Newcastle Favorites

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Favorite thing: The Green Point you can walk today is a result of a protracted battle over nearly 70 years that commenced when 400 hectares was at stake. In the end, 152 hectares were set aside as Green Point Foreshore Reserve after protracted negotiations with a developer who wanted to set up a major tourist complex and marina but ultimately was conceded 66 hectares for residential development only.

There are three main walking access points into the reserve: the end of Dilkera Avenue at Valentine, The Shores Way at Belmont and Green Point Drive behind Belmont Hospital.

Fondest memory: So you can walk one of the variety of walks, my favourite being the one along the foreshore. There’s also a bike track that takes you through the easterly section of the park on a concrete shared path.
The amount of wildlife is perhaps surprising considering the reserve’s proximity to housing and relatively small area but there’s definitely no shortage of birds, one of which I’ve been fortunate enough to see and that is the powerful owl. This predator is at the top end of the tree and feeds on possums and smaller creatures. It’s a large impressive bird and appropriately named.
I’ve also spied the scarlet honeyeater, lewin’s honeyeater, silvereye, red browed finch, numerous parrots, chestnut teal, magpies, mynahs, whip birds and others I’ve forgotten.
The bushland at Green Point features much native flora and fauna, adding interest to the walk. The flora includes open forests of Spotted Gum, Grey Gum, White Mahogany and Forest Red Gum. There is also remnant Littoral Rainforests. These areas provide habitat for native fauna including the Ring-tail Possum, Squirrel Glider and Sea Eagle. All this is easily encountered on the established walking trails throughout the reserve and improved access to the rainforest by a constructed boardwalk to preserve the area for the future.

Favorite thing: Out the back of Civic Railway Station there's a new attraction in town. It's the Newcastle Regional Museum and it took around a decade to get the old train workshop building converted into its new life.
There's also a kiosk there should you become a little peckish or thirsty.
Newcastle Museum is open 10am to 5pm, Tuesday to Sunday.

Fondest memory: You may think that it's just about local stuff but it's much more than that. There's a great place for the kids to learn about science in a room with interactive displays for instance.
Industry has a significant presence here because (a) it's what Newcastle was founded on and (b) industry kicked in a lot of money for the displays.
There are personal touches in one of the rooms with local people donating historical things of interest so there's a good cross section of items.
The variety is such that you will find something of interest there.
Another good thing is that it's FREE

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Favorite thing: Newcastle is rebuilding. Parts are being built on for the first time ever, others are being revitalized, still more have nothing happening at the moment, but that will change.
The shots here are of the new developments down at Honeysuckle by the harbour.

Fondest memory: The lower one features the Maritime Museum that, rather obviously, features much of Newcastle's important history in the area of shipping. There are some interactive displays, models, slide shows, lots of Pasha Bulker photos and much information.
It's open Tuesday to Sunday 10-4 and is right on the harbour.

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Favorite thing: It's changing. It's changing so rapidly the local council is keeping a file, renewed every 6 months or so, on what's happening. I've been lucky enough to be the main person taking pictures of these developments and thought I might include a few here taken in January 2011.

Fondest memory: The opening one is a panorama (you need to click on it to see it all, same as for pic 4) of the new apartment blocks and Sebel Town House (at rear). Though the original CBD is lagging behind as I write this, changes are in the wind.

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Favorite thing: If you are looking to escape the hustle and bustle of traffic then you might well consider the following.

Fondest memory: Glenrock State Recreation Area. This woodland lies with 5 kms of Newcastle's CBD and has forever been a popular area but, with the advent of the nearby Track, it seems to be even more popular.
One reason is that mountain bikers have trails in this area in addition to the walkers. The walks are mostly well marked but, in certain areas, it's just worn from human presence and then the water has done the rest.
The most popular walking track (accessed from the southern end) is Yuelarbah. This takes you beside Flaggy Creek (pic 4) and even crosses it (pic 2) before heading down the stairs (pic 5) towards Glenrock Lagoon (where there's a scout camp) and then the beach.
A lot of bike riders start just off Scenic Drive and go down Gun Club Road which is about the centre of the area.
Hang gliders can often be seen on the northern end when favourable winds are blowing and the beach, which can be accessed during the day via a sealed road, is a good fishing spot.

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Favorite thing: Within one and a half hours of Newcastle are some of Australia's best forests, be they rain or woodland.
To the north you have Barrington Tops which can be accessed through a number of roads though Dungog and Gloucester are probably the most popular.
On the southern side there's the Watagans, and one of the most popular spots in this park is Boarding House Dam.

Fondest memory: Of all the places to picnic in the Watagans this is certainly one of the most popular.
If you're looking for a large dam, you'll be sadly disappointed. It's just a small concrete affair that was probably erected for a boarding house, hence the name.
However, it's the location amid tall timbers with a small stream dissecting the valley that makes it a delight. There are toilets, barbecues and sheltered bench seats to make your stay pleasant. Then, when you've finished your meal you can take a stroll along the 640 metre made trail that takes you past the mossy wall (pic 3) for which the location is famous.

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Favorite thing: If you arrive at the Railway Station and head up Scott Street towards the ocean then, at 92, opposite Pacific Park, is the fine old stationmaster's residence (1858). Beautifully restored, it has iron columns supporting a porch with delicately patterned cast-iron lacework. Opposite, at the corner of Pacific and Scott Sts, is a building partially obscured by hedges and trees. It is the former Newcastle East Police Station (1880) built as a water police residence.
Further up the road where the buses terminate is Parnell Place and it takes you left towards Nobbys Beach. This thoroughfare was hit by shells from a Japanese submarine in 1942 when the city was on full alert.
The guns of nearby Fort Scratchley were only able to get off two ranging shots when a vessel scurrying for cover got in the way and the sub was able to escape.
To the immediate right is a small park where you'll note a large column. This belonged to the original courthouse (1841) on the corner of Bolton and Hunter Sts that was demolished in 1899 to make way for the post office.
At the end of Parnell Place is a complex intersection, to the side of which is a rusting monument to Newcastle's coalmining and shipping industries with a series of plaques depicting the evolution and interaction of both industries.

Fondest memory: This route can then take you to Nobbys and back along the harbour foreshore the restaurants that dot the waterfront.

Favorite thing: The Customs House was built facing the harbour in 1876 when Newcastle was already one of the world's busiest coal ports. This attraction is a unique example of an Italian Romanesque revival building with polychromatic brickwork and a fine clock tower. The whole thing was sandblasted to clean it up in the 1980's.
Surmounting the clock tower is a black time ball on a mast. It was dropped precisely at 1.00pm each day to give a visual time signal from which ships' chronometers could be accurately set.
The time ball was dysfunctional for a long time until a subscription got the funds to get it working again. Not long after that the earthquake occurred and jammed it again.
These days the Customs House is a restaurant and it has proved to be very popular.
It can provide a private boardroom lunch for 8 or a theatre style seminar for 200 in the upstairs function rooms.

Fondest memory: It sits across the way from the Newcastle Railway Station, whose fate is not so certain in the future as there is talk of cutting the rail link right into town. I, for one, am bitterly opposed to such a move.