A go-to guide to Newcastle’s best beaches

Megan Arkinstall Megan Arkinstall
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From calm swimming spots to famous surf breaks, here’s your guide to sand-hopping around Newcastle’s best beaches.

How many cities in the world can claim a cosmopolitan urban centre that’s fringed by beautiful beaches, epic surf and historic ocean baths? Australia’s second-oldest city, Newcastle, can. While its dynamic neighbourhoods boast an ever-increasing roster of outstanding accommodation and dining spots, its coastline has provided a constant source of beauty for swimmers, surfers and sunbathers alike.

Newcastle Beach

surfers in the water off Newcastle Beach
Newcastle Beach is one of the most favoured surf spots in Australia. (Image: Destination NSW)

The city’s main beach is a people pleaser. Newcastle Beach, wedged between cliffs and rock pools, is a 600-metre stretch of sand that is well patrolled during summer. It’s also home to the city’s iconic Newcastle Ocean Baths, which provide a calm pool for swimming laps as well as a shallow tidal pool for kids. Beach-goers will find keen surfers riding the ‘Southie’ break and permanent volleyball nets that call for friendly games in the sunshine.

Nobbys Beach

two surfers enjoying a morning in the water off Nobbys Beach, Newcastle
Morning views don’t get much better than this. (Image: Destination NSW)

Created by the convict-built Nobbys Breakwall, which was constructed to make Newcastle’s Harbour safe for ships, Nobbys Beach is a popular place for families and amateur surfers. Often frequented by dolphin pods, it’s also home to Soldiers Baths, where snorkellers can seek out macro marine life. Walk along the breakwall to the still-active 1854 Nobbys Lighthouse, an iconic landmark of the city and the start of the five-kilometre Bathers Way, a scenic pathway that’s become one of the best things to do in Newcastle.

Merewether Beach

Merewether Ocean Baths in Newcastle, NSW
The Merwether Ocean Baths were built in 1935. (Image: Destination NSW)

At the other end of Bathers Way, Merewether Beach is home to the largest ocean baths in the southern hemisphere. Built in 1935, the Art-Deco Merewether Ocean Baths comprise lap lanes as well as a shallow pool for languid dips. The beach is a famous spot for riding waves and plays host to Australia’s largest surf festival, Surfest. While only a short distance from the city, the suburb has the chill factor dialled up and is a relaxing spot for a beachside break.

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Horseshoe Beach

an aerial view of people enjoying at Horseshoe Beach, Newcastle
Horseshoe Beach is a haven for families and is dog friendly. (Image: Destination NSW)

On the harbour side of Nobbys Breakwall, Horseshoe Beach is both family-friendly and dog-friendly. An excellent base to launch a kayak or stand-up paddleboard, the beach is right by the bustling Newcastle Harbour and Nobbys Lighthouse. You will also see small keelboats flitting about the harbour, which you can learn to sail yourself with the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club (operating from Wickham).

Bogey Hole

The Bogey Hole in Newcastle, NSW
The Bogey Hole is one of the city’s best spot to swim. (Image: Time Out)

Hand-hewn by convicts in 1819 for the personal use of the long-serving commander of Newcastle, Major James Morisset, the Bogey Hole is one of the earliest known examples of a purpose-built ocean swimming pool. Accessed by a staircase at the bottom of King Edward Park. the turquoise waterhole is idyllic for a refreshing dip and has become an Instagrammer hotspot. The swell can be dangeorous on big surf days, so it’s best to visit when conditions are calm.

Stockton Beach

an aerial view of the southern end of Stockton Beach and Newcastle City
Stockton Beach is bordered by Newcastle City on the right. (Image: Destination NSW)

Just north of Newcastle, the famous Stockton sand dunes are the largest shifting dunes in the southern hemisphere, stretching for 32 kilometres along the coast. Set within the Worimi Conservation Lands, this ethereal landscape is a magnet for adventurers who come here for surfing, sandboarding and quad biking. View this desert-like landscape on a sunset session with Oakfield Ranch Camel Rides.

Dudley Beach

Dudley Beach in Newcastle, NSW
Dudley Beach is perfect for a secluded swim. (Image: Lake Macquarie City Council)

At the other end of the Newcastle coast, south of Merewether, you’ll find one of the last surviving pockets of coastal rainforest in Glenrock State Conservation Area. It’s hard to fathom you’re just a few kilometres from Newcastle city when standing on the Dudley Beach, where you may only spot a handful of keen surfers or sunbathers on the sand. Cool off here after a bush walk through the surrounding protected wilderness, but remember, this is an unpatrolled beach.

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Megan Arkinstall
Megan Arkinstall is a freelance travel writer who you’ll often find at the beach, bushwalking or boating with her young family. She loves reliving travel memories through writing, whether that be sipping limoncello in a sun-drenched courtyard of Monterosso or swimming with green turtles in the aquamarine waters of Tropical North Queensland.
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3 vintage train journeys to step back in time and explore NSW

(Credit: Krista Eppelstun)

    Elizabeth Whitehead Elizabeth Whitehead
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    From country landscapes to the coast, Vintage Rail Journeys blends the grandeur of the golden age of rail travel with immersive local experiences.

    Travelling aboard the historic Southern Aurora train is the ultimate scenic journey through regional NSW. Operated by Vintage Rail Journeys, the former Southern Aurora is a step back in time, from the lovingly restored carriages to the Off Train Experiences that spotlight local history, artisanal crafts and regional producers.

    Once the overnight express that ferried passengers between Sydney and Melbourne throughout the 1960s, this train has been revived to its former mid-century glory, from the cabin layouts to the original lettering. Today, the train takes passengers on scenic and historic five-day journeys – starting and ending in Sydney – through three distinct regions of NSW: The Riverina, Golden West and North Coast.

    Vintage Rail Journeys Southern Aurora train carriage
    Be transported into the golden age of travel. (Credit: Krista Eppelstun)

    One of the most magical parts of travelling with Vintage Rail Journeys is waking up on the train. Each night, the train stables at a station so guests can enjoy a restful night’s sleep in stillness, before departing again at dawn. Passengers awake to the gentle motion of the carriage, flicking open the blinds to watch the landscape unfold at sunrise. There is no better way to start the day.

    The onboard experience come evening time is just as picturesque. Guests enjoy the all-inclusive food and beverages, nursing cocktails in the Art Deco-inspired lounge carriage or lingering over a three-course dinner in the dining carriage. Outside the window, Eastern grey kangaroos bound across open plains and flocks of cockatoos scatter from the gumtrees. It’s an old-world way of travelling, a slower pace that’s increasingly rare amid the frenzy of modern life. From coastal sojourns to adventures through agrarian landscapes, these are the multi-day Vintage Rail Journeys itineraries transporting guests back in time.

    The Riverina

    Vintage Rail Journeys Southern Aurora train travelling through nsw
    Travel through the agricultural heartland of NSW. (Credit: Krista Eppelstun)

    The Riverina is the agricultural heartland of NSW. Over five days, Vintage Rail Journeys takes passengers through the region to experience its celebrated produce, wines and local history. Travelling in a loop through the Central West, guests can sample sweets at the Junee Liquorice & Chocolate Factory, housed inside a former flour mill, tour an olive grove alongside a second-generation olive farmer, and enjoy tastings at family-owned wineries where the grapes are harvested mere metres away.

    The Riverina is also a region shaped by passionate local historians. The Fairground Follies museum in Bowral houses one of the world’s largest collections of mechanical music and carnival memorabilia – a riot of colour and nostalgia tucked away where you’d least expect it. Meanwhile, Temora Rural Museum offers a glimpse into the history of everyday life in rural NSW. It’s home to the NSW & ACT Ambulance Museum (yes, a museum within a museum), packed with ambulances that span the past 120 years (including horse-drawn!). And seeing it all aboard a vintage train makes it feel not just like you’re visiting history, but living inside of it.

    North Coast

    Forest Sky Pier
    Take in the views from Forest Sky Pier. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    This five-day journey is all about ocean views and slowing down in tune with the rhythm of coastal life. As you make your way north from Sydney, the water is never too far from sight, whether Vintage Rail Journeys is tracing the Gloucester River or travelling alongside sweeping stretches of coastline. You’ll want to sit by a window as the train passes through the Coffs Harbour region – it’s one of the most scenic stretches of the whole journey.

    Guests can also disembark at Coffs Harbour to take in the beauty of the Great Dividing Range at the Forest Sky Pier – a surreal lookout point that looks like a runway disappearing into the sky. The train continues onward to Byron Bay, where guests can disembark to explore the iconic beach town at their own pace. And on the return journey to Sydney, keep your eyes peeled for dolphins – they’re known to frequent the Kooragang Wetlands near Newcastle, which guests visit on a lunch cruise on the final day.

    Golden West

    winery experience in new south wales
    Jump off the train for a winery experience. (Credit: Krista Eppelstun)

    Travelling through the Golden West by rail is like stepping into a Frederick McCubbin painting – a nod to the golden era of rail travel. This five-day journey evokes the era of Australian Impressionism, passing through some of the country’s most painterly landscapes while tracing a path through history.

    Starting in Sydney, the train makes its way to the Hawkesbury River, where the train crosses a historic rail bridge over the bronze, glassy waters below. Guests disembark here to cruise the brackish inlet aboard a historic postal boat before returning to the train to continue into Gold Rush country. Ahead lie grand heritage towns and historic estates, including the 1870s Abercrombie House in Bathurst.

    Special event journeys

    meal onboard Vintage Rail Journeys Southern Aurora train
    Enjoy all-inclusive dining and beverages on the way to special events. (Credit: Krista Eppelstun)

    Regional NSW is home to some truly one-of-a-kind events, and Vintage Rail Journeys offers a memorable way to get there. Planning a trip to the Bathurst Repco 1000? Vintage Rail Journeys’ special itinerary combines accommodation, dining and transport into one seamless experience. Guests take the scenic route to Bathurst, where the train becomes a unique home base for the event, complete with transfers, all-inclusive dining and beverages, and three days of reserved grandstand seating before returning to Sydney Central Station.

    For something a little more playful, guests can also join fellow Elvis enthusiasts on a special overnight journey to Parkes for the town’s iconic annual Elvis Festival. It’s a vintage rail journey – with a little added rock ‘n’ roll.

    Step back into the golden age of rail travel at vintagerailjourneys.com.au.