30 November 2023
10 mins Read
Newcastle has it all – from beautiful beaches and ocean baths to cutting-edge cafes, drinking dens and breweries, excellent restaurants, bohemian boutiques, excellent surf and striking nature reserves that are perfect for forest bathing. Here are 20 of the best things to do in Newcastle.
Set yourself a daily schedule when staying in Newcastle that involves doing some laps at the 100-metre-long Merewether Ocean Baths or Newcastle Ocean Baths.
Soak up the sun at Newcastle Ocean Baths. (Image: Destination NSW)
While Mereweather Ocean Baths is known for being the largest ocean baths in the southern hemisphere, Newcastle Ocean Baths is distinctive for its architecturally significant pavilion, which pops up regularly on residents’ Instagram feeds. There is also the convict-built Bogey Hole that dates back to 1819.
Take a dip in one of Newcastle’s scenic ocean pools. (Image: Destination NSW)
Newcastle is a destination for its historic architecture, from its red-brick factories to beautiful Victorian terrace houses, Gothic Revival cathedral and heritage-listed City Hall. Discover a rich diversity of architectural styles on a self-guided walking tour of the city that takes in landmark buildings dotted around the city such as the Baptist Tabernacle, which opened in 1890 and the Art Deco beauty that is NESCA House.
The Art Deco beauty that is NESCA House.
The Bathers Way walk stretches six kilometres from Merewether Ocean Baths all the way to Nobbys Beach, where you will find Nobby’s Lighthouse, which has been protecting this part of the coastline for centuries.
It also snakes past the convict-built Bogey Hole, the oldest ocean pool on Australia’s East Coast. The Anzac Memorial Walk is part of Bathers Way, which as well as being a tribute to the city’s Anzacs, proudly celebrates the city’s heritage as a steelmaking port.
The walk stretches all the way to Nobbys Beach. (Image: Destination NSW)
The city of Newcastle beckons for admirers of street art and you can hear all about the art and artists on a Street Art Walking Tour with Newcastle Afoot. Hotfoot it along the two-kilometre guided walk to large-scale examples of street art such as the Tattooed Woman by Inari, which looms over the University of Newcastle, to Fintan Magee’s hyper-coloured Shadow. The guided tour will steer you toward the best of Newie’s crowd-pleasing works. It really is an excellent city for art lovers; we’ve previously written a 48-hour guide to Newcastle’s art scene to help you get beneath the surface.
Hear all about the art and artists on a Street Art Walking Tour.
Shopping remains a central attraction in Newcastle where it’s all at your fingertips – from inspired paper products to artisanal coffee, designer dresses, unique homewares, hand-hammered jewellery and local artworks. Grab gourmet goods such as Over the Moon Milk and Oysters Direct from the Newcastle City Farmers’ Market, pick up some sustainable fashion from The Retro Wardrobe and bounce between boutiques on Beaumont St, and Darby St, home to some of the city’s top retailers.
Pick up some produce from Newcastle City Farmers Market.
King Edward Park is a paradise for active travellers in search of green space and a good view over the ocean. King Edward Park is a stone’s throw from the Bogey Hole, the convict-hewn sea pool at the bottom of the cliff face that flanks the recreational park and has an Obelisk at its heart built as a navigational marker in 1850. The spectacular park, which was earmarked as a recreational reserve in 1863, is a popular spot for a picnic or barbecue.
King Edward Park from above.
The one-kilometre-long walk along the Stockton Shipwreck Breakwall gives visitors a bit of a nudge about Newcastle’s maritime history with its interpretative signage along the way. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, many ships were wrecked trying to navigate their way into Newcastle Harbour. Whether you walk, ride your bike or skate, the level foreshore walk is one of the easiest in the city to accomplish for those with little people in tow.
The Shipwreck Breakwall gives visitors a bit of a nudge about Newcastle’s maritime history .
The beaches off Newcastle are busy from dusk to dawn with Novocastrians who enjoy surfing. Although Newcastle has six beautiful beaches to choose from, Newcastle Point is one of the preferred spots to catch a wave.
Ride the gentle waves off the coast of Nobbys Beach. (Image: Destination NSW)
Mereweather Beach is also a magnet for surfers and, as one of Australia’s National Surfing Reserves; it’s where you might find high-profile surfers jostling for position in the line-up. Can’t surf? Get a lesson with Phillipa Anderson Surf School.
As well as showcasing world-class collections, Newcastle Museum and Newcastle Art Gallery both work to fire up the imagination. Visit Newcastle Gallery to see exhibitions such as The Art of Protest, comprising works from politically engaged artists and the monumental Hearabout which dominates the gallery’s Sculpture Garden.
Set aside half a day to explore the Newcastle Art Gallery. (Image: Destination NSW)
A Newcastle Story at the Newcastle Museum is also a must when looking at the city’s past. The Lock-Up, the city’s first gaol, is another one of many inspired art spaces in Newcastle.
Dive into the city’s past at the Newcastle Museum. (Image: Destination NSW)
Blackbutt Reserve offers 182 hectares of urban respite just six kilometres from Newcastle’s CBD. The undulating environment is like a green blanket thrown in a heap; the family-friendly park includes wildlife exhibits of animals such as koalas, wombats, emus and kangaroos. Committed tree-huggers should head to the park’s eucalypt forest and pocket of restored rainforest, while birdwatchers need to make a beeline for Hunter Wetlands National Park.
Opt for a scenic walk along Blackbutt Reserve. (Image: Tyson Mayr)
Visit Newcastle during April for the ultimate foodie weekend. Newcastle Food Month takes over entire restaurants and bars and is a brilliant option to check out the local food and wine scene. It’s one of the top things to do in the city in the month of April and one worth bookmarking each year. The annual food festival pulls diners from around the country for its signature events such as Le Diner En Blanc. The annual festival is like a snapshot of Newcastle’s best restaurants.
Eat like a king at Newcastle Food Month.
This industrial powerhouse of a port city is known for its lively drinking dens and brewpubs. Bounce from Good Folk Brewing to sample hero beers that put Newie on the map to Modus Brewing in Merewether where the operandi is to brew a better standard of beer. Foghorn Brewing was the first modern craft brewery to open in Newcastle and the huge industrial-sized space is a top spot to inhale New York-style pizza and a coupla cold ones.
Stop by Modus Brewing for a drink. (Image: Destination NSW)
Those keen on indoctrinating their children to require a regular shot of green will appreciate swinging through the forest canopy at Treetop Adventure Newcastle. Put your best hiking boot forward into the forest and inhale the air, which is filled with the scent of gum leaves. There are more than 100 elevated obstacles at the adventure park, in Blue Gum Hills Regional Park in the Lower Hunter region of the NSW North Coast.
Conquer the hanging obstacle course at Treetop Adventure Park. (Image: Eluminate Media)
History boffins will be interested in visiting Fort Scratchley a stone-skimming throw away from the Pacific Ocean. Interestingly, the fort was in fact the only coastal fortification in Australia to fire on an enemy naval vessel during the Second World War. Stand atop the concrete structure on Flagstaff Hill, which was built looking out over the ocean in the late 1880s and is also a historical museum.
The Lucky Hotel has been given an upgrade with a Palm Springs-inspired palette of Barbie pinks and orange offset with lots of greenery and mood lighting. There’s no shortage of legendary musicians coming to play shows in Newcastle, which gifted the world with great bands such as Silverchair and the Screaming Jets. The Lucky goes off, like a frog in a sock, on a Sunday.
Settle into the vibrant courtyard at The Lucky Hotel.
Discover the dark side of Newcastle on a True Crime Tour that weaves in stories about the killers who once dominated the alleys and winding lanes around the city centre. As well as learning about Newcastle’s links to hardened criminals, the chilling tour crawls through the Convict Lumberyard and original Newcastle jail. The 90-minute tour also revisits the scenes of infamous crimes and we’ve got chills, they’re multiplying.
The time to go whale watching in Australia is between June to November on the East Coast, when the Pacific becomes the humpback highway. Coast XP offers a whale-watching experience onboard a custom adventure boat designed to give passengers unobstructed 360-degree views to capture the moment. The boat also traces the coastline looking for dolphins and long-nosed fur seals year-round.
See the sea giants during the Coast XP whale-watching experience. (Image: Destination NSW)
The Stockton Bight sand dunes are said to be the largest coastal sand dunes in the southern hemisphere. A whopping 4200 hectares of the undulating dunes form the Worimi Conservation Lands, a joint management arrangement between the local Traditional Owners and the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
Experience the thrill of sliding down the sand dunes on a sandboard. (Image: Destination NSW)
There are many ways to experience the sand dunes, including a ride through the ridged mountains of sand on an Aboriginal Culture Sandboarding and Quad Bike tour.
Journey through the vast Stockton Sand Dunes on a quad bike tour. (Image: Destination NSW)
The light from above brightens the blues and greens of the ocean as if we’re viewing it through a filter. You will get glimpses of the glittering ocean from the lookouts clinging to the clifftops in Glenrock State Conservation Area when you bike or hike your way around the rugged park.
Take in ocean views from multiple lookouts in Glenrock State Conservation Area. (Image: Adam Hollingworth/ DPE)
The park is laced with interconnecting trails which are graded from easy to difficult. It’s only a short walk through the bush to the Hickson Street Lookout.
Newcastle Markets is one of the markets you need to put on your radar when visiting the NSW city. No matter the season, you’ll find the market stands overflowing with photogenic mounds of fruit, root vegetables and all kinds of artisan treats. The fresh seasonal produce from the Hunter Valley food bowl gets line honours at the market where you will find seasonal treats such as delicate zucchini flowers and specialty goat’s cheese. Pack your eco bag for an impromptu picnic.
Pick up locally grown fresh produce. (Image: Newcastle Council)
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Love the story and the pictures..I grew up in Cooks Hill…a lot has changed but I still love “Newy”….I married a Cronulla Shark..when the footy is on its a bit hard haha…
I really enjoyed your article as I’m very fond of Newcastle! But I find very hard to find a beautiful restaurant —- on Father’s Day we were not able to find a restaurant as they were closing at 2 o’clock ! We managed to find a very nice pub with excellent music—- I can’t seem to know where the shopping is — so I hope now to start exploring thanks to your article!
Thank you