Planning the Perfect Day in Newcastle
When we visited Newcastle, I took on the challenge to plan the perfect day trip. As a relatively small city with an abundance of beautiful nature and great food all at your fingertips, it wasn’t hard to put together a fun and interesting day out that the whole family can enjoy!
Stop 1: The Wickham Boatshed
Locals love to soak in the sunshine at the Wickham Boatshed.
You’d be hard pushed to find a breakfast/brunch/lunch spot in Newcastle with better views than the Wickham Boatshed. Perched right on the harbourfront just to the west of the CBD and serving outstanding food, coffee, juices and more, this is the perfect spot to start your day out. Fuel up on tasty dishes such as their classic B&E Roll or Chilli Scramble, then take in the classic Nova Castrium views as you make your way up to Stop 2 of the day.
Stop 2: Fort Scratchley
Wander the grounds of Fort Scratchley for free or take a tunnel tour for a small fee!
For history buffs, Fort Scratchley is the perfect stop on your day out in Newcastle. Perched above the city with stunning views that once served as a military vantage point, visitors are welcome to roam the grounds free of charge. Volunteers around the gates to the fort will happily answer your questions and provide you with a map for your self-guided tour.
If you want a more immersive and informative experience, guided tours are run every day that the fort is open at intervals between 10:30am and 2:30pm. Despite my near-crippling claustrophobia, I opted for this option to gain a completely new and unique insight into a city I had otherwise become well acquainted with. Led by a passionate volunteer guide who takes you through the tunnels and to see the range of artillery and materials that were used and kept at Fort Scratchley, the tour lasts for about 90 minutes and is a truly fascinating experience.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $8.50 for children and $10 for concession. Infants and carers can join free of charge.
Stop 3: Blackbutt Reserve
Enjoy beautiful wildlife and nature rambles for free at Blackbutt Reserve
Blackbutt Reserve is a nature lover’s paradise located a short drive out of the city. With well-maintained boardwalks taking you through a range of animal habitats as well as daily feeding shows all completely free to enjoy, you can easily get your steps in while soaking up Australia’s natural beauty. We timed our visit to see the koala feeding and were disappointed to find out that the koalas had been recently moved to another reserve, but also happy to learn that it was for breeding purposes.
In the centre of the reserve is a large picnic area with BBQs, play equipment and water displays, making it the perfect place to enjoy a sunny day with the whole family. The reserve also has ample ticketed parking from which the main boardwalk is relatively accessible - but you may need to walk a short distance. Blackbutt Reserve is an amazing facility in Newcastle and we highly recommend popping by or even bringing a picnic next time you’re in town!
Stop 4: Big Banh Mi
Big Banh Mi makes one of the best crispy pork rolls you could ever dream to taste!
We happened across Big Banh Mi on a previous trip to Newcastle, and were absolutely blown away by their crispy pork banh mi. Crunchy bread, fresh veggies, beautiful butter, pate and sauce… and of course, pork belly that is crispy in all the right places, and soft and succulent in the rest. Unsurprisingly, if you are visiting around lunch time on a weekday, expect to wait in line with all the Newcastle yuppies in lunch break. Fear not, it is certainly worth it!
So good is this banh mi that we find it almost impossible to visit Newcastle now without stopping by. Level up your lunch here with the addition of their rice paper rolls and a Vietnamese coffee - everything we’ve tried there is fantastic! But if you arrive after 2pm you may luck out - these rolls are popular and WILL sell out.
