Rebecca & Ryan's Wedding
Things To Do
Merewether Beach
The iconic Merewether Beach is home to the international surfing competition, Surfest. It is part of a beach reserve that stretches from Dixon Park in the north to Burwood Beach in the south - with superb views in all directions. Enjoy a coffee at a beachside cafe and watch as locals walk their dogs, parents juggle caffeine and kids with sandy hair and the surfers' roll-up by the dozen. Walk a bit further down the beach promenade, and you'll find Merewether Ocean Baths, the largest Ocean Baths complex in the Southern Hemisphere.
Bogey Hole
The Bogey Hole ocean pool is an Instagrammers dream, and a 'must see' attraction on the Newcastle coastline. Impressive at full flight, or in a moment of calm, take a moment to enjoy the Bogey Hole next time you are in King Edward Park. The Bogey Hole was hand-hewn out of a wave-cut rock platform by convicts for Major James Morisset, in 1819 for his personal use. Whether this work represented the enlargement of a naturally occurring rock pool used by Aboriginal people is not known.
Glen Rock Mountain Biking Trails
Glenrock State Conservation Area provides excellent opportunities for mountain bike riding. With 14 kilometres of purpose-built bike trails and 20 kilometres of linked management trails in the northern section of the park, allow a day to explore the area. The mountain bike tracks will take you on a windy ride through open forest and woodlands and, in combination with the trail network, provide access to Burwood Beach, Leichhardt’s lookout and the waterfalls. The trails are graded – green circle for beginners, blue square for intermediate and black diamond for advanced, so there is bound to be one that suits your level. Biking trails are all signed, so if you can’t see a sign it means that riding is not permitted.
Visit Port Stephens
The Port Stephens area is famous for its vast sand dunes and a substantial main port area full of marine life. It is about 45 mins drive north of Newcastle. This makes it an excellent place for people who want to relax and get away from the hustle and bustle of city life. If you add all of this together with a variety of walks and drives that lead to beautiful views of a wide range of colours, you’ve got a place that’s just waiting for you to explore. Recommended activities include renting a SUP to get up close and personal with dolphins in the bay, visting the breathtaking Birubi Beach where the expansive sand dunes loo like you're on another planet ( and you can ride camels!), hiking Mount Tomaree, finding the secluded Wreck Beach, and visting the Koala Sanctuary.
Anzac Memorial Bridge
The Newcastle Memorial Walk was opened in 2015 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ANZAC landing in Gallipoli. As well as honouring the sacrifices made by Australian soldiers during World War I, this date also marks the commencement of steel making in Newcastle; the ANZAC memorial walk was built using 64 tonnes of stainless steel for this very reason.
King Edward Park
King Edward Park was dedicated as a recreation reserve in 1863. Within the grounds was a bowling green and the Obelisk, built as a navigational marker in 1850; the focal point is a Victorian rotunda. The park has spectacular ocean views, Norfolk Island pines and a sunken garden usually ablaze with colour.
Nobbys Beach
Newcastle's highest profile beach, Nobbys Beach is a favoured swimming spot for family groups, those learning to surf and some of the local dolphins. With the beach on one side and a public recreational area including barbecue facilities on the other, it's the perfect spot to spend the day. A bonus is the kiosk selling coffee, cakes—fish, chips and burgers.
MANIAX Axe Throwing - NEWCASTLE
Ever wanted to throw an axe? MANIAX offers an urban axe throwing experience like no other. Learn how to hurl hatchets with your trained Axe-pert coach before jumping into an epic competition to crown the axe throwing champion! With a selection of craft beers and stone-baked pizzas onsite, MANIAX is the perfect place for birthday parties, bucks’ and hens nights, team building, date night - or if you’d just really love to throw an axe!
Newcastle Breweries
Hop between Newcastle’s best breweries and distilleries. 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.
Newcastle Ocean Baths
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. 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.
Hunter Valley
Craving a wine adventure without the hassle of driving yourself? Hop on a Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Tour departing right from Newcastle. These tours are the ultimate way to explore Australia's oldest wine region. Let someone else worry about the directions while you sit back, relax, and get ready to discover some of the best drops in the country. The Hunter Valley is a wine lover's dream, and these tours make it easy to experience the best it has to offer. Your tour guide knows all the hidden gems and the shortcuts, so you can focus on the good stuff – the wine! With a vast variety of wines (not just the famous Shiraz), there's something for everyone's taste buds. But there are plenty of ways to tour the wine region, including horseback riding tours through the vineyards, self-guided picnic tours in some of the most stunning scenery the area has to offer, behind-the-scenes peeks, guided tastings, and so on.
Treetops Adventure Newcastle
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.
Glenrock State Conservation Area
Hike through the beautiful Glenrock Conservation Area. 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. 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.
Blackbutt Nature Reserve
Craving a nature fix without straying too far from Newie? Blackbutt Reserve is your spot. This huge swath of bushland teems with native critters and offers a perfect chance to stretch those legs on scenic walking trails. Amazingly, checking out the wildlife exhibits is completely free, so you can meet the locals – think koalas, wombats, kangaroos, and more – without breaking the bank. Open 10am to 4:30pm daily! Over 182 hectares and over 10 kilometres of walking trails take you deep into the bush, perfect for a relaxed nature fix close to the city.
Visit the Honeysuckle Precinct
Looking for Newcastle's trendy waterfront hangout? Head to the Honeysuckle Precinct, a former industrial area that's been totally revamped into a buzzing spot for dining, drinks, and a bit of shopping. Think restaurants with harbour views, buzzing bars, and cute shops to browse. It's the perfect spot for a romantic date night, catching up with friends over cocktails, or a fun family dinner with a lively atmosphere.
Stockton Beach
Part of the Worimi Conservation Lands, the largest moving coastal sand dunes in the Southern Hemisphere are an adventure playground. Explore them on a quad bike or camel, join a 4WD tour or climb to the top and test out your sandboarding skills.