Smith Park in Hamilton North features a Ninja Warrior kids playground with large dome-shaped climbing structure or bark flooring.  

The park also offers steps, swings, balance beams, rope bridges, hanging ropes, spider web, spinner, wobblies & swing set including group swing.  

There is a covered picnic area, plenty of seating, large grassed area.  Street parking is available, accessible parking 12 min away at Newcastle Entertainment Centre on Griffiths Road.  Accessible toilets can be found at Broadmeadow Train Station just under 1km away on Brown Road.

Smith Park Playground

Dixon Park is located midway between Bar Beach and Merewether on the popular Bather’s Way walking track in Newcastle..

Covered picnic shelters overlooking the beach with lead-in pathways make this an ideal spot along with barbeques & water fountain.  Sunnyboys Kiosk can also be found at Dixon Park Beach.

A short walk/roll is is the fully fenced playground with a variety of play equipment surrounded by plenty of grass. There is also a timed off-leash dog area.

Accessible toilets can be found at Dixon Park Beach & Merewether Beach along with showers.  There are plenty of parking options at Dixon Park, Merewether Beach & Watkin Street.  

Dixon Park

A fully accessible restaurant, cafe, and bar. Plenty of space. Long and wide ramp leading up to entrance. An accessible parking space directly outside. A large accessible toilet.

Merewether Surfhouse

A really accessible public swimming pool – ramps down to the pool, good accessible changing and shower facilities.

Merewether Ocean Baths

The Beehive Honeysuckle

Empire Park in Bar Beach is a little park suitable for under 5s surrounded by grassed area with plenty of shade .

There is a small slide a few wobblies including a cute sailboat themed wobbly on which little ones can hang on to the sail and bounce.  For older kids, there’s a climbing net and telescope. There’s also two swings (regular and baby) as well as a track around the playground perfect for bikes and scooters.  The oval is next to the park along with tennis courts & a tennis wall.

Accessible toilets can be found in the park, Bar Beach & Dixon Park Beach.  Accessible parking can be found at Bar Beach.  

Nearby cafes can be found at Swell Kiosk at Bar Beach, Bar Beach Bowlo and many others in Darby Street or at The Junction.

Empire Park

Nobbys Beach caters for mobility-impaired beach goers with a ramp to the lower promenade of the beach. Nobbys is a wide beach and popular swimming spot with a rock pool at the southern end of the beach. 

 Nobbys offers an amenities block with a dual-purpose room containing an accessible toilet and baby change facility. A second room provides an assisted change room with accessible toilet, shower, basin, bench and hoist. 

Nobbys Surf Lifesaving Club has the Waterwheels beach wheelchair available for hire 9am to 4pm, Saturdays and Sundays, September to May. Contact: email office@nobbysbeachslsc.com or phone 07 5526 1117. Nobbys Surf Club also has a beachfront restaurant with great beach views.

With the beach on one side and a public recreational area including barbecue facilities on the other, it's the perfect spot to spend the day.  A bonus is the kiosk selling coffee, cakes—fish, chips and burgers.

There is free carparking besides the beach, shaded undercover tables & Foreshore Park 500 metres away from the beach with lead-up pathways.  Nobbys Headland is also open to the public on weekends with a walk up to the lighthouse with  views of Newcastle, Nobbys Beach, Stockton Bridge and Newcastle Harbour

Nobbys Beach

King Edward Park has a lovely big lawn & spectacular ocean views.   It also is a historical site having been dedicated as a recreation reserve in 1863.

There is a Victorian rotunda which is a great place for a covered picnic.  Alternatively take shade under the large majestic Norfolk Pines.  There are plenty of picnic tables dotted around along with electric barbeques & water fountain. 

There is a playground suitable for children of all ages, with new play equipment, swings,  climbing structures & swing bridge

The park has plenty of free parking & accessible public toilets next to the playground. 

King Edward Park

Islington Park offers plenty of covered shelters & benches, free barbeques & lots of tracks to scoot or roll around.

The playground has lots of fun play equipment including a disabled swing along with traditional swings, climbing structure, slide, boat, colourful sculpture. & water play area.

Public toilets are at 49 Phoebe Street, closest accessible ones can be found at Hamilton Train Station.  

Islington Park

Located just off Darby Street in The Hill, Nesca Park is a great place for a family picnic with lots of green space, palm trees, barbeques, covered picnic tables & water fountain.  

There is a modern playground with a variety of play equipment for all ages from swings to spinners & a wooden fort featuring a climbing area & rope bridge.

There are accessible toilets at Nesca Park, Centennial Park, King Edward Park & Bar Beach.  Free parking can be found on Cliff Street & lead-up pathways for easy rolling around the park.

Nesca Park Playground

Canoe Pool is a lovely spot located next to Newcastle Ocean Baths. The pool is also know as Map Pool & Young Mariners' Pool because of the urban myth rumour that in the sand is a concrete map of the world. 

Its a shallow non patrolled wading pool with a concrete ramp down to the pool for beach wheelchairs.   The water levels in the pool depend on the amount of sand that's been washed in or washed away from the pool. 

Accessible toilets can be found at Foreshore Park - Gardeners Shed & Nobbys Beach Pavillion.  Accessible parking can be found at Fort Scratchley & Forshore Park.

The Paymasters Kiosk can be found at Newcastle Ocean Baths along with desginated parking spaces.  

Newcastle Canoe Pool

Starting at Wickham Marina through to Honeysuckle at Cottage Creek is this fantastic waterfront promenade.  An uninterrupted 11 km walkway stretch going from Wickham all the way through to Merewether. 

A shared wide pathway used by walkers, cyclists & wheelchair users alike, also being child-friendly thanks to the double lanes and path markings, making sure everyone has enough space.  

Along the way you have views of the boats and yachts docked at Wickham Harbour. You might even spot one of the fishing trawlers offloading their daily catch to the Fishermans Co-op. 

There are some great fish & chip shops, cafes, restaurants dotted along the way along with luscious green spaces.  The quirky Cottage Creek Bridge officially connects Wickham and Honeysuckle.  Further along is Honeysuckle Park with a maritime-themed park with a Ship Jungle gym & play equipment.

The path has plenty of rest stops, water bubblers & sheltered picnic areas with BBQ.  There are regular public toilets at Honeysuckle Park, accessible ones can be found at Marketown Shopping Centre,  McDonalds King Street & Newcastle Interchange.  Accessible parking can also be found at Marketown Shopping Centre, Thorsby Creek & National Park.

Honeysuckle Harbourside Promenade

Centennial Park is located in the middle of Cooks Hill with a large grassy area & modern playground.  There’s lots of climbing equipment, a fort with slides, see saw, swings (including a toddler swing, regular swing and a group swing), spinner & balancing equipment.  

There is a paved pathway around the park along with a Rotunda,  plenty of picnic tables & benches, BBQ, water fountain & a coffee stop next to the park.  The park is full of Norfolk pines & fig trees providing plenty of shade.

Accessible parking can be found 7 Council Street & the multi-storey at Marketown Newcastle.  Accessible toilets are located within the park & No 1 Sportsground Netball Courts on Union St.

Centennial Park Playground

Connolly Park is located in the harbourside suburb of Carrington with a little playground with swings, seesaw, wobblies, cubby house & a spinner.  

There is a large covered shelter with picnic tables & benches.  Toilets can be found on the other side of the oval & next to Carrington Bowling Club but cannot confirm if they are accessible.  Ones can be found at Newcastle Interchange 1km away.

Next to the park is Carrington Bowlo with the Cowper Street Diner serving lunch & dinner, also open for breakfast on weekends & public holidays.  More cafes can be found on Young Street.

Connolly Park Playground

The Station Newcastle (the old Newcastle Train Station) has a great accessible kids play area featuring a huge snake, a frog, balancing obstacles, vertical logs & sensory flowers.  

There is a  flat level track for scooters, bikes & easy rolling with plenty of space to cruise., misting jets to keep cool in summer & the Flyer train.  

If you get hungry, stop by Tabnabs Cafe. They serve coffee, bagels and snacks. You can also check out the retail shops at The Station including Make Space, Gallery Qube and Betty Loves Books.

Accessible toilets can be found at Newcastle Station along with Foreshore Park - Gardeners Shed.  Accessible parking can be found at Queens Wharf (East) & Foreshore Park.

The Station

South Stockton Active Hub, is located in Griffiths Park in Stockton next to the ferry terminal.   With great play equipment and skate facilities plus fantastic harbour views of Newcastle, it’s a favourite for both kids and adults.

The Active Hub consists of two separate sections. The playground featuring softfall flooring is on one side and the concrete skate plaza is on the other.

Dividing the playground and skate park are two large shelters and barbecue facilities with lead up pathways & two water fountains. 

A public toilet block can be found within the hub but accessible toilets are at Marketown Shopping Centre & Newcastle interchange .

Parking can be found at Griffith Park. free on Hunter Street or in the parking lot near Ferry Terminal.  

Whispers on the Wharf is a cafe operating out of a shipping container located next to Stockton Active Hub. General Washington Hotel is nearby on Hunter Street if you want lunch. There are additional coffee spots on Mitchell Street.

South Stockton Active Hub 

Newcastle Museum

Honeysuckle Hotel is a great accessible establishment, slightly further away from the heart of Newcastle. While it doesn't have any parking at the venue, there is accessible parking spaces two streets away on Wright Lane or along Honeysuckle Drive. There is an onsite lift to access the upstairs area that is free of use. The main entry isn't wheelchair accessible unfortunately, although around the back of the venue, there are ramps that access the outside area of the venue and connects with the whole inside area as well as games room.

Inside the venue, there is plenty of space for walkways around the tables, allowing for easy access to areas such as the bar, bistro and tab/games area. The bathrooms are located near the front entrance with a wheelchair accessible bathroom located behind the bistro, next to the lift and right before the kitchen entrance. 

Honeysuckle Hotel

Bar Beach is a suburb located in southwest Newcastle & takes its name from a rock pool formation named The Bar. The natural rock pool tucked into the Northern corner of the beach is a favourite spot for families.

Bar Beach offers a range of accessible facilities via Cooks Hill Surf Club including an internal lift from street level to beach with ramps & matting down to the waters edge.  Both an adult & childs manual beach friendly wheelchair are available along with a beach power chair. Hoist & slings to enable transfers of beach goer into beach equipped wheelchairs.  Bookings are essential, email memberservices@cookshillsurfclub.com.au or Local Mobility 4956 9993.

Bar Beach offers ample free parking & paths providing level access to picnic tables & viewing areas.  

The Lock-Up

More Museums & Galleries nearby

Newcastle Museum