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It’s Australia’s eighth-largest urban centre, but Newcastle is still a big country town at heart.
That’s what makes it such an appealing place to visit. Breathtaking coastline and beaches, intriguing historical attractions, a plethora of waterfront cafes and restaurants, and a thriving arts scene all add up to what will undoubtedly be a fabulous few-days-away.
‘Newy’, as it’s fondly known locally, is easily accessible to east coast visitors. It’s a 2.5-hour drive up the coast from Sydney, or eight hours down the coast from Brisbane — making this an ideal stop on a road trip between the two capitals. Alternatively, you can fly in directly from several Australian cities and hire a car in Newcastle — which will make getting around a breeze (especially if you plan to do a day trip to the Hunter Valley wine region).
Here’s a checklist of our top ten things to do in Newcastle.
1. Visit Newcastle Art Gallery
The saying goes that crisis is another word for opportunity. The economic downturn that followed BHP’s departure from Newcastle at the turn of the millennium was the catalyst for the city’s cultural renewal — and today, Novocastrians are justly proud of their city’s new standing as an artistic centre. Swing by Newcastle Art Gallery to see a superb collection of 20th century art from the likes of Brett Whiteley, Margaret Preston, and William Dobell. The Gallery also has an impressive holding of contemporary works.
Downtown, a 19th-century sandstone police station and holding cells have been turned into The Lock-Up Art Space, which showcases experimental contemporary art.
2. Get to a gig
If you love getting along to a live gig, Newcastle is your happy place. The city’s venerable live music tradition lives on at venues like The Small Ballroom, The Cambridge, Lizotte’s, and Bar on the Hill. Check the Newcastle Live website for details of who’s playing where during your stay.
3. Step back in time to the convict era
Convicts shaped Newcastle — literally. Their labour built the causeway between the mainland and Nobbys Head, resculpting the mouth of the Hunter River estuary and the topography of the city centre. Designed to make entry into Newcastle Harbour safer for ships, the causeway also led to the creation, through natural sand deposits, of Nobbys Beach. To learn more about the convicts’ endeavours, do Visit Newcastle’s self-guided Convict and Industry Walk by day or a guided ghost tour by night. You’ll hear tales of the darker side of life in what was a notoriously harsh penal settlement.
4. Hear the BHP backstory at Newcastle Museum
For most of the 20th century, Newcastle’s fortunes were tied to those of BHP — at the time, Australia’s largest company. From 1915 to 1999, the BHP steelworks dominated life in the city — both economically and socially. Newcastle Museum’s Fire and Earth exhibition tells the story of the BHP era and includes a theatrical multimedia presentation on the steelmaking process. Despite the loss of the steelworks, Newcastle remains the largest working port on Australia’s east coast.
5. Tour Fort Scratchley and pay your respects
History buffs will love a visit to Fort Scratchley — a cliff-top battery overlooking the Pacific Ocean, which was built in 1882 to defend the port against possible enemy attacks. It came into its own in June 1942 when its guns returned fire during a Japanese submarine strike. Book a guided tour of the site to see its network of underground tunnels.
Further down the coast past Newcastle Beach, the Newcastle Memorial Walk was constructed to mark the ANZAC centenary in 2015. It honours the men and women of the Hunter region who served in World War I. The elevated 450-metre-long walkway offers incomparable 360-degree views and displays the names of thousands of soldiers and the battles in which they fought.
6. Dine by the water
Waterside dining is one of the great pleasures of a visit to Newcastle. Head for Honeysuckle — a redeveloped industrial port precinct that now houses around 30 restaurants, bars, and cafes. You’ll enjoy a wide choice of cuisines and uninterrupted views of Newcastle’s working waterway.
7. Enjoy the cafe culture
Is coffee the new coal? You’d be forgiven for thinking so, based on the number of cafes across Newcastle! The top picks for serious coffee drinkers are Welsh Blacks and One Penny Black. If you’re exploring further west, try Baked Uprising at Maryville or Dark Horse Wickham.
8. Hit the beach or picnic in the park
Newcastle is home to four of the finest city beaches in Australia — Nobbys, Newcastle, Bar, and Merewether — and they all draw crowds of locals and holidaymakers alike. Surf, swim, stroll, or just wiggle your toes in the sand and breathe in the salty air.
Two lovely spots to enjoy a picnic with ocean views are Foreshore Park in Newcastle East (adjacent to a popular promenade for cyclists and walkers) and King Edward Park, which sits on high ground to the south of Newcastle Beach.
For casual coastal eats, Swell Kiosks offer a range of breakfast dishes, fish and chips, burgers, tacos and great coffee. Check out both their Nobby and Bar Beach locations.
9. Do a sightseeing cruise
It’s a five-minute ferry ride from Queens Wharf across the harbour to the suburb of Stockton — seemingly, another world! Idyllic fishing spots, seafront parks and cycleways, and the 32 kilometre-long Stockton Beach make this an ideal day trip for those in search of some quality ‘me-time’.
To spend longer on the water, consider booking a sightseeing cruise. Coast XP offers a 2.5-hour coastal trip, where you’re likely to spot dolphins, turtles, and other marine life. Whale watching cruises operate from early June through to mid November.
10. Meet furry and feathered locals
For close encounters with landlubbing native animals, pay a visit to popular Blackbutt Reserve in the suburb of Kotara. Kids of all ages will enjoy this experience and entry to the wildlife exhibits is free of charge.
Nature lovers should also check out the Hunter Wetlands Centre — a once polluted swamp/now stunning bird sanctuary, situated just 10 minutes’ drive from the CBD.
This post was published thanks to East Coast Car Rentals.
For more travel inspiration, visit www.visitnewcastle.com.au.
Browse our range of Newcastle tours and experiences here.
Do you have any suggestions to add to our list of the best things to do in Newcastle? We would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below.
Cover image: Destination NSW. Additional images: Bigstock
About the writer
Roslyn Jolly is a freelance travel writer whose work has appeared in Escape (News Limited), Mindful Puzzles, Vacations and Travel, and Mindfood. In her former career as an English Literature academic, she studied and taught the work of great travel writers, such as Henry James, Herman Melville and Robert Louis Stevenson, and became fascinated by the history of travel and tourism. Two years at school in Wales and three years at university in England allowed Roslyn to travel extensively in Europe and North America, which she continues to do.
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