During the last school holidays went spent our time reconnecting with our home town. 

Here are our favourite 5 places to visit in Newcastle…. That are all free!!! 

                                                                                                                                                   Blackbutt reserve.

Blackbutt reserve is a terrific park that has open spaces to play and explore in a bush setting. It has bushwalks, picnic areas, bbqs, playgrounds and wildlife to meet! On the Carnley ave side they have wildlife exhibits that include wombats, emus, kangaroos, koalas and a variety of birds and reptiles. They also have meet and greets with the animals and organise school holiday Junior Ranger Days for the kids. A great place to hang out with family and friends and a favourite of ours! 

Where: Carnley Avenue, Kotara NSW 

Need to know: There is parking costs and the meets and greets have a fees attached. The Freyberg street (Ritchley reserve) side is generally less crowded and you can access the wildlife exhibits via a short bushwalk. 

The Fernleigh track.

The Fernleigh track is a path that follows an old railway track running for 15km from Adamstown to Belmont. There is plenty of different places to access the track and the signage is terrific. One of the best spots is just along from the start at Adamstown where the track goes through an old tunnel, the kids loved travelling through on their bikes calling out to hear the echo! Also if you are into Geocaching you will find plenty along here.

Where: Starts at Park Av and Bailey St Adamstown, Nsw

Need to know: People use this track for training on their racing bikes, sometimes at high speed so watch your kids and make sure they stay on the left. It is dog friendly, just make sure you take bags and pick up their poo’s 

Glenrock State Conservation Reserve.

If you are looking for an interesting and easy bushwalk close to town check out the Yuelarbah trail at Glenrock reserve . This walk takes you along boardwalks and trails that take you along past creeks, waterfalls, the lagoon and eventually led you onto the beach. There is a look out along the way and is well sign posted. if you are feeling energetic you can continue along the beach or along some of the other tracks that are there.

Where: Burwood road, Kahibah, Nsw

Need to know: Be careful swimming on the beach, it is unpatrolled and sometimes has rips, also the lagoon is sign posted that it is unsafe to swim so maybe stick to beach combing instead! Dogs aren’t allowed (although we have seen a few on the track), the first part of the track is wheelchair freindly and you will find picnic tables at the beginning and along the track.

Nobbys breakwalk

If you are looking for another walk, with views of the city and the working harbour, a walk/bike ride along the Nobbys breakwall is great!. The path is easy and flat and takes you out to the edge of the harbour where you can sit and maybe spot a whale or two during their migration! You can also spot seals swimming in the water and watching the pilot boats bring in the huge coal ships is also fun for the kids. Along the way is the lighthouse and when you get back from your stroll there is Nobbys beach which is worth a swim especially in summer!

Where: Nobbys road Newcastle,Nsw

Need to know: Nobbys lighthouse is open on Sundays from 10am till 4pm for visits and is quiet interesting, it can get quiet blowy out along the wall in Winter so bring a jacket and just beside the breakwall is a great dog beach called Horseshoe bay.

Newcastle art gallery.

One of our favourite free things to do in Newcastle on the weekends is visit the Art Gallery. The exhibitions are forever changing and they are accommodating to kids. One the weekends they have a free program called Art Cart which introduces the kids to the exhibit that is presently being shown and encourages them to join in with an art experience. They also hold special night sessions for the kids which they use torches to explore the art works. Great place to hang out during the holidays or on a wet weekend!

Where: Laman Street, Newcastle NSW

Need to know: Art cart is held on the weekends between 10.30 and 12.30, you don’t need too book, they are close Mondays and across the road is Civic park another cool place to hang out and have some lunch.

In putting this post together I realised that we have alot more places that we love in our city. I guess there will be another top 5 in the future!

Have you ever been to Newcastle?

What were you favourite places to visit?

Safe Travels

Kerrie

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