• Newcastle so much more, 361 Hunter Street, ☎ 1800 654 558 or 02 4974 2999. , is available from the Visitor Information Centre provides a free guide and maps to Newcastle and attractions. edit

• Shortland Wetlands Centre, Wallsend Rd Sandgate, ☎ 02 4951 6466. 7 days, 9am-5pm. A regenerated 45 ha wetlands area adjacent to Hexham Swamp. There are walking trails, a bicycle trail, a canoe trail, picnic and barbeque facilities, and a visitors' centre. edit

• Newcastle Region Art Gallery, 1 Laman St, ☎ 02 4974 5100, [14]. Well worth a visit. The gallery houses a high quality collection of works by Australian artists and also stages its own and travelling exhibitions. Open 10am to 5pm Tuesday to Sunday. (Closed Mondays, Good Friday and Christmas Day). Admission is free. edit

• Newcastle Regional Museum, 787 Hunter Street Newcastle West, ☎ 02 4974 1400. Open 10am - 5pm Tuesday to Sunday (also open Monday in school and on public holidays). Free admission. edit

• See some live music. The TE Guide, [15]. provides weekly entertainment listings and appears in Wednesday's "Post" free newspaper and Thursday's Newcastle Herald in print and online. The online version is not always kept up to date, so it is best to get hold of a print copy. Alternately, look for Uturn streetpress, which is widely distributed to shops and libraries around town. edit

• Blackbutt Reserve. , is a 182ha reserve in suburban Newcastle. A natural bushland area which is full of native animals, picnic areas, wildlife exhibits, bushwalking trails, children's playgrounds. Main entrance is off Carnley Avenue, Kotara. Other entrances - Lookout Road, New Lambton Heights (on bus route) & Richley Reserve off Freyburg Street, New Lambton. edit

Beaches

• Bar Beach, [16]. is regarded by many as the best of a range of beaches which ring the city. edit

• Surfing.  edit

• Kite surfing, Nobbys Beach.  edit

Ocean baths

No visit to Newcastle during the warmer months would be complete without taking a dip in the ocean baths. On sunny days you can sunbathe on the Grandstand on the Fort side of the Baths.

The baths are also open during the winter, for the more adventurous. The Newcastle baths are home to the "Newcastle Pirates", a winter swimming club not unlike the Icebergs or Polar Bears of other places.

• Newcastle Ocean Baths. Close to the city centre, these historic baths were opened in 1922. edit

• Merewether Ocean Baths, [17]. The largest ocean baths complex in the southern hemisphere. edit

• The Bogey Hole. Carved out of the rock by convicts, this ocean pool at the bottom of King Edward Park is a great place for a relaxing dip. edit

Festivals and events

• Mattara Festival, [18]. A week long series of events that commences each year during the Labour Day long weekend in late September/early October. The Mattara festival notably includes the Mattara Hillclimb, a car race held in scenic King Edward Park[19]. The festival also features a grand parade, concerts, family entertainment and market stalls.  edit

• This Is Not Art Festival, [20]. The festival is held in the same long weekend each year, and showcases the talents of young and emerging artists, writers, media makers and electronic musicians from around Australia.  edit

• Surfest (info@surfest.com), [21]. Australia's largest surfing contest and festival.  edit

• The Shoot Out. 24 hour film making festival. edit

• Carols by Candlelight. are held each December in many of Newcastle's parks. edit

• Cultural Stomp, Civic Park. A one day celebration, bringing people together to celebrate our region's cultural diversity. forums, panels, music, art , films, spoken word, heaps o' stuff May 19 Civic Park -9am - 9pm. FREE. edit

• Fort Scratchley. , a historic site which now houses a military museum. The fort defended Newcastle in 1942 when a Japanese submarine surfaced shelling the city. April 2006 - Fort Scratchley currently not accessible due to restoration works being in progress. edit

• Nobbys Head. . Nobbys island is connected to the mainland by a pier built using convict labour (completed in 1846). The pier is accessible to pedestrians, and is flanked by Nobbys Beach. It provides an excellent vantage point to take in views of the harbour and Stockton Beach across the water. edit

• The foreshore.  edit

• King Edward Park.  edit

• Mt Sugarloaf lookout.  edit

• Heritage architecture. in and around the city. Notable buildings in the CBD area include the courthouse (top of Bolton St), former Customs House, Newcastle Railway Station, and Post Office (cnr of Hunter St and Bolton St). edit

By car

Newcastle is located at the mouth of the Hunter River approximately 150km North of Sydney and lies in a region known as the Hunter Valley. Newcastle has a population of about 300,000 people with a further 100,000 people in the Hunter and Port Stephens area.

Newcastle is a 2hr drive north of Sydney on the F3 freeway which starts at Wahroonga (close to Hornsby) on the North Shore. The freeway is in excellent condition and driving is normally not difficult. However, as a large number of people commute to Sydney daily from the Central Coast and even Newcastle, travellers driving north during the evening peak (5pm to 7pm) will encounter heavy traffic between Wahroonga and the Central Coast with traffic easing off as you travel north the same applies to south bound traffic during the morning commute.

The F3 is located on the Western side of Lake Macquarie. If you want to travel up the Eastern side of Lake Macquarie (which travels through Swansea) then take the "Charlestown" exit on the F3. This route is more scenic, more hilly, and less congested (though it takes a few minutes longer). If you follow this route you will eventually come to the "Charlestown Bypass" at Bennett's Green which you can take if you wish to head north-west (towards Lambton). Otherwise keep following the main road until you reach Charlestown and then follow the signs to the city.

Traffic during holiday periods and long weekends is also affected with heavy northbound traffic at the beggining of the period as Sydneysiders flee the city for the weekend and finally heavy southbound traffic as they return.

By train

Sydney's Central, Strathfield, Epping and Hornsby stations have hourly Cityrail trains to Newcastle Station via the Central Coast. Travelling time is about 2.5-3 hours, and there is at least one train per hour for most of the day.

Several Countrylink [2] services pass through Newcastle's Broadmeadow station (approximately 5 kms from the CBD) daily from Sydney and the Central Coast to the south and from the North Coast and New England. These trains are a lot more expensive than Cityrail services and tickets must be booked in advance, but they are somewhat more comfortable and are also faster. Occasionally Countrylink discount tickets by up to 50% if booking tickets within 24 hours of travel, so it may be worth checking their fare.

By bus

• McCafferty’s, ☎ 13 1499. buses travel to Newcastle from Sydney. edit

• Port Stephens Coaches, ☎ (02) 4982 2940, [3]. provides daily services from Port Stephens and Williamtown airport to Newcastle Railway Station. edit

By plane

Newcastle Airport (Williamtown) (IATA: NTL), [4] is a major regional hub served by a number of domestic airlines:

• Jetstar, [5]. flys to and from Brisbane and Melbourne. edit

• Virgin Blue, [6]. flys to and from Brisbane, Melbourne and the Gold Coast. edit

• Brindabella Airlines, [7]. flys to and from Canberra. edit

• Aeropelican, [8]. flys to and from Sydney. edit

Note that with transfer time and check-in time included, flying may not the be fastest way to travel such a short distance as Sydney to Newcastle. However, the flight is particularly scenic, especially on a fine day, as there are stunning views of the northern beaches between Sydney and Newcastle. It can be well worth finding an excuse to fly if the cost is not an issue.

• Newcastle buses and ferries, [9].  edit

• Cityrail, [10].  edit

• Newcastle Taxi Co-operative, ☎ 131008.  edit

• ARA Car Rental, 86 Belford St, Broadmeadow, ☎ 1800 243 122, [11]. Located near the Broadmeadow Train Station. edit

• Europcar, 66 Hannell St, Wickham, ☎ 02 4940 0053, [12]. Closest rental outlet to city centre and also has an outlet at the airport. edit

• Budget, 107 Tudor St, Hamilton, ☎ 02 4927 6375, [13]. Bit further out from the CBD (not far from the Broadmeadow Train Station) and also has an airport outlet. edit

• For locally made clothing with a quirky, hip look, try High Tea with Mrs Woo, 74 Darby Street, Cooks Hill, ☎ 4926 4883. Darby Street is also a good place to browse in the boutiques, although the options here aren't cheap. edit

• Retro/Second-hand clothing: Newcastle has a range of interesting second-hand stores. some of which are priced very competitively when compared with their Sydney counterparts. edit

• Patsan Dance Music Specialist, 301 Hunter St, ☎ 4925 3996. ,and edit
  • Beaumont Street Beat, in Hamilton, ☎ 4962 5939. offers a good selection of new and second-hand titles. edit
  • JB Hi-Fi, 30 Northcott Drive Kotara, ☎ 4956 2588. is a popular and very large store, also a good place to go for DVDs. edit

• Honeysuckle Markets, Merewether Street, Newcastle, ☎ 4927 5366, [23]. Held every Sunday from 9am-3pm, feature produce, art and crafts from the Newcastle region. edit

• Wickham Park Markets, Wickham Park, Albert St Wickham. Morning of the last Sunday of every month. edit

Most of the city's restaurants and cafés can be found along the two main eatery strips: Beaumont Street in Hamilton, and Darby Street in Cooks Hill.

Budget

• Darby Street Take Away, 98 Darby St Cooks Hill, ☎ 4929 3406. A real value-for-money greasy spoon/sandwich bar. The "international burgers" ($6.50) are recommended. edit

• House of Peking. (Hotel Jesmond, Jesmond) is excellent value for Yum Cha (lunch only, typically $10-$15/head). edit

• Hunter Gourmet Pizza, 22 Beaumont St, Hamilton, ☎ 02 4961 5529. Very good take-away pizzeria. Large traditional-style pizzas $12, slightly more for gourmet varieties.  edit

Cafés

There are numerous options along Beaumont St in Hamilton and Darby St in Cooks Hill. At Three Monkeys (Darby St Cooks Hill) coffee can be ordered by the bowl. Some of the best coffee in town can be found at Suspension (3 Beaumont St Islington). Euro Patisserie, 68 Orchardtown Rd, New Lambton, tel: 4957 7188, is deservedly popular for their award-winning cakes and pastries.

Other suggestions:

• Goldbergs, 137 Darby St, Cooks Hill. A busy Darby St stalwart, offers large meals and a good location for people-watching. edit

• Long Bench Café, Darby St, Cooks Hill. - open until late. edit

• Swell Café. Merewether Surf Life Saving Club building. Overlooks Merewether beach. edit

Mid-range

• Oriental Kitchen, 146 Denison St, Hamilton, ☎ 4940 0329. Serves up a wide range of Asian dishes. This restaurant, attached to the laid back Bennett Hotel, is popular with Hamilton locals. Open Tu-Su evenings. edit

• Thong Thai, 74 Beaumont St, Hamilton, ☎ 4969 5655. Quality unpretentious Thai and Vietnamese food. M-W 11.30am - 2pm, M-Su 5pm-9.30pm. edit

• Café 16, 16 Watt St, Newcastle, ☎ 4927 5622. A café by day, Moroccan-style restaurant in the evening (mains $15-$22). Easygoing service. edit

Splurge

• Restaurant II, 8 Bolton St, Newcastle, ☎ 4929 1233.  edit

• Emma's à la Carte, 120 Beaumont St, Hamilton, ☎ 4969 6905.  edit

• The Brewery Restaurant, The Boardwalk, off Honeysuckle Drive, ☎ 4929 5792.  edit

• Scratchleys on the Wharf, 200 Wharf Road, ☎ 4929 1111, [24].  edit

• Queens Wharf Brewery, [25]. On the foreshore is a popular spot for a drink. The pub sells its own beers and has harbour views. During the day and M and Tu nights the atmosphere is relaxed, whilst W-Su evenings can get very busy. There's also entertainment (generally DJs, top 40 cover bands, R&B soloists) on W-Su evenings. edit

• Silo Lounge Bar. is located in the new Honeysuckle development on the Harbour. A drawcard is the selection of Belgian beers available. edit

• Northern Star Hotel, 112 Beaumont St, Hamilton, ☎ 02 4961 1087. An Irish pub in the middle of Hamilton's restaurant strip. The Northern Star regularly functions as a music venue - check the blackboard out the front to find out what's on. edit

• Kent Hotel, 59 Beaumont Street, Hamilton, ☎ 02 4961 3303, [26]. A busy pub on Hamilton's restaurant strip. Check out the popular trivia night (each Wednesday, starts at 7.30 pm).  edit

• Beach Hotel, Fredrick Street, Merewether, [27]. A Newcastle Institution. The place to be on Sunday night is sitting on the front deck overlooking Merewether Beach at sunset with a locally brewed Bluetounge Beer. edit

• Gateway Hotel, Maitland Rd, Islington. The local establishment frequented by Newcastle's gay & lesbian community. The venue features a rotating mix of local and Sydney DJ's, special events, drag shows and feature performers, featuring a nightclub (Club G), main bar and bistro. edit