And at the centre of this magnificent coast is the City of Newcastle, a bustling city flanked by golden surf beaches, breathtaking coastline and a busy working harbour. An abundance of cafes, restaurants and bars, along with museums and art galleries and a rich architectural and maritime history will keep the most ardent culture vultures fascinated. Newcastle is an outdoor, action-packed city with a thriving after dark scene as well - in fact the city is recognised as the spiritual and creative home of live music in Australia.

White sandy swimming and surfing beaches abound on the Hunter coast, with Merewether, Bar, Dudley, Redhead (with its historic shark lookout tower), Newcastle, Horseshoe, Blacksmiths and Nobbys being the most popular. Most beaches are patrolled during the summer months, with lifesavers and swim flags to help tourists unfamiliar with the area.

The Hunter coast extends as far north as Port Stephens, a stunning inland waterway stretching for kilometre after kilometre. Here you can find a range of accommodation from camping to luxury apartments, fresh seafood restaurants, whale-watching tours, nature reserves, shipwrecks, islands and sand dunes. It's an adventure and nature-lover's paradise! The crystal clear water is home to a stunning array of marine life from bottlenose dolphins, Port Jackson sharks, rays, turtles, seahorses and thousands of species of fish - some of them quite delicious!

Just south of Newcastle you'll find Lake Macquarie, Australia's largest coastal saltwater lake with an abundance of activities from fishing, swimming, boating and kayaking, or at low tide you can explore the 130 million-year-old sea caves at Caves Beach. Nine towns and settlements dot the perimeter of the lake with Toronto being the largest.

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