{"id":5318,"date":"2006-06-24T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2006-06-24T11:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/shiny-new-newcastle\/"},"modified":"2006-06-24T11:30:00","modified_gmt":"2006-06-24T11:30:00","slug":"shiny-new-newcastle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/2006\/06\/shiny-new-newcastle\/","title":{"rendered":"Shiny New Newcastle"},"content":{"rendered":"

Shiny New Newcastle<\/span><\/p>\n

by Roderick Eime – OUTthere Magazine<\/p>\n

Smelly, smoky buses, noisy old cars and shabby, grimy storefronts is what I remember of Newcastle when I first visited the no-nonsense steel and coal city in the late 1970s. Definitely not the sort of place you\u2019d ever consider for a holiday.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Today, I can barely recognise Hunter Street. A stylish, harbourside promenade graces the foreshore along with sparkling new apartments, Scratchley\u2019s exclusive restaurant and the immaculate, brand new Crowne Plaza \u2013 all part of a multi-million dollar facelift for this once glum industrial city.<\/p>\n

In line with similar waterfront rejuvenations like Port Adelaide, Wollongong and even Cardiff in Wales, these once simply utilitarian ports had all the appeal of a post-industrial scrapyard. Newcastle is in the midst of beautification scheme that is more than skin deep.<\/p>\n

Newcastle Council\u2019s Economic and Tourism Development team are working overtime to present their city as an attractive hub, not just for a quick weekend away, but also as a vibrant business hub for new investment.<\/p>\n

Whilst retaining the crucial functionality of Australia\u2019s oldest commercial port, Newcastle is reinventing its marine and nautical lifestyles in way more conducive to the needs and expectations of the modern world. Beautifully renovated Victorian and Edwardian buildings retain the charm of downtown, while smart hotel developments exploit the fantastic beachfront environment.<\/p>\n

Australia\u2019s second oldest city has plenty around town for the history and art buffs \u2013 and it\u2019s all within easy walk from the centre of town.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Cooks Hill: the local art precinct, stroll amongst the many funky galleries, cafes and boutiques.
\u2022 The Junction: at least window-shop this upmarket retail precinct, the haunt of Newcastle\u2019s increasing population of the well-to-do.
\u2022 Hamilton: Newcastle\u2019s cosmopolitan hub was largely rebuilt after the 1989 earthquake. Loaf along colourful Beaumont Street and soak up the Mediterranean lifestyle.<\/p>\n

For those looking for something a little more immersive, a range of very accessible activities include:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Scenic helicopter joyflights: Spot whales and dolphins off shore, or take a longer trip to the Hunter Valley or Port Stephens
\u2022 Learn to Surf: Hook up with a former world circuit pro, Daniel Frodsham, and learn to hang ten.
\u2022 Go kayaking: Jump in a sea kayak and explore the harbour up close.
\u2022 Youloe-ta: Explore a 5 hectare bush tucker garden with local Aboriginals. Book ahead for ceremonial dancing and other activities.
\u2022 Fort Scratchly: the only Australian coastal fort to fire its guns in anger. This historic Crimean War-era fort is now an enthralling museum.<\/p>\n

Just out of the town is the world famous Hunter Valley with all it has to offer, and to the north, the vast and highly significant 2500 year old Stockton sand dunes of Port Stephens.<\/p>\n

Based in an oasis in the middle of this vast sea of rolling dunes is \u201cSand Safaris\u201d, an adventure tour operator with a distinct difference. After a short, but intense safety and riding instruction, we spent two hours aboard 350cc \u2018Quad Bikes\u2019 exploring the seemingly endless expanse of sand that continues to grow and consume the coastal forests at Stockton Beach.<\/p>\n

Far from a free-for-all \u201choonfest\u201d, Sand Safaris encourages you to enjoy your ride and have fun without resorting to wild, hair-raising exploits \u2013 not that you need be tempted. The near vertical drop into the massive sand bowl was enough to keep the adrenaline junkies quiet for a moment or two!<\/p>\n

In a convoy of up to twelve machines on the \u201cCoastal Desert Discovery Tour\u201d, you\u2019ll see the fascinating WWII defence relics, the largest shipwreck on the shores of Australia (Sygna) as well as the sheer beauty of these huge sand formations.<\/p>\n

For More Info:<\/p>\n

Newcastle Tourism
www.visitnewcastle.com.au
Ph: 02 4974 2999<\/p>\n

Crowne Plaza Newcastle
www.newcastle.crowneplaza.com
Ph: 02 4907 5000<\/p>\n

Sand Safaris Active Adventure Tours
www.sandsafaris.com.au
Ph: 02 4965 0215<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Shiny New Newcastle by Roderick Eime – OUTthere Magazine Smelly, smoky buses, noisy old cars and shabby, grimy storefronts is what I remember of Newcastle when I first visited the no-nonsense steel and coal city in the late 1970s. Definitely not the sort of place you\u2019d ever consider for a holiday. Today, I can barely […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5318","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5318","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5318"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5318\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5318"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5318"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5318"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}