Newcastle Travel Forum

Hello! Our family are moving out to the Newcastle area in January. My husband is going to be working in Newcastle, and we are not sure whether to live actually in Newcastle or to live in the surrounding areas - Port Stephens, Tea Gardens Central Coast and Lake Macquarie all look nice!We are happy for the commute to be about an hour by car. We have 2 children aged 5 and 8 and so good primary schools are a major priority for us, and possibly high schools too. We live in a very rural area in England and so we would need to be able to find a nice grassy part of Newcastle if we were to stay in town if possibe!!! Any ideas? Any schools or areas to avoid? Any fantastic schools? Any advice....please!! I have visited Newcastle but that was 17 years ago - before being a parent!

I can't help with your question. I hope that someone comes by that can.
Here is a link to the VT members tips for Newcastle,
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Australia_and_Oceania/Australia/State_of_New_South_Wales/Newcastle-1871985/TravelGuide-Newcastle.html
Hope you can find something there or you could send a message to one of the members that live there.
Good luck
Anne

Yes, I would suggest Port Stephens or around Lake Macquarie. Good suburbs on the Lake are Warners Bay, Belmont and Valentine. I have good friends that live there and absolutely love the lifestyle. They also have 2 boys - aged 6 & 8 and they go to a good school (sorry, don't know the name) and are also involved in other activities outside school - basketball, piano, swimming etc.

I love Port Stephens too. It's somewhere I would love to live if it wasn't for my work.

hi, ive lived in newie for 10 years, i live in newcastle city centre so hope i can help, theres not much grassy parts in newie itself. being more modern and bay located you'll find port stevens and teagardens and central coast more expensive to live, also these palces are an hour away from newie city which may do ya head in after a while, lovely spots though but dont know much about livin there. Lake macquarie is a beautiful and smiling traveleres reply suggestions are very good, if your lookin for more rural settin also consider maitland area of maitland city, bolwarra,cessnock, and barnsley ..etc. theses places used to be a bit backward but are really improvin and have cheaper houand are more rural and spacious then newie city, only bout halfa to 45 minute drive (no more than hour) good schools, try to avoid livin in newie city centre as its more expensivve and not big houses.


if ya need more info u can contact me nathanjrutherford@hotmail.com.
good luck!!!!!!

Hi, Would you believe that I and my family are also moving to Newcastle form Chelmsford, UK in January 06. Maybe we can pass information to each other to help the move.
Like you we are looking for schools for 7 and 15 year old and good area to live.
Please e-mail paolo@igiefield.freeserve.co.uk.

I have lived in Nelson Bay, Port Stephens for my whole life.. 19yrs. I love it. Very casual, great beaches and plenty of grass. The schools vary from a christian school or Tomaree Education Centre which is primary school, high school and Tafe. The second largest school in the southern hemisphere. I have been through high school and tafe there. I wouldn't recommend anywhere else. No big shopping centres or theme parks or anything like that here just plain old movies, beaches, and home grown fun. The older side of fun revolves around the RSL and Country Club. Port Stephens is great for a start instead of putting kds through the hussle and bussle of Newcastle life.

My husband has been offered a job in Newcastle. Are you enjoying your time there? Is it a good move?
I would have to leave a really well paid job in the UK as an I.T. Project Manager. Would I be able to get work in Newcastle, or would I have to travel to Sydney?
We have an 11 year old daughter who is due to start secondary school this September. Would she start secondary school the following January in Newcastle? How have your children settled in to school after leaving England?
I don't want to live in too rural an area. I would like to be close to nice restaurants and decent night life - wine bars etc, not teenage pubs.
Could anyone help me out please to help make the right decisions?