N - Newcastle

Welcome to our tour of Australia. During the month of April we are going to visit our favourite spots in Australia. Come join us on our walkabout through the land down under.
 

Yesterday we visited one of Sydney's best beaches. Click here if you missed that post. Today we head north to see New South Wale's second biggest city.

Australia has hundreds of fantastic beaches but the ones at Newcastle are among our favourites. Each one has its own unique character and is worth a visit even if you aren't a swimmer or it is too cold for a dip.
What I Loved: No two beaches were the same and watching the surf rolling in was an experience that I don't get to see much near my home in America.

Newcastle Ocean Baths:
Ok so this technically isn't a beach but its right next to one and I wanted to include it in today's post. The Ocean Bathes use the water from the Pacific Ocean to fill the pool. Plus its within walking distance of the railway station.
Location: Shortland Esplanade, Newcastle East NSW (Click for Map)

The Ocean Baths building with the Pacific in the background.

 

It is normally filled with ocean water but it was being drained to clear out the sand when we visited.

 

The surf sometimes crashes over the sea wall towards the baths like it did here.

 

Looking north from the Ocean Baths towards Nobby's Beach.

 

Bar Beach
Located just a few minutes south of the Ocean Baths is Bar Beach. There is ample parking (at least when we were there) and it is a great spot to view the ocean and bath from an elevated view.
Location: Bar Beach, NSW (Click for Map)

A view of Bar Beach from the car park.

 

The cliffs to the north of Bar beach are spectacular as well.

 



Redhead Beach
This beach is located about 20-30 minutes from the centre of town and is harder to get to if using public transportation. However it is worth the trip to view the beach. There is a large series of cliff that have a red hue on the northern of the beach which gives the area the Redhead name.
Location: RedHead Beach (Click for Map)

The cliffs of Redhead beach

There are dozens of large rock and boulder formations along the beach.

 

Some of the rocks had this metallic formation in it. It had the look and feel of iron.

 

It was winter so the beach was not busy. It was really only us and this windsurfer there.



Getting There.
Car: Newcastle is about a 2 hour drive from Sydney.
Air: Newcastle airport is the closest airport. It is a short 30-45 minute flight from Sydney.
Train: There are several trains that connect Sydney and Newcastle daily. It is a 2-3 hour trip one way but saves you from sitting in traffic and has some lovely scenery on the way. 

Have you ever been to Newcastle? What are you blogging about today?