What do you do when presented with a rainy afternoon, a toddler and Savvy Aunty babysitting duties…read moreto perform? Escape the weather for a few hours in Newcastle Museum is what. It's no MoMA or Guggenheim but this compact museum gives a great insight into Newcastle's history including a wing dedicated to the BHP steel works that defined the city for so many years. While there's enough moving parts and a cafe on site to keep kidlets amused, the exhibitions themselves are not specifically targeted for a younger audience so it'll most likely go over their innocent heads.

The main part of the museum with Newcastle history is free to the public. The other side with…read morescience is not free. We stopped here for like 30-45 mins and it was a nice stop. Most of Newcastle history is nostalgic of the 20th century. There's a big section about the history of a department store and there's a lot of relics of consumerism. There's a section about military and section about sports. There's a section of an old commuter train in the back. There's some history on indigenous life. There's an old Ford Model T. Australia is a newer country without deep history, so this is rather small, but it's still well-done and professional.

A fantastic place to spend the day. Came with some friends as a car club and were given a car club…read moreentry discount making it slightly cheaper, even though the price isn't bad anyway at $20 for adults. We stopped for food at Jimmy G's out the front and it was surprisingly tasty! I had the bacon cheeseburger and it was great. Proper mince patty, onion jam, bacon, bbq sauce and salad. Delicious. I stole a few of a friends fries which were also nice and salty. My only let down was the drink. I thought it was silly they handed the can to me with my buzzer rather than when I returned for my food this meant my coke was warm by the time I drank it. I'm guessing as well the fridge had been restocked and not chilled enough. This is one of my biggest gripes with restaurants. On to the museum. I was sceptical at how I'd find it and whether I'd get bored but I know now I could stand in this place for hours. The amount of cars means there's always something to stop and marvel at. All the cars are absolutely mint condition and look amazing. I had my DSLR camera and snapped over 100 shots. I probably rushed a little because I was keen to look at certain cars and had people from the club suggesting I go look at a said car or take a photo. I managed to get around every car but became a tad disinterested due to a growing headache. Which sucked. However this only means I need to return! This place is fantastic for just slowly browsing and if you're a car person definitely block out a good few hours. I was inside 2 hours and felt it wasn't enough time! This place is great for kids, as long as you can control them and very relaxing. I do plan to return.