Our gorgeous local beaches - Merewether, Bar Beach & 'The Hill'

Ever wondered what your fur baby’s bucket list might entail? 

Well... A regular walk by the beach is my guess, and Merewether, Bar Beach and The Hill are just the perfect place to exercise and relax.  In fact, I am sitting here with Maxi on a gorgeous Autumn morning overlooking Merewether Beach and life here is blissful. 

Merewether Beach Aquarium is well worth exploring. It’s an awesome transformation of Merewether’s pedestrian tunnel, which came to life with the talents of artists Trevor Dickenson, John Earle and Michael Bell.  

The walk from the Merewether Ocean Baths up to Strzelecki Lookout, The Hill, is about 3.2kms one-way. On the way, I passed a pod of 10 dolphins enjoying perfect surfing conditions just off shore – a truly beautiful sight! The walk along the beaches forms part of the Bathers Way redevelopment. There are modern shelters, new tree plantings, dog friendly cafes, and water bubblers for both you and your pooch at regular intervals. So it’s well worth visiting regularly. 

The highlight of the climb to the amazing cliff top bridge (160m long), which features steel solider silhouettes and the names of local men and women of our region that enlisted in World War 1. The Memorial Walk was built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli in 1915 and the commencement of steel making in Newcastle. The cliff top walk section is about 450m long in total and offers stunning views of the coastline and terrain.  Please note, the actual memorial walk section is not open to dogs. However, there is a bypass for you take to the top where you will be rewarded with stunning coastal scenery. Whales can be seen offshore during the migration.  

We are so fortunate to have so many stunning beaches on our doorstep and it’s just one of many fabulous places near my home in Belmont where your pet can visit with me. After all, we should try and find more time to cherish the simple things in life (special thanks to Maxi for permission to use his photo in my blog!). 

Acknowledgements to the artists Trevor Dickenson, John Earle & Michael Bell. Congratulations to Newcastle City Council and BHP for building such a wonderful memorial in honour of the ANZACS! For further details visit www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au.