It’s no secret that Newcastle’s beaches are among the best on the NSW coast. But they’re just the beginning of the city’s great outdoors.
As many locals know, Newcastle is also a great spot for many other adventures, from hiking and cycling to horse riding and sandboarding.
Here’s where to go and what to do in and around town if you’re dreaming of a break that involves plenty of fresh air.
SWIMMING AND SURFING AT INCREDIBLE BEACHES
Newcastle’s beaches are already famous, but it’s worth recapping the best ones. No holiday in the city is complete without a swim or surf.
Start at Newcastle Beach, just a stone’s throw from the CBD, where you can catch a wave, have a game of volleyball and swim in the Newcastle Ocean Baths.
Next, head to Nobby Beach for snorkelling and dolphin spotting, followed by Horseshoe Beach for a kayak, then Merewether Beach to swim in the biggest ocean baths in the southern hemisphere, built in 1935.
HIKING ALONG STUNNING TRAILS
The best known of Newcastle’s walking trails is the Bather’s Way, a six-kilometre path along the coast that passes by several beaches and ocean pools.
For a much shorter stroll that takes in stunning coastal views while paying homage to the thousands of local soldiers who fought in the First World War, take the ANZAC Memorial Walk.
A different experience altogether is to be had along the Warners Bay Foreshore, which follows the tranquil shores of Lake Macquarie for nine kilometres from Eleebana in the northeast to Booragul in the northwest.
And, for a taste of Newcastle’s inland, try the Yuelarbah Walking Track. It’s a seven-kilometre return hike among rainforest and waterfalls in the Glenrock State Conservation Area.
CYCLING ON SPECTACULAR BIKE PATHS
Swap your feet for wheels on Newcastle’s many bike paths.
For an easy starter, follow the shared pathway for one-and-a-half kilometres from Nobbys Beach Surf Club to the end of the breakwall. It’s flat and affords views of Newcastle Harbour and Stockton Sand Dunes.
For more of the harbour, but on its stillwater side, return to Nobbys, then cycle west towards Honeysuckle – or, if you’ve the energy, all the way to Wickham.
Inland, one of the best cycle paths is the Fernleigh Track, a 15-kilometre trail from Adamstown, which is just west of the Newcastle CBD, to Belmont on Lake Macquarie’s eastern shore. It follows a disused railway track through forests, wetlands and even a tunnel.
SANDBOARDING DOWN ENORMOUS DUNES
This one’s for the adrenaline junkies.
Just north of Newcastle is Stockton Beach, and behind it lie the Stockton Dunes – the biggest moving sand dunes in the southern hemisphere.
Towering at 30 metres in height, they’re ideal for sand boarders who aren’t afraid of heights. That said, if you’re a beginner, you can start on a smaller dune and work your way up.
If sand boarding isn’t for you, then experience the Stockton Dunes in another way – by hiking, motorbike, car or 4WD. There are plenty of tour operators in the area.
HORSE RIDING AMONG BEAUTIFUL SCENERY
For another unusual adventure, book a horse ride.
With Sahara Trails, which is in Port Stephens (around 30 minutes’ drive north), you can choose between a ride through casuarina forests where you might spot wild koalas and a trot (or gallop) along sweeping Stockton Beach.
Other nearby options include Hunter Valley Horses, which runs trail rides around a pretty 300-acre property in Lovedale (50 minutes’ drive northwest of Newcastle), and AAA, in the foothills of the Watagan Mountains (45 minutes’ drive south).
GETTING TO NEWCASTLE
Newcastle is an easy two-hour drive from Sydney.
But, if you’re coming from another city, or don’t want to spend much time on the road, fly to Williamtown Newcastle Airport, then jump into a SIXT car rental.
