Newcastle Australia

Christ Church

One of my favorite stops on our cruise was Newcastle, Australia. We didn't have an excursion planned and decided to wing it in the city.

Newcastle is a city on the east coast of Australia with a beautiful inner city, small city vibe and long beautiful beaches with a bluff looking down on the beaches.

We started the day in the inner city walking the main shopping area and then made our way up a hill to the Christ Church. It is a nice walk from downtown and on the way there is a cemetery where you will find grave sites from the convict era. It was interesting to read how some had died and their ages. The church itself is a Gothic style and being up on a hill stood out as our ship arrived. You can tour the church as I would recommend.

After touring the church we wanted to get some lunch and took a taxi to one of the beaches for food and drinks. The driver recommended the Merewether Surfhouse at Merewether Beach. The restaurant sits on a bluff overlooking the beach with incredible views. Also at Merewether Beach you will see the Merewether Baths. The baths are swimming pools built into the beach. There are filled from the ocean during the tides and provide a safe place to swim where you don't have to worry about rip tides and sea creatures. I found the best part of Newcastle to be their beaches. I also learned that Newcastle is a port city where coal is exported to other countries, mainly China. From the beach you will find ships lined up waiting to be filled with coal.

After lunch we did something I like to do in a city I have never been to before. I did it in Rome and it really worked out. So after lunch we had the same taxi driver take us on a tour of the city. It is fairly inexpensive and if you get the right driver you will get a flavor of the city you won't get on a normal tour.

After the tour it was back to the ship. I really liked Newcastle. It does not have the big city feel and is the type of city I could live in.

Merewether Beach

Merewether Surfhouse Restaurant