Bar Beach is the stretch between Dixon Park and Newcastle's city beaches, under the cliffs below King Edward Park. It doesn't get the attention Merewether does, which is part of its appeal.
The beach faces east and catches most swells. The southern corner, near the rocks below the cliffs, is partly sheltered from south winds and is often the cleanest part of the beach when it's blowing. The rest is sand peaks that change with the banks.
Choosing your Newcastle beach
- Merewether: the most famous and the most crowded, with reef options.
- Bar Beach and Dixon Park: sand peaks, a bit quieter, good on most swells.
- Newcastle Beach and Nobbys: closer to the city, with more shelter from the south.
West winds are offshore all along this stretch, and mornings beat the summer sea breeze.
We don't text on a forecast. We text when the live readings for Bar Beach (swell size, period, direction, wind and tide) all fall inside the window that particular break needs, and only in daylight.
Want to see what real alerts look like? Our firing board shows the spots that have actually turned on recently, with the swell and wind at the time.
Related reading: Merewether Surf Guide and Nobbys Beach Surf Guide.
Closest spot guides
- Merewether, just around the corner
- Nobbys Beach, Newcastle, about 3 km away
- Terrigal, about 65 km away
- Avoca, about 65 km away
Or browse every break we cover in our Australian surf spot guides by region.