Honeysuckle Harbour Life

About

Honeysuckle is made up of seven precincts forming a 50-hectare site hugging four kilometres of harbour front. Along the waterfront a promenade stretches, allowing visitors to walk, ride or skate its entire length – from the stunning mangrove boardwalks near the Carrington Precinct to the historic breakwall guarded by Nobbys Lighthouse.

Along the way, visitors can take in all the delights the seven precincts of Honeysuckle offer: green parklands, restaurants, live entertainment and the activity of Australia’s oldest shipping port.

Follow the delightful Cowper Street Bridge into Carrington and enjoy the atmosphere of this historic area. Wander around the famous mangrove boardwalk to Linwood, picnic in the landscaped foreshore park (complete with public art), enjoy the view from Carrington to Mt Sugarloaf or take advantage of the walkway/cycleway.

Enjoy Linwood’s four hectares of foreshore parkland along the water’s edge under the shade of the majestic fig trees and take in The Beacon public art. Visitors can stop for casual café food at The Source Café and take the path along Throsby Creek to neighbouring Tighes Hill. Alternatively, take the foreshore promenade east in an attractive, continuous link from Throsby Creek around the harbour to Nobbys Headland.

If you’re itching to get out on the water, head for the Marina Precinct where the action is all happening. Noakes Boatyard offers learn to sail classes; a ship chandlery, and the beauty of the marina, where yachts moor to enjoy its state-of-the-art facilities.
Hunter Water Experiences, Moonshadow Cruises and Novacruises offer a range of different “on the water” experiences, while Sensis Charters, operating up and down the east coast, can give you the ultimate in luxury, whether it’s taking you to a top spot to fish or a quiet bay to have your feet massaged.
And if you are keen to drop a line in, there’s a spot waiting for you on the boardwalk under the bridge.
The Marina Precinct is also the place to go for the freshest of fresh seafood from the Fishermans Co-op. You can also enjoy piping hot fish’n’chips for a lazy picnic on the waterfront from Mangrove Jacks takeaway, or have a sit down meal at the award-winning Rocksalt or Mangrove Jacks restaurants.
The area is a lovely place to sit and soak up the workings of a busy harbour. Watch the sun going down (or coming up!) as the fishing trawlers come in to unload their catch at the end of the day and see yachts sailing through the harbour as they reach their destination.

This precinct is a place to take in some of the history of Honeysuckle, with the Tree of Knowledge Park boasting one of the area’s oldest and most historic fig trees as well as a tribute to Henry Lawson, who spent time at the nearby Wickham School of Arts.
It’s also in this precinct that the temporary pathway linking the foreshore promenade begins.

Cottage Creek is the commercial and residential hub of Honeysuckle. The creek itself is an urban waterway that creates a visual link between Newcastle’s city-west and the harbour.
It’s here you can take in the view to Nobbys Headland in the distance along Honeysuckle Drive and look out for international cruise ships and navy vessels.

Restaurants, cafes, public space, live entertainment, cultural activity and the Crowne Plaza Hotel make the Honeysuckle Precinct a must for visitors.
Sit and take in the atmosphere at Harbour Square, a wide area of open space where unique public art, sculpture and an interactive water feature invite small hands and feet to play.
The Lee Wharf development, provides a mixture of lifestyle-retail shops, cafes, restaurants and residential apartments opening to the foreshore promenade. The nearby Lee Wharf 'A' Cargo shed features living history in the form of a world-class Maritime Centre.  The Lee Wharf 'C' Cargo shed now plays host to the Honeysuckle Hotel on the harbour.

Whale watching tours leave from the Lee Wharf Pontoon (see Nova Cruises) during the whale watching season. For those interested in chartering a small fishing party or taking a harbour or river cruise - up to seven people - Sandy Bottom Boat Charters can pick you up from the Lee Wharf Pontoon.

If you are looking for somewhere to dine, The Boardwalk just next to Harbour Square is an enticing option, with its assortment of restaurants and casual bars and cafes.
The vibrant atmosphere of the area is the perfect place to enjoy the comings and goings of the busy port and also strategically placed so you can walk or cycle off that lunch or dinner!

The Forum Health & Wellness Centre, Harbourside is a fusion of old and new, redefining exercise and wellness in an environment that embraces the past. The Centre is run by Newcastle University Sport and is a flagship fitness centre in Newcastle's inner city. There is also a boutique clothing store and a beauty salon to complete the experience.

While the Honeysuckle project area only takes in a small part of Hunter Street, it has transformed several key sites. It offers accommodation for visitors to the city at the Ibis Hotel as well as to residents at the Cove Apartments. The impressive Hunter New England Community Health Centre and a community park next to it are also products of the Honeysuckle project. These developments sow the seeds of revitalisation in Newcastle’s City West with the Hunter Street Precinct becoming a convenient and colourful mix of commercial, retail and residential uses.