Newcastle NSW. Info for potential arrivals.
 

When I moved here 8 years ago, I knew absolutely nothing about Newcastle (Newy) and took a huge risk coming here. It’s growing rapidly and I have noticed that events that used to only happen in bigger cities are now also happening here.
As it becomes a viable option for more people, I thought I’d write something to help others who may consider it.
Everything below is my opinion.

Pros:
*Great weather. Lots of blue skies, Summers can have some unbearably hot days but they tend to last a day or so then the temp drops. Mostly hovers around a lovely beach- going 30- 32 degrees. Winter is cold overnight but sunny and bright during the day. Hoodies generally needed, not coats.
*Amazing beaches. Beautiful, not packed, and easy access. Just pull up in the car and enjoy.
*Greenery: lots of bush around which makes for some lovely looking suburbs.
*Nightlife: has improved drastically. There’s plenty for my age group (40s) and my 21 yo daughter is always out. My daughter did not enjoy going out in London before the pandemic, nor the smallish town that we came from. She loved Dublin though, and loves Newy.
*There are lots of great restaurants too. Sure, a bigger city would have more, but how many do you need? Most people will only travel so far to a restaurant.
*There are 3 major shopping centres in the area. This is a plus for me as I had to drive for miles in the UK (I lived in Dorset).
*The vineyards are 45 minutes away and are great for a day out.
*Music: lots of huge bands come to the vineyards and there is a great local music scene.
*Proximity to Sydney: an easy 2 hours.
*Cafe culture: Newy has a great cafe culture
*Airport: soon to be upgraded to an international airport
* Chosen by NSW government as an innovation hub.
* Traffic is generally good. There are some areas that clog up, but mostly the traffic flows well.
* World class University.
* Newy is a hidden gem. It used to be an industrial city and lots of Aussies still have this view, so stayed away. This is a good thing but is changing. Lots of Sydney Siders are relocating here and it’s having an impact (see cons).
* Postion. Great position on the East coast. Easy drive to Sydney, about 8 hours to Gold Coast / Brisbane & 10 hours to Melbourne, plus regular flights.
* Expat community. Not nearly as big as the major cities so a lot of us know each other and offer support. I like the fact that Newcastle is an Aussie city and not UK-in-the-sun.
Most Brits and Irish that move here absolutely love it. Sure, there are some unhappy people but they are largely unhappy because they are away from home rather than anything Newcastle specific.
* Like most other places in Australia, there’s a great tradition of volunteering: surf lifesaving, SES, Rural Fire Service.
* 30 odd km of sand dunes. 4x4ing is very popular here.
* 20 minute city. Even the outer suburbs are approx 20 minutes or less to the city centre or beach.
* Newcastle is surrounded by beauty. Sea / beaches to the East, Vineyards & bush to the west, Lake Macquarie to the south, Nelson Bay / state conservation areas to the North.

Cons
* Art & culture. Other than music, Newcastle lacks a bit in this area. There’s some great street art and the major Van Gogh interactive exhibition is coming here along with all the big cities, but there is not much in the way of galleries. There is only one small museum and it’s based around Newcastle’s previous industrial history.
* House prices are high and are increasing. This is largely to do with the influx of Sydney-siders, plus people being able to take jobs in Sydney and work form home several days per week.
*Housing availability - there is currently a rental crisis. It’s very hard to find one and there’s lots of competition. Lack of homes to buy is also a factor in prices rising.
* Public transport form the outer suburbs is patchy. It really could be improved. Newy is a car city and residents whinge constantly about the lack of parking in the centre.
* Newcastle has the biggest coal terminal in the world. Some see this as a “pro” due to jobs, but personally I see it as a con due to environmental impact. Coal is dug out of the Hunter Valley and loaded onto ships at the Port of Newcastle.

Other:
*We had to adapt when we moved here. No one gets really dressed up in designer clothes for example. People dress for the weather and it’s unusual in summer to see men in smart shorts and polo t-shirts like you might elsewhere. It’s singlet and thongs.
This is the same whether in a manual labour job or a professional job. It’s impossible to tell someone’s background unless you ask them.
*There is no politeness in driving, people don’t wave each other out or say thank you. If someone indicates that they are going to pull in front of you then they ARE going to do that and you should let them. It’s just the way it is. A lot of expats get upset by it at first, but once you adapt it’s a lot easier.
We landed here by accident having considered Melbourne, Perth and GC and we are very happy we did.

In summary, if you are into designer clothes, art galleries, top fee- paying schools, etc. then Newy isn’t for you.
If you enjoy an outdoor lifestyle, cafe culture, sport, and community feel then it’s worth a look. (Just to add - we are not a sporty family but we do love being outdoors).

Re: Newcastle NSW. Info for potential arrivals.
 

I quite like Newcastle and would definitely prefer to live there than Sydney.

Re: Newcastle NSW. Info for potential arrivals.
 

I'm going to be in Newcastle in a couple of weeks for a few nights. I know if you live somewhere you don't generally know much about the local hotels, but just in case, do you have any recommendations either for a specific hotel or the right area to get the best out of Newcastle. We'll be eating out....

Re: Newcastle NSW. Info for potential arrivals.
 

The proximity to the vineyards was mentioned as a pro but what about the proximity to Port Stephens? One of the most beautiful spots in Australia.

Re: Newcastle NSW. Info for potential arrivals.
 

Newcastle has dreadfully muggy weather for 8 months of the year.
The beaches are average (ex. Nelson Bay which are not bad).
The scenery is repetitive and boring. A few mediocre spots (Pokolbin loop), but ruined by the muggy weather.
There is a hippy tourist trap that is called a "wine region" yet its not a climate suitable for wine at all.
The shopping malls are good, but there is no city centre and besides the prominade what is there is largely derelict.
If you like near Sydney rental/house prices minus the well paid jobs, Newcastle might be for you.

Re: Newcastle NSW. Info for potential arrivals.
 

One of only two places I would live in Australia and I have. Massive transformation in recent times and always has arguably the best beaches etc in the country. Add the wineries and Lake Macquarie as a bonus. Booming food/cafe scene too…

Re: Newcastle NSW. Info for potential arrivals.
 

With the borders shut you could pick many a worse spot for a domestic break.

- Fly into Newcastle Airport, rent a car, then spend a night in Newcastle.
- Drive up to the Hunter Valley for a day of wine tasting, then get a good evening meal in
- Drive up to Barrington Tops and have a ponder around the National Park.
- Drive down to Blueys or Boomerang Beach for a couple of days of relax
- Cap it off with a treat at either the Anchorage, Bannisters or the Ramada Hotels in Port Stephens for a couple of days. Probably Bannisters with a nice Rick Stein feed.

There would be no more than an hour drive between each stop. Nice road trip for these lock in times.

Re: Newcastle NSW. Info for potential arrivals.
 

I once watched a documentary where a bloke and I think his wife took canoes from pretty much the source of the Hunter River all the way to Newcastle, it looked like a great adventure that I wouldn't mind doing some day.

The most I've canoed so far is a couple of days down Kangaroo Valley with an overnight ad hoc camp approximately at the mid point. It was hard work though - the wind seemed to be against us all of the way and we had a fixed time to get to the pick up point near the dam wall that didn't take into account all the wind. I reckon another day would have been perfect with or without the wind, providing enough time to explore some of the inlets. It's incredible scenery around that way.

Re: Newcastle NSW. Info for potential arrivals.
 

Wow I just tracked that back it winds its way up north of Barrington Tops. I didn't know that. Looks nice further upstream. Its a bit plain down the Newcastle end.

Its nice up the top of the Kangaroo Valley. I once did a mountain bike in the other direction from KV and ended up in Jamberoo.

When you say dam do you mean Tallowa dam? If you keep going the other direction from Tallowa Dam in the opposite direction from Kangaroo Valley its pretty rugged up there. Canoed up there many years ago until you hit the first rapid, camped out a couple of nights on the beach then came back. It was beautiful weather and really quiet. Lots of goanna's kicking around.

Re: Newcastle NSW. Info for potential arrivals.
 

Yeah, it's really long. I remember the filming showed where the first trickle of water appears out of the ground, and the river gradually gets bigger and bigger, passing country towns complete with some old paddle steamers remaining if I remember correctly.

You know, I really don't know. A mate of mine and his son joined me and my two sons on the trip which we booked online and the company that we booked with. We just arrived at the place in my mate's car and the company did the rest, dropped the 5 of us at the riverside at midday on one day with the most basic of kit and maps and told us they'd see us the next afternoon about 30kms downstream, x marks the spot. :o

Re: Newcastle NSW. Info for potential arrivals.
 

I can't think of any dams upstream from the Tallowa Dam and anything downstream is the Shoalhaven River. Are you sure you weren't paddling against the current as well as wind?

Re: Newcastle NSW. Info for potential arrivals.
 

Don't you just love email, I've just dug up the receipt from 2012 (and blimey as long ago as that!). Turns out it was Bendeela to Tallowa Dam.

https://www.kangaroovalleycanoes.com...o-tallowa-dam/

Re: Newcastle NSW. Info for potential arrivals.
 

Ah right. Downstream. Nice spot for a canoe.

Re: Newcastle NSW. Info for potential arrivals.
 

Looking at the map I see there are some great walking trails around there. I must look further to see it it has camping points along the route. It would be great to do a few days of hiking through that wilderness. Saying that, it's quite hilly terrain for lugging camping gear. That was the beauty of canoeing: no gear to lump around with us.

Re: Newcastle NSW. Info for potential arrivals.
 

I camped here years ago. Nice spot. Lots of wombats cruising around

Griffins Farm
https://maps.app.goo.gl/mdnhfCPUp6oUtngj9

An electric mountain bike is good for getting to the remote spots with gear where there are lots of hills. A lot of fun too. The e mountain bike gets you up the hills with minimal effort.