January 23, 2023
By Alexandra Carlton
Brought to you by Destination NSW
The once hardscrabble heart of NSW’s coal country has been transformed by hip bars, quirky cafés, cool boutiques and unique accommodations.
It may be the second-largest city in NSW but Newcastle has traditionally struggled for attention next to its prettier neighbours: the fertile wine country of the Hunter Valley to the west and the laid-back beach towns of the Central Coast and Mid North Coast. When you’re best known for steel and coal, it can be hard to get a date.
But Newcastle has had a makeover. While everyone was busy sipping chardonnay in Pokolbin and soaking up the rays on Avoca Beach, this city of hidden charms was quietly shaking off the dust, wiping away the grime and moving its famously creative DNA into the sunlight. (Some of the country’s most renowned musicians and artists, including rock band Silverchair and painter William Dobell, hail from the city.)