{"id":5408,"date":"2024-11-13T21:43:03","date_gmt":"2024-11-13T21:43:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/?p=5408"},"modified":"2026-02-16T23:35:36","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T23:35:36","slug":"sydney-to-newcastle-a-roadtrip-in-5-stops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/travel\/sydney-to-newcastle-a-roadtrip-in-5-stops\/","title":{"rendered":"Sydney to Newcastle: A Roadtrip in 5 Stops"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>When heading to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/car-hire\/au\/newcastle\/\">Newcastle<\/a> from Sydney, many people hit the freeway and get there as fast as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While that might be ideal if you\u2019re driving to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/travel\/how-to-spend-a-weekend-in-newcastle\/\">Newcastle for a weekend getaway<\/a>, it means you miss out on a lot of beautiful scenery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another option is to turn the journey into a road trip by taking a few detours along the way. Here\u2019s how to do just that.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>STOP ONE: BEROWRA&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>40 Minutes from Sydney&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Head north on the M2, then M1, exit left at Windybanks interchange for Berowra. A peaceful town on Berowra Creek (a Hawkesbury River tributary), surrounded by national park wilderness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Things to do in Berowa:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Take in panoramic views from <strong>Barnetts Lookout<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Picnic by the creek or relax in nature.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If time allows, boat across to <strong>Berowra Waters Inn<\/strong> for a waterfront lunch.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/Broken-Bay-Pearl-Farm-copy.jpg\" alt=\"Central Coast harbour\" class=\"wp-image-5409 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/Broken-Bay-Pearl-Farm-copy.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/Broken-Bay-Pearl-Farm-copy-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/Broken-Bay-Pearl-Farm-copy-768x404.jpg 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/538;\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Image credit: Broken Bay Pearl Farm<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>STOP TWO: BROKEN BAY PEARL FARM<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>20 Minutes from Berowa&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cross the Hawkesbury River and stop at Broken Bay Pearl Farm on the northern shore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Things to do at Broken Bay Pearl Farm&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Join a 1-hour cruise to the farm\u2019s \u201csaltwater paddocks\u201d and learn about oyster farming and why the Hawkesbury is perfect for it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Upgrade with extras: fresh oyster tasting, pearl grading, or pearling insights.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>STOP THREE: AUSTRALIAN REPTILE PARK<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>20 Minutes from Broken Bay Perl Farm&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A quick M1 detour to the Australian Reptile Park \u2014 home to over 2,000 animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Things to do at Australian Reptile Park<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>See reptiles like American alligators, freshwater crocodiles, and Galapagos tortoises.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Meet Aussie icons: wombats, kangaroos, koalas, plus frogs, spiders, owls, and kookaburras.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enhance your visit: dingo puppy encounter, koala photo, or snake safety seminar.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>STOP FOUR: TREETOPS ADVENTURE CENTRAL COAST<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>20 Minutes from the Australian Reptile Park&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Break up the drive and get an adrenaline rush at Treetops Adventure in Ourimbah State Forest among towering eucalypts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Things to do at Treetops Adventure Central Coast&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Tackle a 500m zipline, treetop ropes courses, and a trampoline park.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Guided climbs available for kids 8\u201312 during school holidays and select weekends.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/LakeMacquarieToronto-Image-credit-Hullwarren.jpg\" alt=\"Toronto Lake Macquarie\" class=\"wp-image-5410 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/LakeMacquarieToronto-Image-credit-Hullwarren.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/LakeMacquarieToronto-Image-credit-Hullwarren-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/LakeMacquarieToronto-Image-credit-Hullwarren-768x404.jpg 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/538;\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Image credit: Hullwarren<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>STOP FIVE: TORONTO, LAKE MACQUARIE<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>There are two route options:<\/strong> stay on the M1 then Cessnock Road, or take B53 to Morisset and follow the lake\u2019s western shore. Toronto sits on beautiful Lake Macquarie with plenty of waterside fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Things to do in Toronto and Lake Macquarie&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Stroll the shared pathway to Fassifern Railway Station \u2014 see the ancient petrified forest (250 million years old, volcanic origin).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Visit the <strong>Museum of Art and Culture<\/strong> for Aboriginal artworks, Sir William Dobell pieces (three-time Archibald Prize winner), and a sculpture garden.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>After another 30 minutes on the road, you\u2019ll be in Newcastle, where you\u2019ll have a host of experiences to choose from \u2013 including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/travel\/5-unexpected-experiences-in-newcastle\/\">some you might not expect<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>GETTING TO NEWCASTLE<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To road trip in style and comfort, hire a car at one of SIXT\u2019s many branches across <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/car-hire\/au\/sydney\/\">Sydney<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We offer one-way hire, so you could drop off your vehicle at one of our offices in Newcastle \u2013 you\u2019ll find us at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/car-hire\/au\/newcastle\/williamtown-airport\/\">Williamtown Airport Newcastle<\/a>, and in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/car-hire\/au\/newcastle\/beresfield\/\">Beresfield<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/car-hire\/au\/newcastle\/charlestown\/\">Charlestown<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When heading to Newcastle from Sydney, many people hit the freeway and get there as fast as possible. While that might be ideal if you\u2019re driving to Newcastle for a weekend getaway, it means you miss out on a lot of beautiful scenery. Another option is to turn the journey into a road trip by&#8230;<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":108,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[76,122],"class_list":{"0":"post-5408","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-travel","7":"tag-newcastle","8":"tag-roadtrips-nsw","9":"entry"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Sydney to Newcastle: A Roadtrip in 5 Stops - SIXT Magazine Australia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Take a cruise to a pearl farm, meet a Galapagos tortoise, jump on a 500-metre-long zipline and wander through a petrified forest.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/travel\/sydney-to-newcastle-a-roadtrip-in-5-stops\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sydney to Newcastle: A Roadtrip in 5 Stops - SIXT Magazine Australia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Take a cruise to a pearl farm, meet a Galapagos tortoise, jump on a 500-metre-long zipline and wander through a petrified forest.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/travel\/sydney-to-newcastle-a-roadtrip-in-5-stops\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SIXT Magazine Australia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-11-13T21:43:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-16T23:35:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/Broken-Bay-Pearl-Farm-copy.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"538\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"arvinf\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"arvinf\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Sydney to Newcastle: A Roadtrip in 5 Stops - SIXT Magazine Australia","description":"Take a cruise to a pearl farm, meet a Galapagos tortoise, jump on a 500-metre-long zipline and wander through a petrified forest.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/travel\/sydney-to-newcastle-a-roadtrip-in-5-stops\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Sydney to Newcastle: A Roadtrip in 5 Stops - SIXT Magazine Australia","og_description":"Take a cruise to a pearl farm, meet a Galapagos tortoise, jump on a 500-metre-long zipline and wander through a petrified forest.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/travel\/sydney-to-newcastle-a-roadtrip-in-5-stops\/","og_site_name":"SIXT Magazine Australia","article_published_time":"2024-11-13T21:43:03+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-02-16T23:35:36+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":538,"url":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/Broken-Bay-Pearl-Farm-copy.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"arvinf","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"arvinf","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/travel\/sydney-to-newcastle-a-roadtrip-in-5-stops\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/travel\/sydney-to-newcastle-a-roadtrip-in-5-stops\/"},"author":{"name":"arvinf","@id":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/d3073790687d254a0e5854cc89d35b77"},"headline":"Sydney to Newcastle: A Roadtrip in 5 Stops","datePublished":"2024-11-13T21:43:03+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-16T23:35:36+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/travel\/sydney-to-newcastle-a-roadtrip-in-5-stops\/"},"wordCount":525,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/travel\/sydney-to-newcastle-a-roadtrip-in-5-stops\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/Broken-Bay-Pearl-Farm-copy.jpg","keywords":["Newcastle","NSW"],"articleSection":["Travel"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/travel\/sydney-to-newcastle-a-roadtrip-in-5-stops\/","url":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/travel\/sydney-to-newcastle-a-roadtrip-in-5-stops\/","name":"Sydney to Newcastle: A Roadtrip in 5 Stops - SIXT Magazine Australia","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/travel\/sydney-to-newcastle-a-roadtrip-in-5-stops\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/travel\/sydney-to-newcastle-a-roadtrip-in-5-stops\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/Broken-Bay-Pearl-Farm-copy.jpg","datePublished":"2024-11-13T21:43:03+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-16T23:35:36+00:00","description":"Take a cruise to a pearl farm, meet a Galapagos tortoise, jump on a 500-metre-long zipline and wander through a petrified forest.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/travel\/sydney-to-newcastle-a-roadtrip-in-5-stops\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/travel\/sydney-to-newcastle-a-roadtrip-in-5-stops\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/travel\/sydney-to-newcastle-a-roadtrip-in-5-stops\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/Broken-Bay-Pearl-Farm-copy.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/Broken-Bay-Pearl-Farm-copy.jpg","width":1024,"height":538,"caption":"Image credit: Broken Bay Pearl Farm"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/travel\/sydney-to-newcastle-a-roadtrip-in-5-stops\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Sydney to Newcastle: A Roadtrip in 5 Stops"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/","name":"SIXT Magazine Australia","description":"Travel Tips &amp; News from SIXT Rent a Car","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/#organization","name":"SIXT Australia","url":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/20\/2025\/11\/sixt-logo-png_seeklogo-320002.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/20\/2025\/11\/sixt-logo-png_seeklogo-320002.png","width":600,"height":600,"caption":"SIXT Australia"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/d3073790687d254a0e5854cc89d35b77","name":"arvinf","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f37a51dc0afb5637d2ac90fef7f89019adeeb1e568d663a64083ad97e578531e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f37a51dc0afb5637d2ac90fef7f89019adeeb1e568d663a64083ad97e578531e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"arvinf"},"url":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/author\/arvinf\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/108"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5408"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5408\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}