Newcastle is a large city on the coast of New South Wales, about two hours north of Sydney. It's a popular getaway for Sydney residents and boasts tons of iconic Australian spots to visit.
We're currently living full-time in our campervan, a 2018 Mercedes Sprinter, and exploring Australia, with a plan of "driving the lap" (completing the entire perimeter of the country). I first visited Australia in 2019, following the classic backpacker route, mostly visiting big cities, staying in hostels and traveling by public transport. This time, with the freedom of our campervan, we're trying to hit the lesser known spots and go slower.
Heading north out of Sydney, we stopped in the Central Coast first, the region located between Sydney and Newcastle. From there, it was time to explore New South Wales' second-largest city, home to almost 700,000 people.
For thousands of years, the Awabakal, Worimi and Mindaribba peoples have lived on this land, long before any Europeans arrived.
The first Europeans arrived in the Newcastle area in 1801 to excavate the area for coal mining. Permanent residency began from 1804 around the same time Newcastle became a notorious place of punishment and exile for criminals, mostly of Britain, lasting until 1823. After this dark period, Newcastle shifted to agriculture as its predominant industry.
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Below is some useful information for preparing for your trip to Newcastle. In all cases, please be sure to check with the relevant local authorities for the latest and accurate information.
Language: The official language of Australia is English. In Newcastle, the traditional language of the Awabakal, Worimi and Mindaribba peoples is Awabakal, Gathang and Wonnarua respectively.
→ Learn more about the languages of the Awabakal, Worimi and Mindaribba people.
Currency: The currency used in Australia is the Australian dollar, denoted as AUD $. I use a Wise account when I travel which allows me to have a single, free account with multiple currencies. I only have to pay once to convert my money in the app and then I can pay in AUD $!
→ Check the latest currency conversion between AUD $ and your local currency.
Data/WiFi: Before you arrive, I recommend purchasing an eSim on your phone so that you can access data the moment you land. eSims are much more convenient as it means you don't have to put a separate physical Sim into your phone. AirAlo offers great deals for eSims of various data sizes and time lengths with Optus.
→ Load an international eSim on your phone with AirAlo.
If you are visiting Australia long term, you might wish to put a physical Sim in your phone as AirAlo is geared more towards short term visitors on holiday. This way you can access a local phone plan. There are three main mobile phone network providers in Australia: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Telstra has the best coverage across the country whereas Optus and Vodafone are good within cities. I recommend Telstra as it means you have the best coverage while you travel around the country, especially in rural areas.
A number of restaurants, hotels, cafes and libraries in Newcastle offer free WiFi.
Visa: All passport holders except New Zealand require a visa to visit Australia. All arrivals must fill out an Australian arrival card before landing.
→ Check which visa you need for Australia.
Time of year to visit: Australia can be visited all year-round. Newcastle, north of Sydney in New South Wales, can get very hot and busy in the summer, especially around school holidays, and cool in the winter months. I recommend visiting in spring (September-November) or autumn (March-May) for pleasant, sunny days.
Length of stay: We spent just one day exploring Newcastle, but plan to come back and visit a bit more of New South Wales' second-largest city! It would be a great day or weekend trip to do from Sydney and is a popular holiday destination.
By flight: Newcastle is served by Williamtown International Airport, northeast of the city. From the airport, it's just a half-hour drive or bus ride into Newcastle; bus 130 goes to the Newcastle Interchange from where you can transfer to local city buses to get where you're going.
By car: If you're driving around the country as we are in our campervan, then the easiest way to get to Newcastle is with your own wheels. The most popular way of exploring Australia is by camping - whether with a motorhome, campervan, caravan or a roof tent on top of a car. This gives you the ultimate freedom of going as fast or as slow as you like.
→ If you don't have your own car, you can rent one in Sydney or Newcastle.
By public transport: Sydney connects with Newcastle by train with the Central Coast line. Buses connect with each station to transfer you to where you wish to go.
We spent just one day exploring Newcastle and plan to come back through again later on our lap of Australia as there is so much to do in New South Wales' second-largest city!
Here is everything we did in our day in Newcastle to get you started:
Take in the view from the ANZAC Memorial Bridge
The ANZAC Memorial Bridge in Newcastle is a part of the 450-metre Newcastle Memorial Walk. This is a great introduction to Newcastle as it has such a fantastic 360º view of the city and coastline overlooking Mereweather.
The bridge was built in 2015 to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli in Türkiye during the First World war. The aim of this landing was to push the Ottoman Empire out of the war and while this was not the outcome and there were many deaths, it is considered the foundation of the ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps). Along the bridge are the names of those who enlisted from the area in the war.
Spend the day at Mereweather Ocean Baths
The Mereweather Ocean Baths are such a special spot in Newcastle. Located just south of the main core of Newcastle, this stretch of coastline is just beautiful. Manmade ocean baths naturally fill with ocean water and are constantly flowing through with new water so it always feels fresh.
Apparently these are the largest ocean baths in the southern hemisphere! Divided into two pools, a more shallow one and a deeper one with swimming lanes on one side, this is a spot you can easily hang out all day at and safely swim while lookout out onto the ocean.
Go for a walk up to Nobbys Lighthouse
Newcastle's most iconic lighthouse is Nobbys Lighthouse, overlooking the most famous beach in the city of the same name. Built in 1854 and still operating to this day, Nobbys Lighthouse can be visited on the weekends and public holidays only.
From Nobbys Beach car park, the walk is about 800 metres up to the lighthouse, with the last third of the walk uphill.
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Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
