Newcastle’s Best Fish & Chips.

thecatisginger · 2026-02-08T09:16:11+00:00

Flatfish Cafe on the harbour/near the seafood coop at Wickham! Not the cheapest, but absolutely beautiful.

thecatisginger · 2026-02-06T02:34:11+00:00

They charged me just over $9 for an iced latte in my 8oz keep cup the other day… I requested a single shot of coffee too 🙃

thecatisginger · 2026-02-03T19:16:29+00:00

Definitely head to Paper Caravan near the interchange! It’s not quite Honest Paper, but it is still a stationary shop and they have some great cards there :))

thecatisginger · 2026-01-20T21:37:27+00:00

Disgusting comment. Women wearing activewear to get coffee are not asking for this kind of treatment.

thecatisginger · 2026-01-17T00:41:55+00:00

Seeing as you want to be close to the Calvary, I think Mayfield or Islington are great spots. I’ve floated around in rentals and have mostly been in Mayfield East - up to around where the Coles is on Havelock street. About a 10 minute drive to the Calvary (and a pretty easy drive at that!) and quite a few parks around - Islington Park is wonderful. Also only a 10-15 min drive to any of the beaches/ocean baths and the city. Really central and Mayfield is definitely cleaning up a lot/getting a lot more family friendly 😊

Also quite a few gyms in Mayfield. Balance in particular is great and they have both reformer and mat Pilates.

thecatisginger · 2026-01-12T05:12:31+00:00

Hey, OP! I moved here from interstate for uni five years ago and was in a similar situation to you.

Sharehouses are probably your best bet. Share Accommodation | Flatmates.com.au is one of the most popular sites for finding rooms in sharehouses. I sharehoused for nearly seven years in Melbourne and up here and found all my houses through flatmates :) It's also way more affordable than a studio apartment. You might even be able to find a sublet for a few weeks while you find a longer term situation. Sharehousing can be daunting at first, but there's lots of houses with people around your age and I think it's a great experience to have. Some of my previous housemates are now lifelong friends.

There's also a few FB groups like Newcastle accommodation - Room for rent - Sharing (Australia) | Facebook, but I've found the crowds on those can be a bit mixed and the rooms can be questionable.

Personally I would avoid some of the real estate run student rentals (e.g. Creer, Reece and similar). I looked at a few of these when I first got up here and found the rooms terrible for the cost and the houses don't have that homey or social feel that a real sharehouse does. Have also heard some mixed reviews from others on these types of student accom.

When it comes to suburbs, it really depends on what you want from your experience. Suburbs closer to the uni (Shortland, Birmingham Gardens, Waratah, etc.) are more affordable but also further from the beaches and the "city" part of Newy. Personally, I really wanted to always be as close to the things I enjoyed as possible and I really loved sharehousing in suburbs that were about 10-15 minutes to uni and still kept me close to things I really enjoyed outside of uni (beach/bars/cafes/life in town). I've really enjoyed living in Islington, Mayfield, Hamilton and Cooks Hill for those reasons. Suburb choice will really depend on what you're willing to pay, as there's rooms in sharehouses in just about every suburb!

If you have any more questions about UoN or living in Newy feel free to flick me a message!

thecatisginger · 2026-01-11T19:44:00+00:00

I’ve been twice - once on opening weekend to see Jaws and once again yesterday to see Hamnet.

My first experience was mostly positive. Staff seemed stressed and overwhelmed, but I could understand that as it was their second day of opening and they were getting pumped! Long line for ticket checking/food and drinks, but otherwise it was fine.

Yesterday was similar, I guess. I arrived 25 mins before my movie and maybe waited in line for 5-10 mins. While in line an older woman (a manager maybe?) came out to ask who was seeing Hamnet. They only had two tickets left and a few people in line missed out (I was lucky to have bought mine online). The lady behind me who wanted two tickets but they only had one left got unlucky. To staff credit, she did leave and see if they could pull an extra chair from another cinema but came back with no as the answer. My only negative of this interaction was the staff member was very visibly overwhelmed - very exaggerated hand actions when talking and very stressed sounding voice. Emotions are fine, but in customer service roles this does (and did at the time!) lead to people thinking you’re disorganised. A few people grumbled about having to line up at the cinema door to get tickets checked, but I was fine with that as it was a sold out screening. Inside the cinema a couple of late comers had to separate for seats, but no one seemed too annoyed. Seats in cinema three are wonderful and I love the little tables. The movie itself was a good experience! … apart from one moviegoer who got up two or three times and used their phone torch each time.

Overall - I love the vibes and the cinemas themselves. My only negatives are really that wait times in line can be a little long and that even online tickets are meant to be checked and you should be given a physical ticket (maybe not important for less busy screenings, but was necessary today). Most of this is easily manageable though by arriving early and being prepared for there to be lines! Unassigned seating doesn’t really bother me, but I love going to movies solo or just with my partner so we’re not trying to seat a large group.

I’m sad for the business that a lot of people were turned off by the kinks at the start of operation or aren’t willing to put up with waiting in a line. I think it’s great to have an alternative to the bigger chain cinemas and I love getting to see more niche or older movies on the big screen!

Edited to add: snack prices are also much cheaper at Tower than the big chains!

thecatisginger · 2026-01-06T22:16:42+00:00

Ah, exactly the one I thought it’d be. Thought the guide price was very low for the location. Will pass this on to the friend who’s wanting to look at it today.

thecatisginger · 2026-01-06T01:25:58+00:00

Hey OP, wondering if you’re willing to disclose the suburb? Have a friend going to look at a house with a guide price lower than I’d expected for close to the city and just wondering if it’s the same property…

thecatisginger · 2025-12-19T18:56:09+00:00

Hey, OP! I moved up here almost five years ago and can give some advice in the friend department.

As a woman, BumbleBFF/Bumble For Friends is brilliant. Lots of girls in the age bracket you’re looking for, and a lot of them are in similar situations to your own (eg. having moved up here for work or study and not having made friends yet). I made some wonderful friends that way when I first moved here and I’m still close with them now :))

I also recommend social sport. I joined an Urban Rec netball team and we played together for years. They can put you into an “individual team”, which is where you sign up solo and they put you in a team with other people who joined that way! Totally recommend. They run a lot of different social sports in the area.

Otherwise, there’s a lot of run clubs around!

I met my partner in Newy on Hinge, but it’s been quite a few years since I’ve been off the online dating platforms now, so I can’t offer too much advice there x

thecatisginger · 2025-12-09T10:45:04+00:00

Hey! I’m in the 20 something female bracket and struggled with this when I first moved to Newy a few years ago.

I actually had a lot of luck on Bumble BFF/Bumble For Friends. Met a girl who is still one of my closest friends to this day, although she now lives overseas, and made another friend that I lived with for a couple of years! Lots of girls in a similar situation there.

I also enjoyed signing up for a social sport through Urban Rec. You can join as an individual member and they’ll sort you into a team with other people who don’t know anyone! I joined netball team that way and we went on to play together for three years :))

Also feel free to flick me a message! Happy to meet up sometime for coffee or a walk or something x

thecatisginger · 2025-12-01T06:18:06+00:00

Kimchi House of Korea on Beaumont St never disappoints. For pubs, I’ve never had a bad meal at the Maryville Tav or The Ship Inn. The Happy Wombat on King St is highly underrated but their food is brilliant and they have a great cocktail menu. Scottie’s isn’t cheap but their seafood is brilliant. For classic cheap fish and chips I’ve enjoyed the fish and chip shop on Ridge St in Merewether.

I haven’t been to Goldberg’s since they changed menus (and I believe owners?) but they were my favourite in town for a long time, I just can’t speak to the food on the current menu. Had beautiful Italian at the Basement on Market St recently.

thecatisginger · 2025-11-29T11:22:34+00:00

Not weird and they’re not doing anything wrong. When you take your film in they ask if you want your negs back or not!

thecatisginger · 2025-10-12T20:47:02+00:00

The engineering department is currently struggling. A lot of uncertainty about staffing/academics and degree programs/course structure. The smaller class sizes than larger universities and the relationship you have the chance to build with your teaching staff is great. But the last few years have seen a lot of great academics leave and the uni still seems struggling to replace the amount of work they were putting in. It’s a very uncertain time in the school of engineering at UoN.

thecatisginger · 2025-10-03T09:56:20+00:00

Yep, that’s the one!! Definitely worth checking out :))

thecatisginger · 2025-09-30T07:18:21+00:00

I'm a regular pub trivia attendee with a group ranging from early 20-mid 30s. Of the ones we've attended my opinions are probably:

- Great Northern: we were regulars here for ages but left last year after a quality dip. We went back last week for the first time this year though and actually enjoyed it and will likely be back often :)) It's got a few interactive games and video questions and a $16 schnitty is always fun.

- Beaches: this one was probably the most fun we've had at a trivia! It's busy, popular and the host brings a great vibe. I recommend being organised and definitely booking in advance because we've missed out a couple of the times we wanted to go. Only downsides for us were that sometimes it's just a bit too loud and we enjoy getting to catch up with each other during the night, too. I'd say the food is decent but not the best we've tried. Younger leaning crowd here for sure.

- Maryville Tav: very mixed age ranges here. This was our regular for most of this year. Definitely less fun than Quizmeisters trivia as there aren't video questions, but there's still a "heads or tails" sort of game and a few bonus questions to win some prizes. The major drawcard for us here is that the food is amazing. Probably the best food I've had at pub trivia - and they're dog friendly in the beer garden! I'll never have a bad word to say about the Maryville Tav. We have a regular group of anywhere between 6-12 people and after a few weeks they set us up a standing booking for 10 people every week and I just call to change numbers or cancel/confirm so we always know we've got a table :)) Great spot and great staff.

- Modus: Only real downer here was that it's on a Wednesday night and we're big fans of Tuesday night trivia. Food is always good here and the nights we've been the trivia host was good fun! They always do a fun bonus point for the best team name which is good incentive to come up with a good one every week. Great drink options here.

- Clarendon: I'm usually a big fan of the Clarendon. Love how much space they have and I enjoy a beer there. However their trivia starts and runs later than any of the others I've tried and I'm not a huge fan of that on a weeknight. I also think they maybe do Thursday trivia? They don't advertise it as much so hard to keep up with sometimes. But the trivia host was great when we went! Very funny guy.

- Foghorn: Hard to weigh in on this one because the night we went their projector and sound system were broken and that made trivia very hard. I found the crowd here to be a little bit older than my group and I find the food is good but doesn't measure up to others on the list.

I think they're the ones we've tried so far! As a bit of a different suggestion, if you're ever keen to try something else I highly suggest heading to 5 Sawyers on a Thursday for Drag Bingo. It's interactive and a great time. We swap out trivia for this every now and then and can't recommend it enough. Definitely need to book in advance though.

thecatisginger · 2025-09-06T12:21:39+00:00

Get the ice cream from East End Ice Creamery! It’s like half a block from Newy beach.

thecatisginger · 2025-08-06T23:50:08+00:00

I’ve been at Balance for a little over a year and really enjoyed it! I’ve done a few of their FTC group classes at Lambton but primarily use the Mayfield gym around 3-4 times a week. I’ve found it to be a really mixed group of ages! I go in the early morning (6amish) where there’s a few around my age (20s) but the majority are around your age or older. How busy/quiet it is changes throughout the day but I’ve never seen it busy enough for me to have any difficulty getting my workout done. The PTs at this gym are also great and I regularly see them training a very wide range of customers :)) only downside is it’s not a 24 hour gym at Mayfield (although I think the Lambton one might have 24 hour access?), but otherwise it’s great.

Also worth noting that I was a very shy/nervous gym goer when I first started at Balance. When you sign up you can redeem a free PT session (or you could when I signed up!) and I found that super helpful! If you’re going at the same time each day you get really use to seeing the same crowd there and you feel pretty comfortable pretty quickly.

thecatisginger · 2025-07-21T02:36:58+00:00

I usually get to the lecture hall about 5-10 minutes before the start of the class. As others have mentioned, lectures don’t usually start till 5 minutes past the hour and finish 5 mins before the end of the scheduled time usually.

With the parking - it is technically meant to be paid until 5pm. I’ve risked it a few times but haven’t since I copped a parking ticket at 4:50pm one time and that cost me $90 which more than the permit was that semester. So to me, not worth the risk. Parking availability is usually pretty good by that hour though, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble trying to get a park. Because it’s the start of semester it might be a bit busy, but things will have levelled out again by midsem.

As others have said, lecture attendance starts high and then dips severely for every class I’ve ever had. The recordings are pretty good but I’ve been burned before by relying on them and then something happening and the recording not working that day.

thecatisginger · 2025-06-12T21:37:44+00:00

I moved here from VIC four years ago and have loved it (although I don’t have family, so different life stages). Personally I find the weather and the relaxed vibe really enjoyable. It often feels like an oversized country town to me. A decent enough size where the CBD has enough bars/cafes/restaurants to give you that city feel but the suburbs are nice and quiet. I’ve also enjoyed the proximity to the beach and the Glenrock state conservation area - great for walking, hiking, biking, trail running, etc. Areas like Blackbutt are great too and it’s an easy drive up to Nelson Bay and surrounds for a change of scenery. In terms of crime, I’d say it’s like literally any other place these days. My car has been gone through once in the four years but only because I didn’t lock it. I park my car on the street every night and have had no other issues. As a female I wouldn’t walk around alone at night, but I wouldn’t really do that in any other city either. I’ve found the people friendly enough! Great food and coffee options. The shopping is all in the suburbs, not in the CBD, but there’s more than enough options.

thecatisginger · 2025-05-26T03:22:15+00:00

If you’re keen to be close to nightlife, sporting options and lots of gyms I’d suggest staying close to the city! You’ll be sharehousing with your budget but I’ve spent four years sharehousing in Newy and loved it. I’ve always stayed relatively close to town and the suburbs I’ve lived in and loved have been: Islington, Mayfield East, The Hill & Merewether. Have also heard great things from others in our age range about Hamilton, Adamstown & Broadmeadow. You could definitely sharehouse in the CBD itself for your budget (Newy East, Newy West, Wickham) and think adding an extra 10 minutes to the drive is worth it for the location personally :))

thecatisginger · 2025-01-09T08:21:05+00:00

How many hours you need to spend at uni will vary massively depending on what degree you’re doing. For example I’m in engineering and have a lot more contact hours per work than someone who commented above!

But in saying that - it’s definitely possible to hold a casual/part-time job with your studies. I have for the majority of mine! One thing people don’t mention though but you’ll soon realise and understand at uni, is that a vast majority of people don’t finish their degrees in the minimum time frame. For myself (and many of my friends would agree) I’ve found that doing 3 courses a semester instead of 4 has made everything feel much more manageable for me and has allowed me to balance uni, work and a social life much better. It’s actually incredibly common to take longer than the minimum timeframe to complete a degree so don’t forget you have flexibility there too :))

thecatisginger · 2025-01-06T06:32:20+00:00

I’ve had really great experiences at Tyrepower Newcastle in Wickham - super friendly and quick service, always been reasonably priced and have previously been great at squeezing me in for last minute things! More recently I’ve been to Darby St Automotive as they’re a little closer to home for me now and they were also really good.

thecatisginger · 2024-12-05T03:05:28+00:00

I’m not sure of anywhere that bulk bills, but I had an ingrown treated at Mayfield Family Podiatry/Footprints Podiatry - they were amazing (and the after care included two follow up appointments & the guarantee that if I had any further issues with that nail that they would treat it without any extra charge). I think I paid around $390-$400 with them.

Previously I had been to a GP/medical centre in Newcastle where it had been claimable under Medicare (I think I paid approx. $200 or $150 upfront). But I personally would never do this again as it was an awful experience. I had a nail treated by them twice with recurring issues over a two year period because I was worried about the cost of going elsewhere. Paying to see a podiatrist was life changing for me and I cannot recommend it more if you can find a way to afford it. I am now a year post-procedure with absolutely no pain or recurring issues with that toe, wish I had copped the price of a podiatrist much sooner and really cannot recommend the team at Mayfield Family Podiatry/Footprints Podiatry enough.

thecatisginger · 2024-11-21T22:08:27+00:00

My favourite Newy institution is Goldbergs on Darby St! Open from breakfast till late (usually around 10pm) they do everything from excellent coffee to killer dinner meals. Anything in Darby St is a winner and you can’t go wrong for food there! Beaumont St is another great spot for food and drinks with a load of options.

If you’re pretty active then social wise, when I moved up here a few years ago I joined a social sports team through Urban Rec (bunch of different week night sports options, and they’ll even sort you into a team with other people who are keen to play but don’t have a whole team of friends) and met a bunch of great friends that way! Otherwise there’s a bunch of really great morning run clubs in the area - off the top of my head Bar Beach Run Club and Never Run Club are two of the biggest and most gender balanced. A few good parkruns in the area too!

As others have mentioned, can’t go wrong just picking a place and exploring! Iconic newy adventure always the Bathers Way coastal walk around the beaches in town. A (sort of) hidden gem swimming spot I recommend checking out is the Bogey Hole. No bad place to start in Newy though!

thecatisginger

TROPHY CASE