Written by Callum Taylor, Camille Laurent, Marika Maslanka
23/08/2025
Josh Dennis, Pexels
Newcastle, Australia, is a revitalized coastal city offering a dynamic blend of beautiful beaches, historic sites, and a thriving arts and culinary scene. Visitors come to enjoy its iconic ocean baths, diverse outdoor activities, and its convenient access to the Hunter Valley wine region.
For socialising, vibrant precincts like Darby Street in Cooks Hill, Beaumont Street, King Street, and Newcastle East offer a range of dining and cafe experiences. The Honeysuckle waterfront also teems with bars and restaurants. Backpackers seeking to connect with other travellers can find a social atmosphere at hostels such as Backpackers Newcastle, which often provides communal spaces and activities.
Top 7 Things to do in Newcastle
Visitors can enjoy a blend of coastal walks, unique swimming spots, historical exploration, wildlife encounters, wine tasting, and cultural immersion.
1. Bathers Way Coastal Walk (including Anzac Memorial Walk and Bogey Hole)
This scenic 6-kilometer coastal walk stretches from Merewether Ocean Baths to Nobbys Beach, presenting breathtaking ocean vistas. Along the path, one can experience the Anzac Memorial Walk, a poignant clifftop bridge adorned with steel silhouettes commemorating World War I service members. Further along, the historic Bogey Hole, a unique ocean pool hand-cut by convicts in 1819, offers a distinctive swimming opportunity.
Cost: Free.
Transport: The walk has multiple entry points. Merewether Ocean Baths is reachable by bus (routes 12, 21, 14). Nobbys Beach is accessible by bus (route 23) or a 19-minute walk from the city center. The Anzac Memorial Walk and Bogey Hole are located directly on this path and are often walkable from central Newcastle.
2. Merewether Ocean Baths
These baths stand as one of the largest ocean swimming pools in the Southern Hemisphere. They provide a spacious and secure environment for swimming, featuring both a shallow, sandy family-friendly area and a 100-meter-wide main pool. It is a favored location for both locals and visitors to refresh themselves or engage in lap swimming.
Cost: Free entry. The baths are typically closed for cleaning on Thursdays.
Transport: The baths are located approximately 4.5 kilometers from the Newcastle Central Business District (CBD). They are accessible by bus (routes 12, 21) with nearby stops on Watkins Street or Patrick Street, requiring a short 3-minute walk. A taxi ride typically takes around 10-15 minutes.
3. Fort Scratchley Historic Site
Perched atop Signal Hill, this historic coastal defense site provides panoramic 360-degree views of the city, working harbor, and coastline. Visitors can explore museum rooms and observe historic artillery. Guided tunnel tours offer deeper insights into its 200-year history, including its role during World War II. A time gun is traditionally fired daily at 1 PM.
Cost: General admission is free. Guided tunnel tours incur a fee; tickets for individuals or groups of fewer than 12 people can be purchased on-site.
Transport: Situated in Newcastle East, off Nobbys Road, the site is about a 15-minute bus ride (approximately AUD 3) or a 10-15 minute taxi ride (approximately AUD 15-20) from Newcastle CBD. Walking takes approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. Public parking is available on-site.
4. Nobbys Headland and Lighthouse
An iconic Newcastle landmark, Nobbys Headland offers extensive 360-degree views encompassing the city, the active harbor, and the stunning coastline. Visitors can walk along Macquarie Pier to reach the headland. The lighthouse precinct, which includes an Arts Store and Gallery, is open on weekends and public holidays.
Cost: Access to the headland and the walk is free.
Transport: Vehicle access is not permitted along Macquarie Pier. The walk from Nobbys Beach car park to the headland is approximately 800 meters, with a steep incline towards the end. Nobbys Beach is accessible by bus (route 23) or a 19-minute walk from central Newcastle.
5. Blackbutt Reserve
This expansive nature reserve, located just ten minutes from the city center, features bushwalks and exhibits showcasing native Australian wildlife, including koalas, emus, wallabies, and wombats. The reserve is popular with families, offering picnic areas and playgrounds. Reptile shows are presented on weekends and during school holidays.
Cost: Entry to the reserve is free. Parking is available for $5 per hour or $14 per day. Reptile shows cost $3 per person.
Transport: Located approximately 8.5 kilometers from Newcastle CBD. Public transport options include bus route 25 to Orchardtown Road, followed by a 10-15 minute walk, or routes 11, 13, 26 with a longer walk from Cardiff or Broadmeadow train stations. A taxi is the most convenient option.
6. Day Trip to Hunter Valley Wine Region
Embark on a journey to Australia's oldest wine-growing region, the Hunter Valley. Visitors can explore various cellar doors for wine tastings, sampling a wide range of red and white varietals. Many tours often incorporate stops for local cheese, chocolate, and lunch at charming cafes or local brewhouses.
Cost: Organized tours generally start from AUD 120-125 per person, which typically includes transfers and tastings. Individual winery tasting fees are often around AUD 5, sometimes reimbursed with a wine purchase. Lunch may be an additional cost, with some tours offering a cafe lunch option for around AUD 25.
Transport: Many tours offer complimentary pick-up and drop-off services from various locations in Newcastle CBD. The travel time to Pokolbin, the primary wine region area, is approximately one hour each way. Self-driving takes about 54 minutes.
7. Newcastle Art Gallery
This gallery houses a significant collection of Australian art, showcasing diverse works from indigenous bark paintings to ceramics, photography, and paintings spanning from colonial times to contemporary pieces. It features rotating exhibitions and a tranquil sculpture garden for visitors to explore.
Cost: General admission to the gallery is free; however, some special exhibitions may require an entrance fee.
Transport: Located within the Civic precinct, the gallery is easily accessible by public transport. A tram from Queens Wharf station to Civic station takes 4 minutes and costs AUD 3. Several bus routes, such as route 14, have stops nearby on Darby Street, with a journey time of about 2 minutes and a cost of AUD 3-5. It is also a pleasant 9-minute walk from many central city locations.
At TFA Travel we believe in travel for all. Our mission is to enable people to explore the world as easily as possible without having to pay a travel agent a huge commission.
Our typical audience are those that want to see something new and get involved with authentic experiences of a country. Whether you are a backpacker, solo traveller, solo female traveller, straight or LGBTQ+ couple, family, you will find local and authentic experiences here.
