1. Darby Street
2. Bar Beach
3. Nobby's Lighthouse
4. Merewether Suburbs
5. Newcastle Night Markets
6. Street Art
7. Hunter & King St
8. Christchurch Cathedral
9. The Bogeyhole
10. The Foreshore
The Foreshore is a great option if you're one of those awful people who hate sand and won't step foot on a beach (why are you in Newcastle?). But seriously, Newy's Foreshore is a great option when you don't want to get your feet wet. From here, walk along to The Brewery, or...
11. Customs House
12. Honeysuckle
13. Queen's Wharf Tower
It's an awesome vantage point, but you're better off walking up before you've visited The Brewery. The stairs look deceptively few in number.
14. Sunday Farmers Market
15. Coffee
16. Hipsters
17. 4WD on Stockton Beach
18. Terrace Bar
One of Newy's best kept secrets.
Sh.
19. Bathers Way Walk
20. Merewether Surfhouse
We're just going to put this out there, on the end of the coastal walk you're able to find delicious $10 pizzas on the beachfront. It's basically the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Go forth, and conquer.
21. Surfing
22. Surfers
Is this bad? Let's be honest, I don't care. Those not surfing are usually looking at the surfers. If ya know what I'm saying.
23. Nelson Bay
24. The University
The University itself is ranked 9th in Australia, and one of the best Universities under 50 in the world. The student body of 35,000 helps keep the city fresh, except for Wednesdays (that's student night).
25. International Student Base
Of that 35,000, over 6,000 are international students - Olá!
26. Sweet Traditions, The Junction
27. Bookshops
There are tiny shops crammed with old books all over Newcastle, and that combined with the coffee makes it a bookworms dream.
28. It's not Sydney.
If you ask Novocastrian locals, this is probably one of their favourite things about this city.
It has enough going on to keep you occupied, but it's also quiet enough for you to hear your own thoughts. You can escape to the beach for the weekend, without having to elbow small children for towel space (ahem, Bondi). Darby, Hunter and Beaumont St have adapted to integrate the European cafe culture, which is far from the hustle & bustle of Sydney.
This city has been built into one of Australia's best kept secret cities, and it's going to bloom within the next 10 years. Watch this space.