Newcastle to Swansea
28 km (906 km) | 10 hr
Today provided a spectacular contrast to the first day’s walk, with a near-perfect combination of urban and wild coast walking. The Newcastle coastal walk from Nobbys to Merewether was a classic Aussie urban coast walk, on par with the famous Bondi to Coogee one but minus the crowds. As well as the magnificent beaches, headlands, ocean pools and pavilions, the memorial 'skyway' was a real highlight. The Anzac Memorial Bridge skyway traverses the headlands between the Bogey Hole (the earliest known example of a purpose-built ocean swimming pool in Australia - hand-carved by convicts on a rocky platform in 1819 for the personal use of the Commandant of Newcastle, Major James Morisset) and Susan Gilmore Beach. I just love to see engineering excellence dedicated to walkers rather than cars! Sensational!
South of Merewether Beach was an absolutely beautiful coastal bushwalk with loads of quiet beaches, outstanding lookouts, amazing cliffs and escape spots 'far from the madding crowd'. This stretch from Merewether to Redhead was just indescribably perfect. Big cities in NSW are so fortunate to have these immense stretches of unspoilt coastal perfection so close to their suburbs. The Yuelarbah track wends south from Merewether, past its enormous ocean pools and then on to deserted Burwood Beach. If you want a wild swim then Murdering Gully (love the name), Glenrock Beach and Glenrock Lagoon had no-one else there besides me that morning and were just exquisite in the early summer sunshine.
Those who are familiar with the Great North Walk will know that it heads inland from the northern side of Glenrock Lagoon, but I stayed with the sand and the sea and climbed a little unmarked trail up to the Goat Track (that's its actual, and very suitable, name) and across Little Redhead cliff down to Dudley Beach. At the very southern tip of Dudley Beach there was a link trail up to Deb's Lookout and then it was through the Awabakal Nature Reserve to Redhead Beach. This stretch was just a sublime part of the coast which, perhaps thankfully, does not seem to have yet got the fame it truly deserves.
Sadly for my Stockton sand weary legs, (and all those little muscles that I never knew existed), it was then a 13km+ beach stroll from Redhead to Blacksmiths and the ocean entrance to Lake Macquarie. That being said, the weather was fine, the sand was fairly firm, and the Blacksmiths dunes were a sight to behold.
I crossed Lake Macquarie at The Swansea Bridge, which opened just as I walked across - and even a (very) weary walker has just gotta love an opening bridge!
A long hot shower, an ale or two, and a good night's sleep were a perfect tonic for my tired legs – and I fell asleep with thoughts of the next slew of headlands and beaches to enjoy south of Swansea. Lucky me...