Holiday at Home: Top 10 Things to Do
NEWCASTLE
1. Take a walk (or ride a bike) – Memorial Walk, Nobby’s Head, Bathers Way, Fernleigh Track
2. Step back in time – be transported through history with a visit to Fort Scratchley, Miss Porters House or the Convict Lumberyard
3. Ride a ferry to Stockton beach for a pub lunch and barefoot bowls, or pack a picnic and enjoy the city views from the other side. Grab the kids (and their scooters/skateboards) and test drive the new Active Hub & Skateboard Park
4. Catch the culture at Newcastle Museum or Newcastle Art Gallery
5. Take in a show at the Civic Theatre or rock it out at Lizotte’s
6. Get back to nature at Blackbutt Nature Reserve or the Hunter Wetlands Centre
7. Dine al fresco along Honeysuckle and the Foreshore or eat your way down an Eat Street – Darby St + Beaumont St, Hamilton
8. Take a dip – Merewether Beach + Baths, Newcastle Beach, Nobbys Beach
9. Pack a picnic and head to King Edward Park for spectacular views and a spot of shade in the Rotunda
10. Shop ‘til you drop – explore the regions vast network of charming boutiques and quirky local businesses for something genuinely original. We’re thinking Darby Street and Hunter Mall for starters
HUNTER VALLEY
1. Sip & swirl at over 150 Wineries and Cellar Doors of the Hunter Valley. Self-drive or take a tour around the
numerous Wine Trails – grab a Wine & Dine and GO! (visit www.yourhuntervalley.com.au)
2. Delve into a distillery – vodka, gin, schnapps and liqueurs are all on offer at Hunter Distillery, Small Mouth Vodka and Hope Distillery (where you’ll also find Moonshine!)
3. Tempt your tastebuds – with over 60 restaurants and cafes boasting everything from bubbly breakfasts to fine dining degustation, the Hunter Valley truly is a culinary delight.
4. Step back in time at Morpeth, Maitland Gaol, Wollombi or Richmond Vale Railway Museum
5. Take the high road – go hot air ballooning with Balloon Aloft, take a whirl in a warbird with Aerohunter or take a scenic Helicopter Flight (bring a picnic!)
6. Stop & smell the roses at Hunter Valley Gardens. Delight the kids and go at night for the Christmas Lights Spectacular (until January 26)
7. Talk to the animals – get up close and personal with a Meerkat, Marmoset, Lemur or Tamarin at Hunter Valley Zoo
8. Hike the trails of the Watagans, World Heritage Barrington Tops or Werakata National Park
9. Take a seat in a saddle – whether it be on horseback at Hunter Valley Horseriding or a Grapemobile electric bike
10. Epicurean expedition – from Hunter Valley Chocolates to the Hunter Olive Centre and everything in between – pick up some local produce from a local providore
LAKE MACQUARIE
1. Take a hike (or ride a bike) – Warners Bay Foreshore to Speers Point, Fernleigh Track
2. Step back in Time at Dobell House
3. Get out onto the water – Lake Macquarie Cruises, Jetbuzz Water Sports or Lake Mac Sailing Tours, Lake Mac Kayak & SUP hire
4. Get cultured at Museum of Art & Culture Lake Macquarie (MAC) or Finite Gallery
5. Play around at Lake Mac Variety Playground (two hectares of fun)
6. Take a dip at Caves Beach, Red Head Beach, Dudley Beach or Catherine Hill Bay
7. Fly high – Matt Hall Racing, Skyline Aviation, Skydive Australia
8. Drop a line at Squid Ink Jetty, Swansea Channel or Pelican Foreshore
9. Get back to nature at Glenrock National Park, Moonee Beach Trail or Wallarah National Park
10. Catch the café culture along Warners Bay Foreshore, Toronto, Awaba House
PORT STEPHENS
1. Destination dunes – by foot, or take a Camel (Oakfield Ranch Camels), 4WD, Sand Board, ride a horse or quad-bike with Sand Dune Safaris – they’re all on offer!
2. Play around at Toboggan Hill Park with tobogganing, mini-golf, ice skating, rock climbin
g and more
3. Cuddle a koala at Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary
4. Talk to the animals at Oakvale Wildlife Park (travel to Lemur Island)
5. Sensational sea life – Dolphin Swim Australia, Irukandji Shark & Ray Encounters, Barramundi Farm
6. Take in the view from Tomaree Head Summit Walk, Port Stephens Lighthouse or Gan Gan Lookout
7. Soak up nature at Hunter Regional Botanic Gardens (great café too!)
8. Find a local providore and buy direct – Medowie Macadamia Farm, Murrays Brewery, Holberts Oyster Farm
9. Savour the marina-life – fabulous family vibe and plenty of great restaurants and cafes to while away a sunny afternoon at D’Albora Marina Nelson Bay
10. Cruise the waterways within the largest and most scenic Marine Park in NSW on board a charter or hire your own boat
