10 things to do in Newcastle in 2022
There’s plenty going on in the reborn industrial port.
There’s plenty going on in the reborn industrial port. Ahead, discover the best things to do in Newcastle including where to see one of Australia’s finest regional art collections, a stellar family-owned gin joint and more.
1. The Bogey Hole
Ever since Newcastle sprang to life on the shore of both a river and the ocean, water has defined if not dictated much of what goes on. When James Morisset, Newcastle’s colonial commandant from 1818 to 1823, felt like taking a dip he didn’t brave the shorebreak at Bar Beach or even the shallows at Cowrie Hole. Instead he had a chain gang hew a 10mx6m pool out of solid sandstone for his private ablutions. The resultant ocean pool sits today for everyone to use at the base of cliffs in King Edward Park and is a great idea when looking for things to do in Newcastle. Originally known as the Commandant’s Baths, but more commonly as the Bogey Hole, Morriset’s picturesque tub is now on the state heritage register and is probably the oldest surviving European construction in Newcastle.
2. Fort Scratchley
The unglamorously named but heritage-listed Fort Scratchley perches on Flagstaff Hill, facing the Tasman Sea. Built in 1882 to defend against a possible Russian attack, it is said to be Australia’s only mainland fort that fired on an enemy. In June 1942 when a Japanese submarine lobbed 34 shells at Newcastle, Fort Scratchley returned shots. The Australian Army quit the site in 1972 and in 2009 its cluster of restored stone buildings, barracks and gun emplacements was reopened as a museum, featuring tunnel guided tours and other activities. A popular time to visit is when the fort honours the maritime tradition of firing a time gun at precisely 1pm each day. Open 10am-4pm; closed Tuesdays.
3. Fancy a drink?
Looking for things to do in Newcastle on a night out? Hidden in plain sight in a former bank building on Hunter Street, Coal and Cedar bar has a shadowy, brick-and-tiles interior decked in marine-themed Americana, plus a wall of glittering liquor bottles. The decor has been aptly described as “just dingy enough to house a Prohibition-style speakeasy”. Fittingly, you enter via a hidden door beside a hip barbershop. Not far away in suburban Carrington, the legendary Wild West gunslinger Wyatt Earp had nothing to do with an establishment of similar surname, the Earp Distilling Co. Nevertheless, this flash, family-owned gin joint distills “new-generation spirits” of such finesse they scored gold in the 2020 World Gin Championships.
4. Bathers Way walk
When visiting Newcastle, a coastal walk is essential. The 6km Bathers Way walk reveals a telling cross-section of Novocastrian coastal life. The trail starts at Nobbys Beach and heads south hugging the shoreline and cliffs. It skirts the Cowrie Hole and Newcastle Beach before climbing to the pines and lookouts of King Edward Park. At its highest point, Strzelecki Lookout, you can step on to the Anzac Memorial Walkway cantilevered out over the sea. The ocean ripples far below. Then comes the long, sweeping strand of Bar, Dixon Park and Merewether beaches; the last-mentioned has been acclaimed Australia’s best city beach. Reaching it, you’ve earned a break at one of the waterfront coffee stops. Then wander on to the ocean baths and if you’re in for the long haul, keep on walking to the untamed shores of Glen Rock State Park.
5. Nobbys Head beach
Nobbys Head stands sentinel over two different tides, where the Hunter River’s freshwater outflow meets the salty Tasman Sea. Its adjacent beach might lack the surf cred and latte cool of more glamorous Merewether but Nobbys has a longer, grittier history. Hike up its namesake rocky knoll to where the convict-built, 1854 lighthouse (not open to the public) surveys the river channel and its gliding behemoth bulk carriers. If you have kids and need things to do in Newcastle, the ocean beach is good for swimming and surfing, or in its harbourside lee try protected Horseshoe Beach. Beyond the headland, a wave-pummelled breakwall runs out to sea. It’s paved so stride out to the end and refresh in some bracing spray.
6. Newcastle Art Gallery
Despite what Sydneysiders too long supposed, Newcastle was always more than BHP, coal dust and grimy blue collars. The blue and white collars alike of the state’s second-largest city have had a steady engagement with visual art, with William Dobell, Jon Molvig and John Olsen among the locally born painters of note. Today the mid-town Newcastle Art Gallery has one of Australia’s finest regional collections, with works by artists such as Arthur Streeton, Hans Heysen, Lloyd Rees, Brett Whiteley and Emily Kngwarreye. For independent art galleries check out the adventurous creations at Cstudios, located in a historic pub, and Curve, both on Hunter Street.
7. Boat tours
CoastXP’s custom-built rigid inflatable pulls out of the Hunter and rounds the breakwall. Owner-skipper Dominic May opens the throttle on its 700 sea-horses and we’re away. Skimming south down the east coast at 25 knots, we see the city and its shoreline escarpments from an entirely new perspective. Fort Scratchley and Dixon Park soon give way to the primal wilds of Glen Rock State Park, so surprisingly close to and yet distant from Newcastle suburbia. Then come the Redhead cliffs, followed by the long dunes of Nine Mile Beach, Lake Macquarie, ancient sea caves and finally the spindly coal-loading pier at Catherine Hill Bay, our turnaround point. Dominic keeps up the informative commentary as we head for home. Two and a half brilliant hours later we’re back in the river, docking beside the promenade.
8. Go for a drive to Morpeth
Morpeth, less than an hour drive northwest of Newcastle, was a vital port for the Hunter region’s early farm and cedar exports. Founded in the 1820s (and later peaking with 11 pubs), it then slumbered in the margins of more populous Newcastle and nearby Maitland. Morpeth has come on strong again in recent decades. The heart of this handsome town is a long, wide avenue lined with original stone and timber buildings shaded by broad awnings. The classic 1898 wooden overhead truss bridge endures as does the 1862 Court House, now the town museum. Other easy day excursions from Newcastle include the Hunter Valley wine trails at Pokolbin, Broke Fordwich, Hermitage and elsewhere, each with loads of cellar door opportunities.
9. Where to eat
Despite Newcastle’s ubiquitous water margins, the town offers surprisingly few memorable dining venues on its waterfront. An exception is the upbeat Nagisa restaurant in the harbourside Honeysuckle marina precinct. The menu features both traditional and contemporary Japanese offerings, including teppanyaki dishes and, naturally, sashimi and sushi variations (the Wagyu beef tataki and hiramasa kingfish carpaccio are recommended). There’s a wide choice of Japanese craft beers, whisky and sakes. Special degustation menus are available, or opt for a tasting banquet for two with matching wines. Nagisa is informal, with western-style seating either indoors or on the canopied waterfront deck, and it’s also lots of fun.
10. Where to stay
Newcastle’s first five-stars arrived in 2021, first with the 130-room, mid-city Kingsley by Crystalbrook hotel. Located in a former council administration building (and greatly improving its brutalist battle-tower appearance), the Kingsley features rooftop dining and bars with panoramic views across the city. Meanwhile, Rydges Newcastle hotel on the harbourfront promenade is a well-established and stylish option, with views of tugs and oceangoing vessels. On a more intimate scale, the Beach House at Merewether offers luxury B&B accommodation, its standout option being a self-contained, two-storey garden cottage-for-two; all just minutes’ walk from the famous beach. QT Newcastle offers a high-design option and is the hospitality group's first regional property. Housed in a former David Jones building on Hunter Street Mall, the boutique hotel features brushed brass and velvet details.
