If you are thinking about living and studying in Australia, don’t overlook the city of Newcastle as a seriously good destination. Newcastle has some of Australia’s best surf beaches, the stunning Lake Macquarie, and much more affordable living costs than the state capitals. Even better, it’s just two hours north of Sydney and uses the same train network. Let’s take a look.
Newcastle Quick Facts
The city of Newcastle is located on the NSW mid-north coast and is skirted by the Hunter Valley wine region and the beautiful Lake Macquarie — Australia’s largest coastal lagoon. It has a population of 550,000 and a reputation for friendly people with a laid-back attitude.
Newcastle is well known for being an industrial city with an international shipping port that exports raw materials to every corner of the globe, while providing employment and infrastructure within the region.
What a lot of people don’t know, is that Newcastle has been slowly reinventing itself and has garnered an international reputation for innovation and sustainability. It is currently recognised as one of the world’s top Smart Cities by the National Geographic.
Universities and RTOs
Newcastle has some excellent academic institutions for international students including the highly regarded University of Newcastle (UON) and three campuses of TAFE NSW.
UON is is currently ranked #173 in world and has 12 subjects that sit in the top 200 worldwide. You’ll find more than 100 undergraduate degrees and diplomas on their course list, as well as 85+ post-graduate degrees, PhDs, and research opportunities.
Beaches, Lakes, and National Parks
If you’re keen to experience Australia’s famous outdoor lifestyle, Newcastle has many natural features and a warm, humid climate to match. In your downtime you can enjoy the famous Nobbys Beach, Bogey’s Hole,Merewether Ocean Baths, and King Edward Park, and well as an established network of bikeways and walking trails that make everything accessible.
Then, in the nearby Lake Macquarie region, you can experience a whole range of watersports including kayaking, boating, kite surfing, sailing, water skiing, fishing, and paddle-boarding. There are even sea caves to explore at low tide.
Affordability
One of the best things about Newcastle is the cost of living is considerably lower than other Australian cities, especially for groceries, public transport, and utility costs.
We recommend doing a price comparison on Budget Direct and checking the average prices in Newcastle against the cities of Sydney, Gold Coast, and Brisbane.
Employment
Newcastle is a growing city and has low rates of unemployment. While it can sometimes be tough to find a job in the region, there are always opportunities in healthcare and social assistance while the other major employment sectors are retail, construction, hospitality, manufacturing, education and training.
The University of Newcastle (UON) is very proactive about ensuring its students and new graduates are employed in the local region and is currently the #1 university in Australia for industry collaborations.
You can check the latest job listings on Seek, Indeed, JobSearch, CareerOne, and Jora, but it’s also worth checking the careers page on the websites of the University and the Newcastle City Council.
Getting Around
You’ll find a range of public transport options in Newcastle including buses, light rail (trams), ferries, and trains. Buses and trams run regularly around the CBD, connecting the suburbs with the university campus, hospitals, shoppings centres, parks, beaches, and key entertainment areas. While trains connect Newcastle and its suburbs with the Sydney train system.
For the latest fares and timetables, visit Newcastle Transport or Transport NSW. To buy tickets and travel passes, grab yourself an Opal Card and download the smartphone App.
Accommodation
Like all Australian cities, student accommodation in Newcastle can be very competitive. The University of Newcastle (UON) has a good range of on-campus accommodation that includes parking. You can choose from single occupancy or shared rooms and meal plans are available.
If you prefer independent living, you can rent your own place (house or apartment), join a sharehouse, or try a home-stay arrangement. For more information about how to find somewhere to live in Australia, read the accommodation section of our detailed International Student Guide.
Essential Services
Newcastle City is well-equipped with essential services and infrastructure including hospitals and healthcare facilities, shopping centres, and government offices. And if you can’t find what you are looking for, the thriving metropolis of Sydney is just a train-ride away.
Entertainment and Nightlife
If you love the outdoors life, you’ll appreciate Newcastle’s street dining and open-air cafes as well as the local pubs, breweries, distilleries, and wineries (just a stone’s throw to the Hunter Valley). The region also hosts regular arts and cultural festivals, international sporting events, and music concerts.
History, Arts, and Culture
Despite Newcastle’s past reputation as being heavily industrialised, many people aren’t aware of the city’s thriving art scene — in fact more artists live in Newcastle than anywhere else in Australia**. At the same time you can expect a well-established theatre district, award winning museums and art galleries, and a wide range of heritage listed buildings and historical sites that are open to the public.
**Figures based on artists per capita, living in the Newcastle region.