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Category: Newcastle

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Hunter Region Botanic Gardens

Grevillea Hunter Region Botanic Gardens Newcastle NSW Australia

Hunter Region Botanic Gardens

Only a short drive from Newcastle up the Pacific Highway, the Hunter Region Botanic Gardens has great displays of local and Australian native plants. Well set out in themed gardens it is a peaceful and relaxing place to wander around and admire a range of plant species.

Our trip started in the gift shop and café where we paid the entrance fee and enjoyed a coffee. When paying for entrance you will be given a token which operates the car park boom gate when you leave. This is just a gold coin fee.

The café also has a supply of insect repellent for free which was fantastic as the mosquitoes were everywhere.

  • Sir Joseph Banks Bust Hunter Region Botanic Gardens Newcastle NSW Australia
    Sir Joseph Banks Bust

Botanic Walk

  • Hunter Region Botanic Gardens Newcastle NSW Australia
    Hunter Region Botanic Gardens

Waterfall Garden

  • Waterfall Garden Hunter Region Botanic Gardens Newcastle NSW Australia
    Waterfall Garden

Grevillea and Banksia Gardens

  • Grevillea Hunter Region Botanic Gardens Newcastle NSW Australia
    Grevillea
  • Myrtaceae Callistemon Attentuatum Hunter Region Botanic Gardens Newcastle NSW Australia
    Myrtaceae Callistemon Attentuatum
  • Grevillea Hunter Region Botanic Gardens Newcastle NSW Australia
    Grevillea
  • Grevillea Hunter Region Botanic Gardens Newcastle NSW Australia
    Grevillea

Succulent Garden

  • Succulent Garden Hunter Region Botanic Gardens Newcastle NSW Australia
    Succulent Garden
  • Succulent Garden Hunter Region Botanic Gardens Newcastle NSW Australia
    Succulent Garden

Wetlands Boardwalk

  • Wetlands Boardwalk Hunter Region Botanic Gardens Newcastle NSW Australia
    Wetlands Boardwalk

Rainforest and Palm Garden

  • The Palm Garden Hunter Region Botanic Gardens Newcastle NSW Australia
    The Palm Garden

Orchid and Bromeliad Houses

  • Bromeliads Hunter Region Botanic Gardens Newcastle NSW Australia
    Bromeliads
  • Orchid House Hunter Region Botanic Gardens Newcastle NSW Australia
    Orchid House

What Did We Think?

We spent an hour and a half walking around enjoying what was on display and admiring the spring blooms.

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

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Stockton Newcastle New South Wales

Nobby's Head From Stockton

Stockton is an easy drive from Newcastle across the Stockton bridge and Kooragang Island. We parked in the ferry car park and walked from there. There is a great coastal walk along to the breakwater which was the main reason for our visit. Fairly flat and very well maintained, we found it to be a very relaxing easy walk.

About halfway along the breakwall is the wreck of the Adolphe . This has been incorporated into the breakwall along with several other wrecks that are not visible. A viewing platform next to the wrecks allows you to get a good view of what remains of the ship.

Wreck of the Adolphe on Stockton Breakwall
Wreck of the Adolphe on the Breakwall
Wreck of the Adolphe on Stockton Breakwall
Wreck of the Adolphe on the Breakwall

From the breakwall there is a great view of Nobbys Headland and lighthouse. We have walked Nobby’s many times but this was a totally different perspective of a classic Newcastle landmark.

Nobby's Head From Stockton
Nobby’s Head From Stockton Breakwall

Tank Traps on Beach

Rough seas and high tides have uncovered relics from World War Two on Stockton Beach. Placed here to impede any attempted invasion these concrete tetrahedrons are tank traps from the 1940s. Visible at low tide, they are an interesting sight stretching along the beach.

Concrete Tank Traps
Concrete Tank Traps Along the Beach at Low Tide
Concrete Tank Traps
Concrete Tank Traps Along the Beach at Low Tide
Concrete Tank Trap
On of the Tank Traps

Shipwrecks at the Stockton Bridge

On our way home we stopped near the Stockton Bridge. There is a rack of boats that looked interesting as well as the wrecks of several boats in the water. Best seen at low tide, the wrecks are badly corroded, but make an interesting sight. The wreck closest to shore is the Kate Tatham, a barquentine that carried cargo between Australia and New Zealand. Run aground here in 1922, then abandoned and left to decay. The wreck furthest from shore is iron-screw steamer Sylvan.

Boat Rack
Boat Rack
Shipwrecks at Stockton Bridge
Shipwrecks at Stockton Bridge the Kate Tatham (right) and the iron-screw steamer Sylvan (left)
The Wreck of the Kate Tatham With Stockton Bridge in the Background
The Wreck of the Kate Tatham With Stockton Bridge in the Background
The Wrecks of the Kate Tatham (TR and Sylvan (L)
The Wrecks of the Kate Tatham (TR and Sylvan (L)

If you are in Newcastle and don’t want to drive around to Stockton take the ferry from Honeysuckle and then walk to the breakwall.

Stockton Ferry Hunter
Stockton Ferry Hunter

To see what else there is to do in the Hunter Valley, please see some of our other stories.

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Dark Stories True Crime Tour Newcastle

Newcastle Streets at Night Dark Stories True Crime Tour

The Dark Stories True Crime Tour is a great way to spend a Saturday evening discovering some of the darker aspects of Newcastle’s past. The meeting point is easy to find being centrally located, at the corner of Scott and Watt street near Customs House. We parked close by at the foreshore car park and then walked the short distance to the meeting point.

Sara our tour guide for the night was very enthusiastic for the whole 90 minutes of the tour. We followed her around Newcastle’s streets, past the beach and through a cemetery. We were told about many crimes and their locations. Several were amusing but most were  an eye opener to the past history of Newcastle.

Fig Tree at Night Dark Stories True Crime Tour
Fig Tree at Night

Dark Stories True Crime Tour took through familiar places we had not visited at night, like Christ Church Cathedral  and the Old Newcastle Hospital (now and apartment block). We also went to some back alleys we had never seen and found some interesting street art as a bonus.

Old Newcastle Hospital Dark Stories True Crime Tour
Old Newcastle Hospital
Christchurch Cathedral At Night Dark Stories True Crime Tour
Christchurch Cathedral At Night
Christchurch Cathedral Cemetery At Night Dark Stories True Crime Tour
Christchurch Cathedral Cemetery At Night

We had a small group of five but the maximum group size is limited to twelve people.  This ensures that you will not get pushed to the back of the group and not hear the stories. A great evening out that was interesting and fun for the whole 90 minutes.

Street Art Dark Stories True Crime Tour
Street Art
Street Art Dark Stories True Crime Tour
Street Art

To see what else there is to do in the Hunter Valley, please see some of our other stories.