Newcastle Beach. NSW Image via Wikipedia
Newcastle just north of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia was, for a long time, not the most beautiful of cities. This was due to the large BHP presence that has since evaporated and even though the city still has a working port (mostly from coal) the rest of the city has adapted to life without industry. In fact, the city is rated very highly by the travel writing company Lonely Planet which does not really rate Sydney or Melbourne at all and this is mainly because Newcastle actually has character.
What Does Newcastle Have that Sydney Doesn’t?
Newcastle has that special relaxed attitude that Sydney just cannot pull off. It seems like the two cities are on different planets when you experience snobby and expensive Sydney and then chill out in “Newie”. While it doesn’t have anything in particular that Sydney also has, it is the way Newcastle does it that is special. Sydney can be a ‘try hard’ city, while Newcastle doesn’t try to impress and this will lead to a fantastic day out, dinner or hotel stay.
Newcastle has lots of eateries but they are more concentrate than in Sydney so you don’t have to travel for an hour for the best of something in the area. The Beaches around Newcastle are also much less pretentious than their Sydney counterparts and made up mostly of Surfers and locals rather than hordes of tourists and backpackers.
Eating in Newcastle
You can grab pretty much anything you want to eat in Newcastle from Thai to basic Fish and Chips. It is worth heading down to the harbour in the
Image by Trevor Dickinson via Flickr
city and trying out the Brewery which has great beers and great meals. You can try so many different places in Newcastle and there are loads of places to try in the city or you can try one of the smaller funkier suburbs near the University of Newcastle.
Newcastle Beaches
Newcastle has some great beaches and they are pretty clean now that there is less industry on the harbour and ocean. Stockton beach is beautiful (and really long!) stretching away to Port Stephens. You can try Newcastle Beach near the city or also head to Nobby’s beach which is popular for swimming and surfing. Try Redhead beach for somewhere a little quieter and less touristy.
The key to a good time in Newcastle is to just turn up and enjoy what is on offer. You can have a very relaxed break there and it won’t cost you the earth either. You might even end up trying to move there if you are visiting from Sydney!
Related articles
- Newcastle, Australia: ramshackle glamour on apricot beaches (telegraph.co.uk)
- Louise MACKAY – NEWCASLTE, Australia – Founder and Director of NEWCASTLE FASHION WEEK. (interviewsaloud.com)
- Painting the town YELLOW: NEWCASTLE FASHION WEEK kicks off in style. (interviewsaloud.com)
