Newcastle Area - Newcastle highlights

Newcastle doesn't have much of a reputation among Sydney – they still think of it as a dirty industrial city with little to offer.  But the Sydneysiders are wrong.  While there is a lot of industry, it's largely limited to the outskirts of town; the rest of the city has some superb architecture and excellent beaches, and is within easy access of national parks and wineries.  A major distinguishing feature of Newcastle is its thriving arts and music scene, with more working artists per head of the population living here than anywhere else in Australia, and an amazing choice of live home-grown music most nights of the week.