A small chill quiet beachside town, 115km (2hrs) north from Sydney.
Newcastle is one of those nice-to-live, maybe boring-to-visit kind of places. There isn’t so much to do and see. 1 day is probably enough to see all the highlights and even walk all over town. The usual vibe is beach or waterfront hangout during the day, and then some bar or restaurant at night. It’s similar to a small Italian town in that many places are closed during the day on weekdays.
Newcastle is around the 7th largest city in Australia (population of 500,000). So if this felt too small and uninspiring for you, keep that in mind when you think of visiting other cities. Newcastle is also undergoing lots of renovation and in a couple years will become more and more of a cool place to be.
Where to stay:
- Newcastle CBD – central area is obviously most convenient. But even further out is not such a hassle. There’s a good enough bus system and also rideshare apps to get you around.
- Outer central – the other towns can also be nice to stay if they’re on a hill and get you nice views overlooking the entire city.
Hostels:
- I didn’t stay in any.
Neighborhoods & Walking areas:
- Waterfront – walk along the water on both the north and south side of Newcastle. If on the south side, I highly recommend you stop by the Newcastle Memorial Walk, it’s a nice walking bridge with overhead views so you can decide what you want to see on the south side. I’d go from there and then through King Edward Park into Newcastle Beach. Not a long walk at all.
- Hunter St – classic “busy” commercial street in commercial area. Most people will tell you to walk around this one.
- Darby St – classic “busy” commercial street in residential area. IMO a much hipper street than Hunter St.
- Stockton (other side of water) – take the ferry to the otherside from Queens Wharf, it leaves every 15-45mins and goes until the late evening hours. (Check schedule on Google Maps or online before going.)
Activities to do:
- Water areas – beaches, ocean baths.
- Buildings & architecture –
- Parks, gardens, green spaces – many parks. King Edwards park has beautiful seaside views. Can also visit eco reserves (Blackbutt Natural Reserve) to see wild animals, like koalas! Hickson Street Lookout has an awesome view over the beaches and is also where hang-gliders launch off…super cool!
- Bridges – Newcastle Memorial Walk, definitely recommended.
- Arts & museums –
- Sunset views – northern Waterfront is probably the spot. Around the Queens Wharf is quite popular.
Water areas:
- Tourist beaches – Nobby’s Beach and Newcastle Beach are the popular ones for tourists. They’re central to the city.
- Local beaches – Bar beach, Dixon, Mereweather. These are more beautiful local beaches, nice vibe and less touristy but still some people. My friend’s favorite beach is Naru beach (super beautiful), 30 mins away. He says there’s a more caribbean look with white sand and nice water. Zenith Beach was his other favorite, you might also see fish dolphins seals turtles penguin here.
- Ocean baths – unique feature of Australian beaches. It’s basically like an outdoor swimming pool but with ocean water. They are only in some places. Newcastle and Mereweather beaches have them. You can also check out Bogey Hole (very nice). Shallow kids water area can be found on the eastern edge of Newcastle Beach.
Restaurants & Cafes:
- Can look around.
Bars & Clubs:
Miscellaneous tips:
- Public transportation – they use the Opal card. But you can also pay with credit card right on the bus/tram. Actually a pretty good system and can get you around town very efficiently.
Nearby towns:
- Sydney – big city, many people love it.
Unfiltered notes: