Frequently Asked Questions & Newcastle Travel Guide

  • The ceremony will kick off at 3:30pm sharp. Please arrive no more than 30 mins early.

  • The dress code is ‘whatever makes you feel dapper’, be that a shirt and jeans, or a ball gown. There is no limit to colours or formality! If you feel unsure, just reach out to us :)

  • Many of you are travelling across the globe to celebrate with us in Australia, so your presence means the world to us and is all we ask for. If you’d still like to contribute a gift, there will be a wishing well at the reception.

  • We are very lucky to have so many of you travelling near and far, so we wanted to make a weekend of it! The Friday Night and Sunday events are completely optional - for you to attend if they work around your travel dates and other plans.

    Friday will be very laidback, and Sunday will have a little more ‘ceremony’ involved, as we’ve extended the invite to a few more people who can’t make the Saturday. There is no dress code for the Friday or Sunday events.

  • Yes! Please ensure you let us know (i.e., via the RSVP form, or directly), and you will be catered for.

  • Information about event timing and what to expect can be found here.

  • Most of the events are taking place around central Newcastle and Cooks Hill, so we recommend finding accommodation around these areas and neighbouring suburbs like Newcastle West, Honeysuckle, and The Hill.

    We have several accommodation deals that can be viewed here.


  • Children are welcomed at all events except the Reception at Ravella. If you need a babysitter, let us know, and  we can help you find one.

  • We are planning to take the public bus between the Ceremony and Reception venues (20 min trip). Tickets can be purchased on the bus via contactless visa/debit/credit card payment (only contactless is available), or with an Opal card. 

    We will organise separate chartered transport for those who may be unable to take the public bus. Spots will be limited (approx. 50), so please let us know if you’d like to confirm a spot!

    Transport to the ceremony and home from the reception, as well as the other events is up to you, but there are plenty of Ubers/Taxis around Newcastle + public buses and a light rail.

  • Where to begin? In general, Newy is pretty family friendly, but let us know if you have specific needs.

    Outdoor activities
    ‍1. Whale Watching: June - August is the best time to spot humpback and southern right whales off the coast. 

    • From land: Best viewing is in the morning and evenings, and can be spotted from all of the major coastal vantage points such as the Anzac Walk, King Edward’s Park, Hickston St Lookout, Newcastle Beach, and Bar Beach. 

    • From sea: If you want to get up close, you can book whale & dolphin watching cruise, which depart from from Nelson’s Bay and Newcastle Harbour

    2. Swimming: Don’t be afraid of a bit of cold water! Newcastle’s swim spots are just as good in winter. Our favourites are: 

    • Bar beach: We recommend grabbing a coffee, a warm raspberry muffin or a breaky roll, and spend the morning alternating between swimming and whale and dolphin watching. 

    • Newcastle Beach: Right off the centre of Newcastle, Newy beach is a huge beach with many cafes and kiosks to warm you up after a chilly dip! This beach is not patrolled during winter, so if you aren’t a confident swimmer, or have young children, we recommend you take the short walk around to the Newcastle baths.

    • Newcastle Baths: Newly renovated and just an all-around great spot to swim at all times of the year

    • Merewether Baths: The largest ocean baths in the southern hemisphere! A great one for families with small kids

    • Nobby’s: A lovely long beach with (patrolled at the south end), that is usually calm. You can also walk on the breakwall to the lighthouse. Horseshoe beach (on the other side of the breakwall) is dog friendly

    • The Bogey Hole: One for the more adventurous. The Bogey Hole is right at the base of the cliff at the Hill (accessed via King Edward’s Park), and is subject to all the ocean has to throw at you. It’s a beautiful spot, but not suitable for families.

    3. Coastal walks: The Bather’s Way is a 6km (one way) walk from Merewether Baths  to Nobby’s Beach. You can join/exit the walk at any point, and spot whales along the way! Our favourite section is from Bar Beach to Newcastle beach (or vice versa). There is even a coffee shop at each end.

    4. Bushwalks: Glenrock’s Yulebah Track (4km return) is a lovely bush walk out to Glenrock Lagoon, about 15 mins drive from Newcastle. We don’t recommend swimming at Glenrock unless you are very confident in the ocean,  as it’s not a patrolled beach.

    The Fernleigh track is a 15km (one way) walking and cycling track built on the former railway corridor between Newcastle and Lake Macquarie.

    5. Wildlife: Blackbutt Reserve is a small, family friendly bush reserve with a free wildlife exhibit that includes birds, emus, koalas, wallabies, and reptiles 

    Indoor activities

    1. Newcastle Art gallery: Newly renovated regional gallery (and a great cafe) 

    2. Museums

    • Newcastle Museum

    • The Lock up

    • Fort Scratchley

    3. Slightly further afield: Newcastle is about 1-2 hours drive away from some great NSW destinations including: 

    • Hunter valley: Wine and food region with hundreds of wineries 

    • Wollemi: An arty little town on the old convict road with a great pub 

    • Nelson’s bay & Anna Bay: Beautiful coastline, walks and beach town shopping

    • Stockton Beach: Amazing natural Sand Dunes (where Mad Max was filmed)

    • Maitland: A riverside colonial town with some great pubs and a fantastic art gallery. 

    • Barrington Tops: Slightly further away, but there some beautiful bushwalks and lookouts

  • Newcastle has MANY places to eat, these are just a few we like: 

    For coffee & a snack

    For a cafe breaky or lunch

    For takeaway & casual eats

    • Raj’s Corner (Cooks Hill)

    • Bar Beach Swell Kiosk

    • Newy Beach Southy Kiosk

    • Scottie’s Fish and Chips

    • Larrie’s Merewether

    • Viet Origin 

    • Sticky Rice (Thai)

    • Humble Thai

    • Rascal (Burgers

    For dinner (a little fancy)

    Some great pubs & Bars

    • The Oriental Hotel (Live music and great pizza)

    • The Grand Hotel (Old school pub with Thursday night Jazz) 

    • The Lass O’Gowrie (Cool grungy pub, beer garden and Mexican food)

    • The Commonwealth Hotel (Good and close)

    • The Ship Inn (Great location and free pool)

    • Earp Distilling

    • The Foghorn Brewery