{"id":5435,"date":"2024-12-05T21:29:50","date_gmt":"2024-12-05T21:29:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/?p=5435"},"modified":"2025-01-06T00:48:46","modified_gmt":"2025-01-06T00:48:46","slug":"locals-guide-to-newcastles-great-outdoors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/travel\/locals-guide-to-newcastles-great-outdoors\/","title":{"rendered":"Local’s Guide to Newcastle’s Great Outdoors"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s no secret that Newcastle<\/a>\u2019s beaches are among the best on the NSW coast. But they\u2019re just the beginning of the city\u2019s great outdoors.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As many locals know, Newcastle is also a great spot for many other adventures, from hiking and cycling to horse riding and sandboarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s where to go and what to do in and around town if you\u2019re dreaming of a break that involves plenty of fresh air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SWIMMING AND SURFING AT INCREDIBLE BEACHES <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Newcastle\u2019s beaches are already famous, but it\u2019s worth recapping the best ones. No holiday in the city is complete without a swim or surf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start at Newcastle Beach, just a stone\u2019s throw from the CBD, where you can catch a wave, have a game of volleyball and swim in the Newcastle Ocean Baths. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, head to Nobby Beach for snorkelling and dolphin spotting, followed by Horseshoe Beach for a kayak, then Merewether Beach to swim in the biggest ocean baths in the southern hemisphere, built in 1935.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Nobbys
Image credit: scevdog<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

HIKING ALONG STUNNING TRAILS <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best known of Newcastle\u2019s walking trails is the Bather\u2019s Way, a six-kilometre path along the coast that passes by several beaches and ocean pools. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a much shorter stroll that takes in stunning coastal views while paying homage to the thousands of local soldiers who fought in the First World War, take the ANZAC Memorial Walk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A different experience altogether is to be had along the Warners Bay Foreshore, which follows the tranquil shores of Lake Macquarie for nine kilometres from Eleebana in the northeast to Booragul in the northwest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, for a taste of Newcastle\u2019s inland, try the Yuelarbah Walking Track. It\u2019s a seven-kilometre return hike among rainforest and waterfalls in the Glenrock State Conservation Area.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

CYCLING ON SPECTACULAR BIKE PATHS <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swap your feet for wheels on Newcastle\u2019s many bike paths. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For an easy starter, follow the shared pathway for one-and-a-half kilometres from Nobbys Beach Surf Club to the end of the breakwall. It\u2019s flat and affords views of Newcastle Harbour and Stockton Sand Dunes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more of the harbour, but on its stillwater side, return to Nobbys, then cycle west towards Honeysuckle \u2013 or, if you\u2019ve the energy, all the way to Wickham. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inland, one of the best cycle paths is the Fernleigh Track, a 15-kilometre trail from Adamstown, which is just west of the Newcastle CBD, to Belmont on Lake Macquarie\u2019s eastern shore. It follows a disused railway track through forests, wetlands and even a tunnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Stockton
Image credit: Halans<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

SANDBOARDING DOWN ENORMOUS DUNES <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This one\u2019s for the adrenaline junkies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just north of Newcastle is Stockton Beach, and behind it lie the Stockton Dunes \u2013 the biggest moving sand dunes in the southern hemisphere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Towering at 30 metres in height, they\u2019re ideal for sand boarders who aren\u2019t afraid of heights. That said, if you\u2019re a beginner, you can start on a smaller dune and work your way up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If sand boarding isn\u2019t for you, then experience the Stockton Dunes in another way \u2013 by hiking, motorbike, car or 4WD. There are plenty of tour operators in the area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

HORSE RIDING AMONG BEAUTIFUL SCENERY <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For another unusual adventure, book a horse ride. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Sahara Trails, which is in Port Stephens (around 30 minutes\u2019 drive north), you can choose between a ride through casuarina forests where you might spot wild koalas and a trot (or gallop) along sweeping Stockton Beach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other nearby options include Hunter Valley Horses, which runs trail rides around a pretty 300-acre property in Lovedale (50 minutes\u2019 drive northwest of Newcastle), and AAA, in the foothills of the Watagan Mountains (45 minutes\u2019 drive south).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GETTING TO NEWCASTLE <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Newcastle is an easy two-hour drive from Sydney<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, if you\u2019re coming from another city, or don\u2019t want to spend much time on the road, fly to Williamtown Newcastle Airport<\/a>, then jump into a SIXT car rental.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s no secret that Newcastle\u2019s beaches are among the best on the NSW coast. But they\u2019re just the beginning of the city\u2019s great outdoors.\u00a0 As many locals know, Newcastle is also a great spot for many other adventures, from hiking and cycling to horse riding and sandboarding. Here\u2019s where to go and what to do…<\/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-5435","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":"\nLocal's Guide to Newcastle's Great Outdoors - SIXT Car Rental<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As many locals know, Newcastle is a great spot for many outdoors adventures, from hiking and cycling to horse riding and sand boarding.\" \/>\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\/locals-guide-to-newcastles-great-outdoors\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Local's Guide to Newcastle's Great Outdoors - 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