The city of Newcastle Newcastle is situated approximately 170 km north of Sydney, on the southeastern coast of Australia. Despite the population, the city does not feel very big, as it is spread over a large geographical area. Newcastle is mainly an industrial city, and thus it has a large and heavily trafficed port, from which considerable amounts of steel and coal is exported. Even so, the city is an enjoyable place, and there are lovely beaches almost in the city centre. The city is situated on a tiny piece of land between Hunter River and the Pacific Ocean.
Hunter River flows through Hunter Valley, also known as one of the best wine districts in Australia.
Newcastle is therefore a good starting point for day trips to vineyards in the valley. Also, the neighborship with Sydney means that the real city life is never far away, and neither is the rest of the world. This place of living was carefully selected, and it took only 10 minutes to walk to the nearest beach - Merewether Beach. Of course, one of the first things I did was to buy myself a surfboard, but I must admit that I never really got the surfing going. The northern end of Merewether Beach is also known as Dixon Park Beach.