The thing that I really loved about this park was that they had converted the old railway sheds…read moreinto a barbeque shelter. The tracks are actually still visible leading up to the place. Oh, and there are restrooms as well, which is something that I tend to appreciate quite a lot. The park itself is pretty large, and quite well maintained also. Nice place to relax.

Honestly, this park isn't all that special, though I can't really knock a park all that much…read moreconsidering that any amount of greenery in the middle of a city is a pretty good thing, and this place is certainly one of those places. Look, it really isn't all that big, and there isn't really all that much here, but still it is a splash of greenery which still makes it pretty good.

Compact park on a gentle slope towards the beach. Flat paved paths criss-cross the greenery and…read moreshady trees. We'd heard about Friday Chill - a series of free open air gigs in the park every Friday evening in the summer - and came along on two evenings during our stay. Bring a picnic and some refreshments (or order pizzas to the park like the group near us did!) and enjoy the music as the sun goes down.

Amazing view that will never get old. A prime spot for walking, picnicking, car or people watching,…read morerelaxing and whale watching. Bring the kids for a play in the park and lunch by the rotunda. Or grab some cardboard for a slide down the hill. A popular spot for lawn parties and wedding ceremonies. A shame The Mattara Hill Climb is no longer held here but you will still see plenty of cars treating it like their own hill race. Cons for me are the regular smokers and obnoxious music blaring out of at least one car every visit. I've hit 30. Everything annoys me lol.

Neat park but it not very well lit at night which is a little sad. On the bright side (see what I…read moredid there?) it has a fantastic view of Newcastle that makes for some very good photos. There's also the Anzac memorial walk which is very close by and worth certainly worth seeing.

Blackbutt Reserve is a nature preserve that is free to the public. During my visit I was very…read moreimpressed at how well maintained the grounds are kept, how well the animals are cared for and how accessible the parking was. You can almost see as many animals at a park like this as you would in a typical zoo. We saw wallabies, koalas, peacocks, various birds and reptiles as well as wombats. I would highly recommend a visit to anyone local or from afar. You cannot go wrong here.

This is a great spot to bring your family for a barbecue. Free BBQ's…read more Plenty of things to do for the kids and gives the parents time to relax. If you have foreign guests they'll be able to see Aussie animals and well as touch them. There's native Australian birds too. A few hiking trails around to wear out those with extra energy and a well equipped playground for the kids. My little nephew loves it. Worth the visit. Good clean facilities.

What a cute little community. We didn't have too much time here maybe 45 minutes to grab a meal and…read moreget back on our bus for our Hunter Valley wine tour. We first sat at one restaurant and nobody even came to take her order, we are chosen this restaurant because they serve wine. So we return to the other restaurant that did not serve wine and had an amazing lunch that was brought to us very quickly. Well my friend ordered I went and grabbed a bottle of wine from the bottle shop around the corner. The bottle shop Staff was extremely friendly and help me select my wine, even offering me a few tastings to make sure I liked it before I bought it. How cool! I wish we had more time to spend here and there seem to be a lot of cute shops and things to do easily could've spent 2 to 3 hours. I know it's unrelated but being on a bus tour on a strict time schedule does not make for a relaxing day

I can't speak too much of the gardens as I was here for the Christmas Lights Spectacular but what I…read moredid see has me planning a return visit for Spring in the new year. The lights are here for their 10th year now and I'm pleased to see the addition of rides and food stalls. Great for kids and families however I came with my partner and we both enjoyed taking photos of the lights and changing sections, ie fairy garden, candy land, story book and world attractions. The paths were rarely congested but be sure to follow the one way direction for easier flow of the crowd. Plenty of parking.

A great place by the lake, especially for families. Abundant picnic space. Massive, fully fenced…read moreplayground. Cafe for coffee cravings. Pool facility. Bike/walking path along the water leading back to Warners Bay. Markets on the weekend and of course (if you're willing to chance the curse), Carols by Candlelight. Parking can be a bit challenging due to the popularity and sporting events. Single lane traffic on the main road can get very busy also.

A park for the whole family something for everyone. From a family picnic to bike riding or u want…read moreto go for a walk and family equipments for the kids too. Often they have events held here like the Sunday Markets to Christmas fire works. There are always something here.

This is an amazing beach where you can walk along and even in the winter some people swimming in…read morethe massive waves. It really is quite beautiful here and certainly worth seeing. You should also walk to the cliffs along the Anzac Memorial Walk. Also close to a nice park, Dawson park. This shore is one of the most beautiful walks in Newcastle. I'd chose this as one of the places to see if you're only in Newcastle for a little while.

Beautiful and picturesque. One of those spots that locals…read moreand visitors alike love but not overly busy. Great morning noon or night to explore , chill, or hideaway. There's a cafe on the beach for food or coffee and the area has the local fish'n'chips plus other stores. There are flagged areas to swim but it's a good beach to almost swim anywhere. Rocks are great source of entertainment for the kids as well as photo opportunities. The cliffs provide a majestic backdrop and the open beach gives lovely light for sunset. I don't know why I don't come here more often. :)