Bar Beach, Newcastle: Rock pool, surfcam and parking

Bar Beach, Newcastle, offers great surfing over the beach breaks, a natural rock pool and free parking.

Where is Bar Beach, Newcastle?

Bar Beach is a relatively small but popular beach in Newcastle, New South Wales. It is on the 6km Bathers Way walking trail from Nobbys Beach to the Merewether Ocean Baths.

Realistically, Bar Beach is the same beach as Dixon Park Beach and Merewether Beach – it’s just the northern end.

Bar Beach rock pool

Bar Beach, Newcastle, gets its name from the natural rock pool that forms at the northern end of the beach. The Bar Beach rock pool is popular with families, and is easily the safest place to swim at Bar Beach.

The beach is notorious for its rips, and the Cooks Hill Surf Lifesaving Club has to perform numerous rescues every year. If you are going to swim elsewhere at Bar Beach, make sure you do so between the flags.

9 cool Newcastle experiences you need to book in advance

An Adventure boat cruise along the Hunter coast – with thrills and scenery.
A mobile phone-based scavenger hunt – explore the city differently.
An architecture and street art walking tour – see all the best murals.
A whale-watching tour – get close to the migrating humpback whales.
A two hour city highlights tour by bus – get orientated when you first arrive.
A scenic helicopter flight – see the spectacular coastline from above.
A three hour craft beer and food-matching tour – get a taste of the drinking and dining scene.
A food, drink and history walking tour – hear stories and indulge at the same time.

Bar Beach surf cam

Bar Beach might not be great for swimming, but it is a pretty legendary surf spot. The beach breaks can handle fairly big waves, and pro-surfers like to hang out here.

There is a Bar Beach surf cam at Surfline, should you wish to see what conditions are like at present.

Bar Beach parking

Another aspect in Bar Beach’s favour is the massive car park at the northern end of the beach. Bar Beach parking is free, and you don’t have to struggle to find a space.

While at Bar Beach, you may as well take the 450 metre Newcastle Memorial Walk up to the Strzelecki Lookout.

Other attractions in Newcastle worth investigating include Horseshoe Beach, the Blackbutt Reserve and Newcastle’s museums.

Newcastle offers plenty of activities, including adventure boat cruises along the coastline, architecture and street art walking tours and whale watching cruises. For a big menu of Newcastle tours and experiences, explore here. To fix up one of Newcastle’s best accommodation options, book here.