Unfortunately, I never got to see Newcastle before they decided to rip up the railway leading into…read morethe centre of town. Then again, it did have the problem of cutting the town in two, so with this the foreshore has been opened up somewhat. So, this is the new station, and it certainly looks quite new, and rather fancy. Still, it is pretty much a regional station, though trains to Sydney are rather regular.

I definitely find Cardiff one of the better stations. The platforms have a fresh look after their…read morerenos' a couple of years back. And now ticketing is primarily Opal cards. 'Don't forget to swipe'. Cardiff station is a major stop on the Newcastle line, so I know I can get 'on and off' here on every train that is coming past. Long platforms also means I don't have to travel in the last four carriages. Choices choices!! Lifts are available for those who need help with getting their bags to the platform. Glad those days of climbing the mountain of stairs up and down with heavy bags are done! I'd give this station a 5 star if it had a cafe. ;) Happy travels!!

I had thought with our airport becoming an international hub it would be well prepared and an…read moreupgrade. While it's great being able to international now, it didn't seem to be thought out at all. International departures had no ability to refill water bottles and I was told to fill from the taps in the toilets. It might be fresh enough to use, but really, how hygienic is it to this this since crap floats around at every flush. Wasn't impressed. On arrival back into the country, many of us did not have a pen to fill in the arrivals form. There were two small desks for the arrival of a plane load of people, and no pens to be seen. When we were given 3 pens to share, we all had to lay on the floor to fill out our forms. I'd like to know who the people are running this show. Have they been out of the country?? I could offer a few tips on travelling. Our airport does have good things going for it and I love that we have this available. I don't think it has been thought out well enough though. We will have more international flights arriving and it could barely cope with one. I can see some big problems and delays about to occur. Let's hope for continued improvement and safe flights to great destinations.

Not the flashiest or largest of the domestic airports to grace Australia and there are almost no…read moreshops once you get in through security. It's get in check in and wait in the one main lounge for you gate to open. You can't get lost there is only one section with 3 gates. It is quite cool looking across the airfield to the RAAF base though, we got to see a Hercules Helicopter today!

Well, there is probably not much of a call for this place to be all that fancy, since it is…read morebasically a small wharf in a small town on the other side of the river from Newcastle. When the ferry is running, you generally don't have to wait for long for it to come, and there are some nice signs around here telling you of the history. Oh, and there are some public restrooms nearby as well, which makes it somewhat better than the one of the other side of the river.

This was just what I needed!…read more I had to get escape Sydney for a bit, and was amped to check out the sand dunes in Newcastle for the weekend. So I took the train 3 hours up, and walked the 2 blocks from the station to the YHA. And talk about prime real estate! As soon as I walked in, I almost see the house's history seeping through the walls. After a quick tour, it was pretty obvious that this was an old gentlemen's club back in the day. It had that look about it - the old dancing hall, quaint private rooms, and of course a beautiful grand stairwell pouring into the front room. Due to its classic Victorian architectural design, it was easy to get lost in a nice, relaxing perch just about anywhere. The old dance hall, however, has been declared the main room for eating and social gathering. In this room you can join one of the many circles of travelers around the TV, the small library and book exchange, or any of the tables spread all over the room. I went up to Newcastle alone, but instantly made friends at the YHA. There were quite a few backpackers looking for work in the area, thus becoming leaders of the next night's random pub crawl through town! The hostel staff were great as well. One of the guys on staff at the time admitted that they didn't coordinate many events until last minute since the travelers kind of predicted how the nights went. And it makes sense really. Unless you're an obsessed fan of Silverchair, people come here mainly to check out the sand dunes; therefore forcing their nights to be cut short for the next's morning's early outing. But if you're night is free, the nightlife is well worth the time. Oh and fyi, If you ARE a Silverchair fan, you are in luck! I've been told that no matter what there's always someone in the hostel who can tell you where to go to find any of the native band members. Btw I love that people actually still care about this. Woo! 1990s! Silverchair yeah! Anyway stay here. This hostel is rocks. There's no way a place this grandiose could let you down.

Roomy and friendly backpackers occupying an interesting historical building with lots of character…read moreand original features. As the name suggests it's close to the beach, there are also many bars and restaurants nearby and the bus terminus is a short walk away. For supplies, there's a convenience store (Foodworks) just a few minutes walk across to the opposite corner of Pacific Park or there are supermarkets (Marketown and Coles) if you travel west across town on the bus. We stayed in a large dorm for the first night before moving to a private room once one became available for the rest of our stay. The shared dorm accommodation we stayed in was basic and comprised of four sets of bunk beds (it was a large room though, they weren't packed in), lockers and ensuite facilities, and was situated just off the main reception area and hallway. There are other shower and toilet facilities located throughout the building if one of your roommates is taking too long in the shower! The private room was upstairs and comprised of two single beds, bedside table and wall mounted TV with built in DVD player which was a bonus we weren't expecting. No frills but perfect for the price for the budget conscious traveller. The one drawback from our stay here was the lack of air con - the summer heat was stifling at night, and opening the window just let the mozzies in as there are no insect screens. The kitchen is in the basement of the building and does get busy at certain times, but I was always able to grab a space to prep my meals. There are gas hobs, one countertop mini oven, fridge and freezer space plus lots of shelf space. There's a dining area just off the kitchen, and there are coin operated laundry facilities on this level too. There's a large common room on the ground floor which used to be a ballroom in the days that this building was home to a gentleman's club, and it still evokes its grand past with wood panelled walls and leather couches. Comfortable and with lots of space to chill out and socialise. There's a TV and DVD player with a large selection of DVDs, board games, books, table tennis and pool table, and access to the small outdoor space with BBQ. The staff here were very friendly and welcoming and the hostel felt like more than just a bed for the night, there was a good community feel and I enjoyed spending a bit of down time here too. The boards were updated every day with weather forecasts and events and suggestions of things to do in Newcastle. You can also get free hire of surf boards and body boards from the staff at reception as well as book day trips (we did the Hunter Valley wine tour - would highly recommend!).

I usually stay in Newcastle but decided to stay in Charlestown instead. Very friendly staff and…read morevery clean and large apartment rooms. Location is very close to Charlestown Square and easy drive to Newcastle. The apartment is located in quiet suburbs not far from main Charlestown business. Definitely a perfect place for staying with families.

Great place, good for a visit of you're in Newcastle. Worth seeing for a history lesson. Worth…read moreseeing for a giggle and a look at some working WWII era guns. There is a kiddies playground nearby, a reception centre and other event spaces. Not sure about the catering. Staff friendly. Sure, it's not The Tower of London, but it is free and it is in Australia.

Disgusting! I…read morearrived at 10pm after. 4 hour train trip to discover the room was completely filthy! It hadnt been cleaned from the previous disgusting tenant. I could even use the toilet! No one answered the multiple emergency after hours calls. No on answered my 3 emails the following day. I had to walk myself and 4 bags at 11pm to the nearest hotel. On speaking with the Manager he didn't even apologise! In fact he won't even offer me a refund, and wants to charge me the cancellation fee! Never stay here!

Location is decent, right in the heart of the strip. Views…read morefrom windows not too good, but it's not exactly by the water but close enough. Staff are friendly and nice. Parking is decent