South of the city centre, this magnificent, wide stretch of sand has excellent surfing conditions and is the home strand of the legendary Aussie surfer Mark Richards. At the southern end is a huge sea pool. The northern extreme of the same beach is called Bar Beach.

Bus 21 gets you to Merewether Beach from the centre's eastern end, or take bus 12 from Hunter St near Newcastle Interchange.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Newcastle attractions

1. Merewether Aquarium

0.08 MILES

Not an aquarium in the traditional sense, this pedestrian underpass has been charmingly transformed into a pop-art underwater world by local artist Trevor…

2. Bar Beach

0.8 MILES

This popular surfing break, 1.5km south of the city centre, is at the northern end of a long strand that's called Merewether Beach at its southern end.

3. Newcastle Art Gallery

1.65 MILES

Ignore the brutalist exterior, as inside this remarkable regional gallery are some wonderful works. There's no permanent exhibition; displays rotate the…

4. King Edward Park

1.7 MILES

This magnificently landscaped ocean-side park offers sweeping views, lots of grass and plenty of shady spots for lounging around. The best views are from…

6. Newcastle Museum

1.81 MILES

This attractive museum in the restored Honeysuckle rail workshops tells a tale of the city from its Indigenous Awabakal origins to its rough-and-tumble…

7. Christ Church Cathedral

1.93 MILES

Dominating the city skyline, Newcastle's Anglican cathedral is filled with treasures like a gold chalice and a remembrance book made from jewellery…

8. Lock-Up

2.15 MILES

These days artists in residence, rather than prisoners, occupy this former police station (1861). There’s a dynamic contemporary-art program, artists…