Nobbys Lighthouse, NewcastleCredit: Destination NSW
Aerial of Nobbys Lighthouse and Hunter River in Newcastle.
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Explore Newcastle’s picturesque coastline dotted with pretty beaches, historic ocean baths and excellent surf breaks. Here’s a water lovers' guide to New South Wales’s second-largest city, a two-hour drive north of Sydney.
Swim in picturesque ocean baths
Newcastle is home to the largest ocean pool in the southern hemisphere, Merewether Ocean Baths. Opened in 1935, it takes pride of place on Newcastle’s coastline and is a popular spot for locals and visitors alike. The complex includes two large pools, one deep main pool and a shallow pool perfect for kids. At popular Newcastle Beach, Newcastle Ocean Baths were opened in 1922 and sit beside a beautiful Art Deco pavilion. The baths have become one of Newcastle’s most significant historical landmarks.
The Bogey Hole, also known as the Commandant’s Baths, is another must-see attraction on Newcastle’s stunning coastline. The ocean pool can be found at King Edward Park and was carved out of a rock platform by convicts in 1819.
Cool off in pristine beaches
Newcastle is blessed with beautiful beaches within easy reach of the city centre. Nobbys Beach is great for swimmers and families with gentle waves that are patrolled year-round. It has rock pools to explore at low tide, snorkelling spots and photogenic sunsets. Dixon Park Beach is another great spot for families with a children’s playground, picnic tables and barbecues. Walk along the scenic Bathers Way, a 6km coastal walk connecting Newcastle’s pretty beaches from Merewether Ocean Baths to Nobbys Beach.
Surfers flock to Newcastle Beach, Stockton Beach and Mereweather Beach, one of Australia’s National Surfing Reserves and home the largest surfing festival in the southern hemisphere, Surfest.
Get your heart racing
There are plenty of activities for thrill-seekers in Newcastle. Kite and SUP are specialists in paddle boarding, wind surfing and kite boarding. Private and group stand-up paddleboarding classes are available, with various locations around Lake Macquarie. You can also try a private kite boarding or wind surfing lesson with the company’s fully qualified, experienced instructors.
For the ultimate adrenaline rush, Skydive Australia provide freefall experiences over Lake Macquarie. You’ll drop from an altitude of up to 15,000 feet and freefall at over 200km/h for 60 seconds before floating over Newcastle, while taking in incredible beach and city views.
Experience the ultimate coastal adventure with CoastXP tours. Choose from a range of heart-pounding activities, including a hike through rugged coastal national park; a cruise through the secluded bays, beaches and islands of Lake Macquarie; or the signature ‘Ride and Fly’ tour that couples a helicopter ride with an adventure boat experience.
Merewether Ocean Baths, Newcastle Credit: Destination NSW
People relaxing at Merewether's Ocean Baths in Newcastle.
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Merewether Ocean Baths, Newcastle Credit: Destination NSW
People relaxing at Merewether's Ocean Baths in Newcastle.
CoastXP Tours, Newcastle Credit: Destination NSW
A CoastXP tour group enjoying a cruise off the Newcastle coastline.
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CoastXP Tours, Newcastle Credit: Destination NSW
A CoastXP tour group enjoying a cruise off the Newcastle coastline.
Spot the wildlife
A short drive from Newcastle, the Hunter Wetlands National Park is a wildlife sanctuary great for walking, cycling, fishing and birdwatching. Discover the park on kayak with The School of Yak, as you paddle through unique waterways and mangrove forests and get up close with migrating wetland birds.
Whale watching is also popular during the annual migration between May and October each year. Nova Cruises operate whale-watching cruises from Newcastle, with the chance to see pods of dolphins, seals and sea birds as well as the majestic humpback whales.
Nobbys Lighthouse is also a top spot for whale watching as they travel along the coast. The lighthouse is nestled on Nobbys Head, a 10-minute walk from the beach carpark, and offers sweeping views over Newcastle and the surrounding coastline. The grounds are open Sundays 10am to 4pm, and entry to the site is free.
Note: Newcastle Ocean Baths are currently under refurbishment and will be closed until mid 2023.
Nobbys Beach and lighthouse, Newcastle Credit: Destination NSW
Nobbys Beach leading up to Nobbys Lighthouse on the south entrance of the Port of Newcastle.
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Nobbys Beach and lighthouse, Newcastle Credit: Destination NSW
Nobbys Beach leading up to Nobbys Lighthouse on the south entrance of the Port of Newcastle.
The Bogey Hole, Newcastle Credit: Destination NSW
The Bogey Hole, Newcastle
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The Bogey Hole, Newcastle Credit: Destination NSW
The Bogey Hole, Newcastle
Blue Pool, BermaguiCredit: Destination NSW
The scenic Blue Pool on the Bermagui coastline.
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You’ll find spectacular ocean pools dotted along the southern coastline of New South Wales. These handmade pools, fed by the ocean’s waves, are often built into the rocks near beautiful sandy beaches, can be hidden away along the coastline and are enjoyed mostly by locals. Ocean pools are great for kids learning how to swim, lap swimming and for a dip on the days when the waves are a little too big for your liking. Here’s where to find an ocean pool on the coast south of Sydney.
In the Illawarra
You’ll find many spectacular ocean pools in the Illawarra area, from south of the Royal National Park all the way through to the popular seaside town of Kiama. These include lovely pools at Coledale, Bulli, Towradgi, Port Kembla and North Wollongong.
Take the road through the Royal National Park to Stanwell Park and onto Coalcliff Beach, where the ocean pool is set against a dramatic backdrop of the escarpment.
Nuns Pool, at Flagstaff Point in Wollongong, is one of the oldest in the state, dating back to the 1830s. (The title of oldest ocean pool goes to the Bogey Hole in Newcastle, north of Sydney. It was built by convicts in 1819.) Located below the lighthouse, the Nuns Pool (formerly known as Chain Baths and used by the nuns of St Mary’s convent) sits in a small, sheltered cove and is accessed via a narrow path chiselled into the sandstone.
Further south at Kiama, the Blowhole Point Ocean Pool offers a safe swimming spot near the area’s famous blowhole, the largest in the world, on a headland near the town centre. This beautiful, hand-cut pool is an irregular shape and has a varied depth and rock bottom – it was also once a men-only bath. You can also take the 15-minute walk around Kiama Harbour from the blowhole to Black Beach Reserve. Here you can do 50-metre laps in the Olympic-size Continental Ocean Pool.
A 15-minute drive south of Kiama is the tiny coastal town of Gerringong. Head down to Gerringong’s Werri Beach for a swim at Ourie Ocean Pool, at the southern end of the beach. This rectangular pool, carved into a flat rock shelf, has a smooth concrete bottom and is perfect for a summer’s day dip.
Bulli Rockpool, Bulli Credit: Destination NSW
Sun setting over Bulli Rockpool, Bulli.
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Bulli Rockpool, Bulli Credit: Destination NSW
Sun setting over Bulli Rockpool, Bulli.
Ourie Pool, Gerringong Credit: Destination NSW
Scenic aerial over Ourie Pool off Werri Beach, Gerringong.
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Ourie Pool, Gerringong Credit: Destination NSW
Scenic aerial over Ourie Pool off Werri Beach, Gerringong.
From the Illawarra to the Shoalhaven
Drive an hour further south into the Shoalhaven region and seek out Huskisson Sea Pool at Huskisson. This coastal town has a rich shipbuilding heritage, which you can explore at the Jervis Bay Maritime Museum after your swim.
A 45-minute drive south of Huskisson brings you to Mollymook, where you’ll find the South Coast’s famous Bogey Hole, a natural rock pool on the headland south of the beach. There’s also a lovely ocean pool at Ulladulla, a five-minute drive further down the coast.
On the Sapphire Coast
One of the state’s most famous ocean pools is found at Bermagui, a little over five hours by car from Sydney, on the Sapphire Coast. Bermagui’s Blue Pool is revered as one of the prettiest, filled with azure-hued water fading to turquoise and green. At 50 metres long it makes for a great lap-swimming pool and there’s also a shallow wading pool, ideal for kids, just next to the pool.
One of the southernmost ocean pools on the NSW coastline is the Aslings Beach Rock Pool, a hidden gem carved into the pink-and-white cliffs at Aslings Beach in Eden, a six-hour drive from Sydney. It’s only a short walk from town, but its low profile makes it hard to spot from further down the beach. Make your way over the rocks from the beach and take a dip at low tide before the waves have a chance to deposit any seaweed.
Blue Pool, Bermagui Credit: Destination NSW
The picturesque Blue Pool situated along the Bermagui coastline.
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Blue Pool, Bermagui Credit: Destination NSW
The picturesque Blue Pool situated along the Bermagui coastline.
Aslings Beach Rock Pool, Eden Credit: Destination NSW
Aerial overlooking Aslings Beach Rock Pool in Eden.
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Aslings Beach Rock Pool, Eden Credit: Destination NSW
Aerial overlooking Aslings Beach Rock Pool in Eden.