Can you guess which Australian city Lonely Planet ranked in the top 10 cities of the world to visit? Sydney, Melbourne? No!
The unexpected and controversial choice in 2011 was Newcastle. Many people remember Newcastle as a dark and dirty city with its coal mines and the BHP Steelworks.
Recently, 27 members of our Probus members visited Newcastle and experienced the new sophistication and the dark history that Newcastle once had. Newcastle has made many improvements with new museums, art galleries and quirky street art along with its famous beaches and waterfront dining.
We stayed in the heart of Newcastle and were able to view its working harbour. It was a delight to stroll along the Honeysuckle riverfront and view many renovated historical buildings. Nearby are world class beaches and ocean baths and the new light rail makes everything more accessible. We inspected attractions such as Fort Scratchley and the Anzac Memorial Walk.
Further afield, you can visit Fighterworld at Williamtown RAAF and the Maritime Volunteer Rescue centre at the scenic Shoal Bay.
So come and hear about the new Newcastle at the next Travel Chat.
Adam Taylor from Taylor Made tours who spoke at our General Meeting last month about the benefits of travel, is coming to speak about other Australian destination tours.
Come along for last minute advice for those who have already signed up to join one of the Taylor Made tours that has been organised such as:
- Victoria and South Australia Tour
- Autumn Colours of Bright
- Central Queensland and Outback
For those who are thinking of travelling around Australia, there are more tours available in 2025 and 2026. Come along and be inspired to see different cities and towns.
Then you can decide which place in Australia you would rank as the top 10 places to visit.
Travel Chat is on Wednesday 12 March 2025 from 11:00am to 1:00pm in the Breakfast Point Admin Building, 2-4 Magnolia Drive, Breakfast Point. There is a door code to access the building. If you don’t know the code, drop a message to the convener, Connie Fraser. Otherwise, you can knock on the door at the back of the building, near the IGA car park.