 when a Japanese submarine surfaced shelling the city. Fort Scratchley has been refurbished and is open to the public, great views to the north and over the city are a highlight as is the history. Just east of the fort is Newcastle ocean baths a great place to swim and meet some local characters.
Incorporates a police museum and the John Paynter Gallery, which hosts resident artists all year round.
Well worth a visit. The gallery houses a high quality collection of works by Australian artists, and stages its own and travelling exhibitions.
Built by the Porters in 1909, the family lived in this freestanding Edwardian terrace until 1997, when they left it to the National Trust with all its contents intact. It is now a living snapshot of pre-1950s life in Newcastle. Miss Porter’s House is a living home, offering you today, a rare and privileged visit into other lives and other times. Built in 1909 by Herbert Porter, the terrace was home to the Porter family until 1997. The property was left to the National Trust by Miss Hazel Porter with its contents intact, providing today’s visitors with a vivid experience of the twentieth century inner-city life in Newcastle. Miss Porter’s House is filled with 1909-1940 furnishings and personal items which tell the story of the family over more than a century.
Large grassed open spaces on the old goods marshalling yards at the eastern end with playground equipment for children. Bars, cafes and restaurants overlooking the harbour starting from Queens Wharf where live music can be listened to on the outdoor area over the water (Hunter River)but very little grassed areas.
A great place for a picnic or a BBQ. Nice views of the ocean.
A short bridge connecting Strzelecki lookout with Bar Beach along the ridgeline, honouring the ANZACs who fought in World War I.
A regenerated 45-hectare wetlands area adjacent to Hexham Swamp. There are walking trails, a bicycle trail, a canoe trail, picnic and barbecue facilities, and a visitors' centre.
The TE Guide provides weekly entertainment listings and appears in Wednesday's Post free newspaper and Thursday's Newcastle Herald in print and online. The online version is not always kept up to date, so it is best to get hold of a print copy. Alternatively, look for Uturn streetpress, which is widely distributed to shops and libraries around town.
A 182-ha reserve in suburban Newcastle. A natural bushland area which is full of native animals, picnic areas, wildlife exhibits, bushwalking trails, and children's playgrounds. Don't miss the flying fox colony on the Rainforest trail. Main entrance is off Carnley Avenue, Kotara. Other entrances - Lookout Road, New Lambton Heights (on bus route) & Richley Reserve off Freyburg Street, New Lambton. On foot from Kotara train station, enter by the small trailhead opposite Grinsell Ave. on Carnley Ave., and stay to the right in the trail system to reach the info booth and animal displays at the Carnley Avenue entrance.
A 15.5-km long cycling, walking and running trail that starts in the Newcastle suburb of Adamstown and ends in the Lake Macquarie suburb of Belmont. It follows the remains of a railway line that used to run from Adamstown to Belmont down the coast.
A large local library that also hosts exhibitions. This library is a stunning war memorial in a unique setting and style. Note also the curious bikestands outside the front steps. The Local Studies Library on the second floor will answer most questions about Newcastle and the Hunter Valley. A small library well done.
Regarded by many as the best of a range of beaches that ring the city. Surfing and kite-surfing available.
One of the safer beaches to swim at, fairly close to the city and Newcastle train station.
Another good beach next to the city centre.
Close to the city centre, these historic baths were opened in 1922.
The largest ocean baths complex in the southern hemisphere.
Carved out of the rock by convicts, this ocean pool at the bottom of King Edward Park is a great place for a relaxing dip.
A festival held each year during the Labour Day long weekend in late September/early October. The Mattara festival formerly included the Mattara Hillclimb, a car race held in scenic King Edward Park. The festival features family entertainment and market stalls.
Held in the same long weekend each year, and showcases the talents of young and emerging artists, writers, media makers and electronic musicians from around Australia.
Australia's largest surfing contest and festival held at Merewether Beach. The event is held annually over 12 days in late February.
Held each December in many of Newcastle's parks.
A one-day celebration of the region's cultural diversity. Forums, panels, music, art, films, spoken word.
Newcastle's inaugural round of the V8 Supercars series, held on a street circuit in the East End of the city. Late November.
This event is no longer held in Newcastle.
Old fashioned fish and chip cafe. It's not obligatory to have your surfboard on hand to eat here but it looks as though it should be.
Deservedly popular for their award-winning cakes and pastries.
A busy Darby St stalwart, offers large meals and a good location for people-watching.
Thai cuisine.
Spanish cuisine.
North African and Spanish dishes.
On the foreshore. A popular spot for a drink. The pub sells its own beers and has harbour views. During the day and M and Tu nights the atmosphere is relaxed, whilst W-Su evenings can get very busy. There's also entertainment (generally DJs, top 40 cover bands, R&B soloists) on W-Su evenings. There is a large outdoor (beer garden style) area on a jetty over the river - great way to relax on a sunny day.
An Irish pub in the middle of Hamilton's restaurant strip. The Northern Star regularly functions as a music venue - check the blackboard out the front to find out what's on.
A busy pub on Hamilton's restaurant strip. Check out the popular trivia night (each Wednesday, starts at 7:30PM).
A Newcastle institution. The place to be on Sunday night is sitting on the front deck overlooking Merewether Beach at sunset with a locally brewed Bluetounge Beer.
Voted best pub style accommodation in Australia in 2009, this venue is a great place to have a drink or a meal at their restaurant that offers good food at reasonable prices. They also host the Sundae Fundaze event several times a year with a number of world class dance music acts.
Modern bar and club popular with locals of Newcastle's beach suburb. Causal atmosphere and bistro food available.
A reasonable option if driving - a little far out from the CBD, but convenient to both freeways.
Close to the heart of the Newcastle CBD, the hotel is an easy stroll to the Regional Museum, art galleries, Civic Theatre, Civic Playhouse, Newcastle's popular Honeysuckle and Queens Wharf harbour foreshore and retail precinct.
With family, twin share and double rooms, plus cable TV, in-room Internet connectivity, direct dial phone, clock radio, coffee- and tea-making facilities. Some rooms are pet-friendly.
Clean and quiet motel rooms above a pub, close to Blackbutt Reserve. Rooms only sleep 2, you will need to book multiple rooms for a family.
A hotel very close to the train station and has unlimited breakfast.
4½-star boutique hotel centrally located in Newcastle's CBD. Serves excellent meals and many boutique beers. Has one of the few genuine beer gardens in the CBD at the rear where with live music Friday and Saturday evenings.
Novotel Newcastle Beach hotel is almost on Newcastle beach, and a short walking distance into town.
Good quality hotel on Honeysuckle drive. A 15-minute walk to the CBD.
Close to the CBD, views over Newcastle Beach.
Darby Street is also a good place to browse in the boutiques, although the options here aren't cheap.
Some stores are priced very competitively when compared with their Sydney counterparts.
Every Th-Sa 9AM-3PM. Also runs whenever a cruise ship is in town.
Old Newcastle Station
Before the railway line was truncated at Newcastle Interchange, this used to be its main railway station into the CBD. It's now been revitalised into a small shopping precinct with easy access using the light rail.
By train
Sydney's Central, Strathfield, Epping and Hornsby stations have regular trains to Newcastle Interchange via the Central Coast. Travelling time varies between 2 and 3 hours.81 off-peak.
By bus
By plane
Flying to Newcastle from Sydney is neither fast, cheap nor convenient, since there is only a handful of flights every day and the airport is not particularly central to Newcastle.
By bike
Riding a bicycle is possible, and infrastructure is slowly being built, but takes some time to discover.
Car hire
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Williamtown · International · NTL
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