Newcastle Beaches

Fast facts

• Sensational surf beaches in a city that has produced some world-class surfing talent over the years
• 156 km north of Sydney, on the North Coast

Why go there

For a large, cosmopolitan city, Newcastle is equipped with a first-class array of beaches. From the crashing waves of the harbour in the north to the shifting, peaky waves of Nobbys Reef and Caves Beach in the south, this is a city where surf is serious stuff.

Every March, Newcastle hosts Vodafone Surfest, one of Australia’s biggest surfing events. The city has spawned some of the supremos of the surf world, among them, Mark Richards, Matt Hoy, Simon Law and Luke Egan. There’s plenty here for all tastes from rockpool lovers and sandcastle builders to swimmers, at the wonderful Merewether Baths.

Newcastle also brings to the beach all the pleasures of a big city with a taste for the good life. Just five minutes away and you’re at Queen's Wharf, a smart marina/restaurant complex with a boutique brewery.

Don’t miss

• Merewether Baths, the largest sea baths in the southern hemisphere.
• The Bather’s Way, a scenic five kilometre coastal walk from Merewether Beach to Nobbys.
• The walk along the beach from the foot of Fort Scratchley to the lighthouse at Nobbys Head.
• Bar Beach, the quintessential family beach, which has a wonderful rockpool, where you can watch the hang-gliders launch from the lookout nearby.
• A surf lesson from Newcastle Surf School to learn how the experts do it.
• A dip in the Bogey Hole, built using convict labour in 1819 – at its best when the waves are pumping.
• Catch of the day at Jonah's on the Beach, served in paper with champagne batter and lime aioli, accompanied by hand-cut chips and a side of rocket, blood orange and fennel salad.