Newcastle’s hotel boom gifted the city one of its best rooftop bars, nine floors up at QT. This summer, QT has teamed up with Aperol to satisfy all spritz cravings. Bartenders are slinging a house Aperol, Campari and vodka spritz until the end of February, alongside a limited-edition snack menu by executive chef Shayne Mansfield (including the crispy fish wing, a signature dish in acclaimed ground-floor eatery Jana). Settle in and sip as you watch tankers gliding past Nobbys Lighthouse into Newcastle’s busy working harbour.

From paddling pools to booming surf, Newcastle has plenty of different strokes for all different beach-loving folk. And this summer, one of its favourites will be back and better than ever. The art deco Newcastle Ocean Baths will welcome swimmers back from 21 December, after the century-old facility closed for a nip-tuck way back in early 2022. Add in a visit to Bogey Hole at the opposite end of Newcastle beach, where local teens fling themselves off the cliffs into the heritage-listed baths.

One of Newcastle’s hottest restaurants has just opened the hottest wine bar of the season. Flotilla’s new bar Vecina – Spanish for ‘neighbour’ – is right next door to its popular older sibling, and channels the spirit of a Euro tapas bar. Think gildas, empanadas, croquettes and other tasty little hand-held morsels on a snacky menu from Flotilla chef Jake Deluca, as well as charcuterie, fine cheeses and a by-the-glass wine list that the owners say is Newy’s longest.

A sandy footed stroll from Newcastle Beach, Scottie’s is what all fish and chip shops should aspire to be. Inside the white-washed East Newcastle corner terrace is a seasonal seafood restaurant, but on a warm night the takeaway kiosk out front is the place to be. Join the locals at tables under the festoon lights or throw a towel down on the lawn. Order a glass of something from the natural wine list, and load up on fresh-shucked Appellation oysters, share-friendly bites like the XO prawn pancake; and packs of grilled ocean trout or battered TNQ barra with fluffy skin-on chips or a salad of Newcastle Greens.

The three-storey Mereweather Surfhouse commands an absolute beachfront position overlooking the wave-thrashed arch of Merewether Beach. This big and beautiful waterfront venue has been around for a decade now, but the views never get old. The open-air terrace is a protected sun trap, and hard to beat for a frosty schooner after a swim in Merewether Ocean Baths (the largest ocean pool in the Southern Hemisphere).