7.30am Do laps with the locals
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The sun's up and swimmers are crawling through the water at Newcastle Ocean Baths (Shortland Espl), with its distinctive Art Deco facade. Afterwards, swimmers cycle to work with wet hair, while nearby, surfers squeeze in a pre-work wave at Shark Alley.
Lords Cafe, run by Dan (Brownie) Brown and his brother Josh, in Hamilton. Photo: Quentin Jones
9am Dive into Newy's coffee culture
Stroll over to The Kiosk Newcastle Beach for a "yogi bowl" and flat white overlooking the surf. In the CBD, Xtraction Espresso (2/36 Bolton St) efficiently serves up caffeine for the city's office workers. At Welsh Blacks in Cooks Hill (84 Bull St), real-estate agents mingle with mums and tattooed hipsters with French bulldogs over their single-origin lattes. In Hamilton - 10 minutes from the CBD ??- Dan "Brownie" Brown somehow manages to pull off a mullet, and serve up some of the city's best coffee, alongside brother Josh, at the hip new Lords Coffee & Associates (148 Beaumont St).
10.30am Indulge in retail therapy
The revitalised CBD is where you'll find hip streetwear by young local brand Nook (107 Hunter St; nookstore.com.au). Studio Melt (119 Hunter St; studiomelt.com.au) offers local handcrafted jewellery, art and homewares. On King Street, a sweet cluster of shops includes Hello Naomi and its heavenly cupcakes (175 King St; hellonaomi.com.au), the petite homeware and furniture store Monsoon Living (#1/187; monsoonliving.com.au) and Newcastle's lushest little plant shop, High Swan Dive (#178). On Darby Street, Newy's most happening strip, you'll find High Tea with Mrs Woo (#74; highteawithmrswoo.com.au), a clothing label by the talented Foong sisters, and Blackbird Corner (#70), a gift shop showcasing local designers. Betty Mim (#167) has gorgeous handmade treasures, paper goods, homewares and funky fashion. On the corner of Bull and Union streets, you'll find loads of Nordic goodness at Pappa Sven (33 Union St; pappasven.com.au).
1pm It's time for lunch
In the city, Reserve (102 Hunter St; reservenewcastle.com.au) head chef Sam Alexander serves up bistro classics from the char-grill with a Mediterranean twist. Think Roman-style lamb cutlets with smashed peas, broad beans and lemon. Over in Hamilton, Fortunate Son (131 Beaumont St; fortunateson.com.au) is the ideal place for a weekday lunch or Sunday brunch. Try the house-smoked trout with labna, potato rosti and herb salad.
The Newcastle memorial walk has 360-degree views of the Pacific Ocean. Photo: Quentin Jones
3pm Walk the coast
The Newcastle Memorial Walk's 450-metre clifftop span affords 360-degree views of the Pacific Ocean and out to the Hunter Valley. From there, walk along Bathers Way to Merewether in one direction; to Nobbys Headland at the mouth of the harbour in the other (once the section between King Edward Park and Newcastle Beach is complete).
The Merewether Surfhouse is the perfect place to unwind at sunset. Photo: Quentin Jones
5.30pm Sundowners with a view
Enjoy alfresco sundowners at the Merewether Surfhouse (Henderson Pde, Merewether; surfhouse.com.au), flanked by multi-million-dollar real estate, as surfers catch the last waves of the day. For harbour views, head to The Landing Bar & Kitchen (1 Honeysuckle Dve; thelanding.com.au), where share plates with an Italian twist are backed up by an inspired drinks list by one of Australia's top bartenders, Ollie Margan.
7.30pm Be floored by Subo
You'll need to book way in advance to secure a table at Subo (551D Hunter St; subo.com.au), headed up by Beau Vincent, ex Melbourne's Bistro Guillaume, and his wife, Suzie Pollack-Vincent. Their smart bistro retained its hat in the 2018 Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide, adding to their impressive list of accolades. The tasting menu allows you to sample a little something from all of Beau's brilliance.
10pm Last drinks
Finish your night by popping into nearby The Koutetsu (555 Hunter St), a dimly lit industrial-style speakeasy. Tell the bartenders your preferences, and they'll craft a bespoke cocktail just the way you like it.