The Greenwood Guide: Newcastle

When our daughter hosted two exchange students from the UK recently, we thought we’d squeeze in a little adventure before heading back home to Molong. We wanted to show them another side of Australia before introducing them to country life, and Newcastle felt like the perfect choice.

What followed was a few days filled with incredible food, beautiful beaches, gorgeous little shops and plenty of laughs. If you’re planning a weekend away, here’s everywhere we loved.

Stay: Mr Brooks on Brown

Finding accommodation for a group isn’t always easy, but this place was an absolute winner.

We stayed at Mr Brooks on Brown, a beautifully renovated home right in the heart of Newcastle, lovingly brought back to life by my clever friends, Prue and Andrew Swain. They’ve created something really special.

With six gorgeous double bedrooms, beautiful living spaces and every little detail thought of, it’s the perfect place for a girls’ getaway, a few families travelling together or anyone wanting somewhere a little bit special.

Honestly, you could quite happily stay put for two days and never leave… but with a house full of teenagers, that was never going to happen!

Sunrise at Nobbys Lighthouse

If you're an early riser, don't miss the walk out to Nobbys Lighthouse for sunrise.

Watching the sun come up over the ocean is such a beautiful way to start the day, and it's one of those simple moments that end up becoming your favourite memories.

Dinner at Susuru

One evening we headed to Susuru, and it definitely lived up to the hype.

I ordered the ramen, which was exactly what I felt like on a cool winter’s night, warming, comforting and absolutely delicious. The whole table loved their meals, and the atmosphere was buzzing.

Lunch at Sunnyboy

For lunch we walked down to Sunnyboy, and I’m so glad we did.

The sandwiches are next level, packed with fresh ingredients and full of flavour, and the smoothies were just as good.

It was a beautiful winter’s day, so we grabbed our lunch, found a spot on the grass and soaked up the sunshine. It was one of those simple moments that ended up being a highlight of the trip, good food, good company and a little winter sun. Bliss.

Light Years

No trip to Newcastle feels complete without a visit to Light Years.

The food is always incredible, the cocktails are amazing, the service is consistently on point and the whole place has such a great vibe. It’s one of those restaurants that never disappoints, and I’d happily go back every single visit.

Winter Swim at Merewether Ocean Baths

The exchange students were determined to tick off an Australian ocean swim, so naturally we headed to the iconic Merewether Ocean Baths.

They jumped straight in despite it being the middle of winter! I, on the other hand, was more than happy to stay warm and cheer them on from the sidelines.

Wander Darby Street

One of my favourite afternoons was simply wandering along Darby Street.

There are so many lovely little boutiques, cafés and interesting shops to discover.

My favourite find was Palinopsia, a beautiful little ceramics store filled with handmade pieces. If you've followed Greenwood Designs for a while, you'll know handmade ceramics are right up my alley. I could have happily taken half the shop home.

Explore the Newcastle Art Gallery

We also spent a couple of hours exploring the newly reopened Newcastle Art Gallery.

It was such a lovely way to slow the pace down a little. There were some beautiful exhibitions, plenty of inspiring pieces and it was the perfect balance to all the eating, shopping and sightseeing.

Would We Go Back?

Without a doubt.

One of the things I loved most about Newcastle was just how easy it was. Everything is so close, you can park the car and wander, and there’s always something to do, whether that’s grabbing a great coffee, discovering a new restaurant, browsing beautiful little boutiques or taking in the coastline.

It has this relaxed energy that’s hard not to love. Beautiful beaches, incredible food, gorgeous places to stay and plenty to keep everyone entertained, even a house full of teenagers.

If you’re looking for an easy weekend escape, I’d happily recommend every place on this list.

We came home with full bellies, lots of laughs, plenty of memories… and a few new favourite spots we’ll definitely be visiting again.

Have you been to Newcastle? I’d love to hear your favourite finds for our next visit.