Ideally situated midway between Lake Macquarie and Port Stephens, two hours from Sydney and close to its own major airport, Newcastle Harbour is a destination in itself for fishos.
It’s a nirvana for all manner of boats and, not surprisingly, the region has one of Australia’s highest per-capita ratios of ownership.
Newcastle Harbour itself is the nation’s oldest export port, the catchment being fed by the Hunter River that meanders 300km inland and intersects with the Williams and Paterson tributaries. Its coastline also boasts superb beaches and productive fishing grounds.