Need a fun date idea? It’s so easy to get bogged down by everyday life and neglect the relationship you have with your partner. Newy with Kids has put together an epic list of fun and romantic things for couples to do in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter so make time to reconnect and get the romance back in your life.
It’s not just for date nights, there’s plenty of activities you can do during the day while kids are at childcare or school. Keep checking back as we’ll be adding more!
{BONUS: You don’t have to be a parent to enjoy them and they’re not just for your partner. Enjoy a date with your bestie or your mum}.
Need more date ideas? Check out the following categories.
Adventure | Art | At Home | Food & Drink | Free | Fun| History | Movies| Music | Relaxation | Sports | Unique | Weekends Away |Words
It’s full action on these dates.
Explore Newcastle’s coastline
See Newcastle from the water with a Coast XP adventure boat tour. You and your date can enjoy great views of the coast, see dolphins and seals and enjoy being on the water. Enjoy sunset sessions during summer.
Go sand boarding at Stockton Dunes
If you prefer the sand to the water, go sand boarding in the dunes of Stockton with Sand Dune Safaris. This involves sliding down a massive slope on a nylon board. You’ll also enjoy a 4WD tour of the dunes to get there the giant sand bowl.
Ziplining at TreeTops Adventure Park
Get your heart pumping as you get up high in the treetops of Blue Gum Hills State Park. It’s both a mental and physical test as you face rope ladders, bridges, tunnels, cargo-nets and the adrenaline rush of zip lines at TreeTops Adventure Park.
Kayak around Lake Macquarie
Enjoy a leisurely paddle on Lake Macquarie. Out and About Adventures offers guided kayak tours from Wangi. You’ll explore Lake Macquarie from the water followed by morning tea.
Learn how to surf
Learn to surf in Newcastle or Lake Macquarie with Newcastle Surf School. You and your date can join a group lesson (or opt for a private group) to learn how to surf. You’ll be standing up on a board in no time. Regular lessons are held at Nobbys Beach and Blacksmiths Beach.
Learn to stand up paddle
Would rather try the trendier Stand Up Paddle? Learn how to stand up and propel yourself through the water with stand up paddle (SUP) lessons with at Horseshoe Beach in Newcastle. There’s group and private lessons available with SUP Newcastle.
Head to Trinity Point
Wow your partner by booking in a FREE E-Bike/Stand Up Paddleboard/kayak session, or for those that want to fly on the water book a 90 minute eFoil Flight board experience followed by a romantic lunch or dinner at the impressive 8@Trinity.
For the extra special occasion why not stay at the Marina on the Sun Princess Riviera. Or book a romantic cruise from Trinity Point including drinks and grazing board, sailing around Lake Macquarie and watching the sunset with your loved one.
This is a special experience for you and your partner to try sailing while exploring the stunning southern end of Lake Macquarie.
Go for a bike ride
Grab a bike and helmet and go for a bike ride with your partner. There are loads of bike routes to choose in the region. Don’t have a bike? Hire a bike from a swipenride.
Learn to ride a Segway
Experience the thrill of riding on a self-balancing Segway through Hunter Wetlands with NSW Segway. Ride your Segway on a Hunter Valley Vineyard Tour or through pine forest, over boardwalks and around diverse bush tracks and trails in Hunter Wetlands.
Scale up and try rock climbing
Push yourself out of your comfort zone and try indoor rock climbing at Pulse Climbing. With locations at Adamstown, Maitland and Warners Bay, there are easy climbs for beginners as well as Climbing 101 sessions if you need instruction.
Discover your inner ninja
Why should kids get all the fun? Explore Ninja Parc in Cooks Hill on a date. Tackle the obstacles of the indoor course including the Warped Wall.
Learn Parkour
Ever wanted to learn how to run, jump and climb around obstacles. Join Newcastle Parkour to learn about parkour and jumpstart your training. They have both outdoor and indoor sessions.
Run together
Want to spend some time together and get fit, walk or run at ParkRun for your date. It’s a free 5km timed run which takes place every Saturday at 8am. There are currently 11 Parkruns in the region. There’s also lots of plenty of walks and runs around Newcastle and Lake Macquarie you can train for.
Go fast around the track
Experience the rush of go karting and race your date at Go Karts Go! at Broadmeadow, Hunter Valley and Nelson Bay. If it’s a rainy day, try indoor go karting at Xtreme Karts Warners Bay.
Heart art? Here’s some arty options to do on a date.
Enjoy Last Fridays at Newcastle Art Gallery
Please note: Newcastle Art Gallery is currently closed for refurbishment and expansion. It is set to reopen in 2024. On the Last Friday of each month, Newcastle Art Gallery presents a tactile, sensory and social series of events that incorporate art, music, talks and interaction in a relaxed environment after dark. The gallery stays open until 8pm for this free event – no bookings required.
Discover outdoor art along the Sculpture Walk
The Warners Bay foreshore has been transformed. It now features an outdoor sculpture trail as well as exercise stations in the stretch between Eleebana and Warners Bay. The sculptures are created by nationally and internationally renowned artists. Among others, the works include a flying pig, an oversized Buddhist monk-child and a mauve bust of Charles Darwin. It’s a fun excursion combining culture with some physical exercise.
Learn about art at Maitland Regional Art Gallery
Wander through Maitland Regional Art Gallery and discover paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs and prints in their collection. To learn more about the permanent collection, listen to the audio tour as you explore the gallery.
Combine art and lake views at Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery
Catch the latest art exhibition at Museum of Art and Culture (MAC), the Hunter’s only waterfront gallery. They also occasionally schedule drop-in art classes for adults if you feel like sketching. Walk through the gallery grounds and visit the Sculpture Park, filled with numerous sculptures.
Drop in on an art class
Art House Studios hosts Easels on the Rooftop, a chilled-out art class. Everything is supplied, and you’ll take an original home with you. It’s a fun way to spend a Friday night with a friend or partner, or come along and meet new friends. You can also enjoy some wine with your art at Pinot & Picasso in Perkins Street. Paint, sip and create a masterpiece.
Appreciate street art
Go for a stroll and look at different street art and graffiti around Newcastle. From big open murals in town by popular artists like Matt Adnate and Trevor Dickinson to the lesser-known back alley streets, there is art everywhere.
Visit the Multi-Arts Pavilion, mima at Lake Macquarie
Open on Fridays 1-8pm and Saturdays and Sundays 10-3pm the MAP mima, located in Speers Point Park, is a great venue to view permanent artworks or a current exhibition. On Fridays from November to March enjoy Friday Night Foodies with food vendors onsite.
They say the way to one’s heart is through their stomach!
Indulge in chocolate
What’s more romantic than chocolate? Enjoy sweets with your sweetie at Coco Monde chocolaterie on Darby Street. Choose the Indulgence Sharing Plate for two and feast on Banoffee pie, Belgian chocolate mousse, Spanish churros, fresh strawberries and chocolate sauce. They also do a date night platter.
Take a cooking class together
Learn how to whip up a delicious meal with a cooking class. There are different classes available at Atwea. You can also learn how to make chorizo, salami, tapas and Lebanese street food at Pork Ewe Deli. Further afield in the Hunter Valley, Majors Lane Cooking School offers a range of chef-lead classes including Low and Slow Smoking Class and Vibrant Thai Street Food.
Enjoy a meal with a view
Make some reservations at Scratchleys on Newcastle Harbour, Merewether Surfhouse at Merewether Beach, Moneypenny or The Landing at Honeysuckle, the Roundhouse Restaurant at Crystalbrook Kingsley, Deck 56 at Belmont or Lake Macquarie Yacht Club at Belmont.
Splurge on a gourmet meal
Without kids around, take the opportunity to savour a gourmet meal. Enjoy some fine dining at Subo or The Flotilla in Newcastle or venture to the Hunter Valley to enjoy Margan Restaurant, Muse Restaurant, Bistro Molines, Restaurant Botanica and EXP. Restaurant.
Eat around the world
Sample a new cuisine on your date. With so many international cafes and restaurants in Newcastle, you’ll be sure to find something you like. Try Spanish food at Bocados, Brazilian food at MEET, Ethiopian food at Habesha, Japanese food at Susuru and Nagisa, Middle Eastern food at Sephardim, Asian inspired street food at Bao Brothers and Mexican street food at Antojitos.
Savour gelato
Go on a gelato date and sample different types of gelato at Popolo Artisan Gelato. They have numerous flavours of gelato including hazelnut, oreo, chocolate, salted caramel and red passion (perfect for a red-hot date!).
Enjoy a wine tasting in Newcastle
You don’t have to leave Newcastle to do a wine tasting. Sample a unique range of wines at the cellar door and winery at Inner City Winemakers in Wickham.
Explore the cellar doors in the Hunter Valley
For more extensive wine tasting, visit the Hunter Valley. There’s more than a hundred cellar doors to visit ranging from large established wineries to boutique family-owned operations. Stay the night and combine wine tasting for a great weekend away.
Learn how to make cocktails
Shaken, not stirred. Learn how to make some classic cocktails in your own private masterclass at Coal & Cedar. You’ll learn how to make a Negroni, Amaretto Sour and a Classic Daiquiri.
Sip some whiskey
If you appreciate whiskey, take a private Whiskey master class at Coal & Cedar. You’ll learn about the history and distillation process of whiskey plus sample five different types.
Do a brewery tour
FogHorn Brewhouse offers brewery tours in their Newcastle location. You can learn about their beer and brewing processes behind the scenes at their 1800-Litre-custom built brewhouse. Tours run 2pm every Saturday and Sunday.
Enjoy tea for two
Share a pot of tea at The Tea Collective on Darby Street to unwind and reconnect. There’s a massive variety of teas to choose from including herbal, black, and green teas. Plus, you can enjoy dumplings and scones along with your choice of tea.
Make bread
Take the Sourdough 101 Workshop with the School of Sourdough and learn the art of beautifully baked bread. This full day immersive sourdough bread making class in Gloucester will allows you to experience the entire sourdough process.
Inject some fun into your date.
Go ten-pin bowling
Hit the bowling alley for some retro fun. Visit STRIKE at Charlestown Square or Superstrike at Salamander Bay and Dullboys at at Warners Bay or Rutherford.
Go lawn bowling
If you would rather bowl outside, enjoy some barefoot bowls at bowling clubs like Lowlands Bowling Club, Merewether Bowling Club, Hamilton North Bowling Club or Club Charlestown.
Laser each other
Need to settle some scores? Play laser tag at Strike Charlestown. You’ll have fun trying to laser each other. Go after 8pm if you want a kid-free environment as there’s no minors allowed after that.
Sing your heart out at karaoke
Sing to your sweetie at Strike Charlestown. They’ve got karaoke rooms with a big music selection ranging from the current top hits to classics. Make sure you snap a selfie as they have props and costumes to get into the diva mood. For an authentic Japanese karaoke experience, try Jam’s Karaoke Bar in Union Street, Newcastle.
Play a round of mini golf
Holey moley. Play some putt putt with your partner. Here is a list of places where you can enjoy mini golf in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Hunter. There is both indoor and outdoor courses.
Have a game of foot golf
Can’t decide between playing soccer or golf? Play foot golf at Beresfield Golf Course. This activity combines soccer on the golf course for 9 or 18 holes.
Skate on your date
Glide across the ice and go ice skating at Hunter Ice Skating Stadium in Warners Bay.
Escape from a room
Challenge yourself and your date to figuring out puzzles, cracking codes and finding keys to ultimately escape from an escape room. For those unfamiliar with escape rooms, these are a fully immersive experience where teams of 2 to 6 players are “locked” in a room and must solve a series of challenging puzzles to escape a movie-themed set in just 60 minutes. Whether you want to rob a bank, break out of prison or escape a serial killer’s lair, Escape Reality, an escape room attraction in Newcastle, provides a memorable experience.
Listen to some tunes on your date.
Enjoy a meal and music at Lizottes
Enjoy dinner and a show at Lizottes in Lambton. You and a date can enjoy a delicious meal plus catch local, national and international music acts.
Visit the Hunter Valley for a concert
Enjoy an outdoor concert or festival in the Hunter Valley. The vineyards in the Valley are a favourite destination for many national and international acts.
Catch a live performance
If you and your date enjoy live performances, go out for a show at the Civic Theatre in Newcastle. It hosts a range of productions including musical acts, dance and theatre productions. Cessnock Performing Arts Centre also hosts a number of renowned acts throughout the year. Combine it with a stay at the vineyards.
Enjoy a classical concert
Enjoy classical music? Check out a performance at The Conservatorium in Newcastle. They regularly feature performances by artists from around the country and the world.
Kick back and enjoy a flick on the silver screen.
Splurge at the movies
We’re spoiled for choice with movie theatres and competitive prices around the region between Reading Cinemas, Event Cinemas and Hoyts. You can also treat yourself and your date to a premium movie experience with Gold Lounge at Reading Cinemas Charlestown or Gold Class at Event Cinemas Kotara. Kick back and enjoy a flick with wall to wall screens, fully reclining armchairs and food and drinks delivered to your seat throughout the movie
Support your local indie movie theatre
If you’re in Lake Macquarie, visit Lake Cinema, an independent movie theatre in Boolaroo.
Go to a drive-in at Heddon Greta
Take your date to a drive-in movie at Heddon Greta Drive-in. They screen two movies every Friday and Saturday evening after dark. You’ll need a car and an FM radio, either in your car or a portable FM radio.
Dates for Sport Lovers
Get your heart racing and watch some local sports.
Enjoy rugby league at a Newcastle Knights game
Get out of the house and enjoy a Newcastle Knights rugby league game from March to September. The Knights play 12 home games this season.
Watch the world game at a Newcastle Jets match
If the world game is more to your liking, catch a Newcastle Jets game from October to April. The Jets play roughly 12 home games a season. Catch a home game especially a local derby with the Central Coast Mariners.
Dates for History Lovers
Learn about local history on a date
Do a tunnel tours of Fort Scratchley
Explore underneath Fort Scratchley as this former coastal defence installation is now a museum open to the public. Join a guided tour of Fort Scratchley through the extensive underground tunnel complex. You’ll learn about the history of the Fort including its role in the shelling of Newcastle by Japanese submarines in World War II.
Tour Maitland Gaol
Go for a torchlight tour of Maitland Gaol. You’ll discover stories of all sorts of heroes and villains that have resided in this 150-year-old institution. There’s also day time ex-warder tours and the new escapes day tour which details amazing escapes from the facility.
Climb the tower at Christ Church Cathedral
This imposing Anglican cathedral dominates Newcastle’s skyline. Visitors are welcome and you’re able to go inside and see beautiful stained glass art, religious artifacts and tapestries. By appointment, visitors are able to climb the cathedral tower. From the top, you can see 360-degree views which extend up and down the coastline and across the entire city including the working harbour.
Discover the past at Newcastle Museum
Without kids in tow, visit Newcastle Museum and learn about the history of the region. It contains many exhibits which chart the development of the city from convict beginnings to a modern vibrant city. Be sure to catch the 6 minute BHP Steelmaking show which features special effects. It runs every hour on the hour and provides a fascinating and entertaining history about Newcastle’s steelmaking past.
Want to try something completely different on your date? How about these options?
Go ghost hunting
If you’re looking for an interesting night, go ghost hunting with Renata Daniel from Newcastle Ghost Tours. As Newcastle is the second oldest settlement in New South Wales, you’ll learn a lot about our haunted past and hear stories about ghosts, murders and our amazing convict history.
Pat a shark or ray
Pat sharks and stingrays on a date at the Irukandji Shark & Ray Encounters at Anna Bay. Change into a wetsuit and climb into one of four pools to get up close to these critters.
Try tobogganing
Speed downhill at Toboggan Hill Park in Port Stephens. You’ll travel down the 1km track with 11 bends at the speed of your choice. You control the brakes! Great adrenaline rush.
Battle it out in an axe-throwing match
For the ultimate, unique date night try throwing some solid steel axes at wooden targets at Chill Axe Newcastle. A dedicated coach will teach you all you need to know and you’ll get a practice with the axes before it’s game on!
Unwind and reconnect on your date.
Relax with a massage
Chill out on your date with a relaxing couples massage. You and your date can relax side by side while you’re pampered with a massage at Royal Day Spa in Newcastle. Finish off your appointment with a Twin-share Jacuzzi Spa enjoying Strawberries, Chocolates and a glass of Champagne. You can also enjoy a couples massage in a double treatment room at endota spa Kotara, Green Hills or Newcastle.
Enjoy the serenity
Escape into a sanctuary at Ubika Spa at Rydges Resort Hunter Valley. The Spa Sanctuary Suite caters for couples who want to spend quality time together in the privacy of their own Spa within a Spa. You can enjoy full use of the Spa Sanctuary Suite’s spa bath, infrared sauna, separate bathroom and tranquil relaxation area. Unwind and rejuvenate while you enjoy some Australian wine and a fruit platter.
Practice yoga together
Get some balance in your life with a yoga class. There’s plenty of yoga studios around the region such as the popular Yoga Loft in Newcastle.
Meet an author
If you and your partner love books, check out author events in Newcastle & the Hunter.
Maitland Regional Library is showcasing a number of high-profile, well-known and diverse speakers in their Look Who’s Talking program. This program showcases a diverse range of national and international authors and speakers both online and at exciting venues all over Maitland. Newcastle Region Library and Lake Macquarie Libraries also host author events throughout the year.
In addition to their flagship event each year in April, the Newcastle Writers Festival also presents author events throughout the year.
Visit a bookshop
If you love books, visit a bookshop on your date and find a literary masterpiece that you’ll both enjoy. If you’re after new books, visit QBD in Charlestown Square, Harry Hartog in Westfield Kotara and Green Hills or Maclean’s Booksellers on Beaumont Street.
You can also find treasures in used bookshops like Cook Hill Books & Records, Betty’s Books in Newcastle, Rices Bookshop in Tighes Hill and Qs Books in Hamilton.
Visit a street library
Combine a walk and love of books and visit a street library. It’s basically a micro library that people install in their front yard. People can walk by and take or donate a book to the Street Library as they wish, without checking them in or out. Go on a romantic stroll with your date and also find a book to read.
Get away kid-free for the weekend. Splurge on local romantic hotspots include Spicers Vineyard Estate, Spicers Guesthouse, The Convent Hunter Valley, Estate Tuscany, Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort and Rydges Resort Hunter Valley in the Hunter Valley or The Anchorage in Port Stephens.
If you don’t wish to go too far, enjoy a staycation and stay harbourfront at Rydges Newcastle, Crystalbrook Kingsley or stay near the beach at Novotel Newcastle Beach or Caves Coastal Bar and Bungalows. For a luxury stay, choose one of the boutique Cooks Hill Chalets. If your budget doesn’t allow for a splurge, find budget-friendly choices on Airbnb.
It needn’t cost a cent to have a fun date. Here’s a few ideas:
Go for a romantic walk
There are numerous places to walk around the region. And without kids in tow, you can tackle long or hilly walks. Choose from Bathers Way, Newcastle Harbour walk from Nobbys to Carrington, Warners Bay to Speers Point or Shipwreck Walk in Stockton. Or do a stroll along the sand at any one of the many beautiful beaches around the region.
Gaze up at the stars
Wait until a clear night and then go stargazing. If your knowledge of astronomy is a bit rusty, spot planets and constellations using ABC Beginner’s Guide to the Night Sky.
Visit the Anzac Memorial Walk after dark
At night, the Memorial Walk is illuminated with lights. With the mood lighting, stars and waves crashing nearby, it makes for a romantic spot to stroll, sit or make out!
Enjoy an outdoor concert
Pack a picnic and enjoy outdoor music during summer for free at Music in the Podium (every Friday in summer) in Warners Bay, Friday Chill (every Friday in summer) in Pacific Park, Newcastle or LIVE at The Levee (various dates in summer) in Maitland.
Snap a selfie
Get a photo of the two of you at the Trevor Dickinson “Most Attractive Couple” mural outside Newcastle Museum.
Use your brains at trivia night
Have fun using your brain at local trivia nights. There’s loads of free trivia at Newcastle pubs and, who knows, you might win a meat tray!
Challenge each other to Frisbee Golf
Take a frisbee and play Frisbee Golf at Jesmond Park, Armstrong Park at Lambton or at Styles Point Reserve in Rathmines.
Go geocaching
Got a smartphone and a sense of adventure? Go geocaching. It’s a real-world outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices.
Dates for Home Lovers (or those who can’t leave home)
It’s not always possible to go out for a date so plan a date night or date day at home when the kids are asleep or away.
Cook a meal together
Have fun cooking at home together. Take the time to talk while you chop, saute or grill.
Order food in
Just because you can’t go out doesn’t mean you have to miss out on a meal. Order a meal from your favourite restaurant or try a new place on UberEats.
Organise an at-home picnic
Wait until the kids are asleep and then spread out a picnic blanket either inside or on your back lawn. Enjoy a feast of cheese, nibblies and wine. Don’t forget dessert!
Enjoy game night with your partner
Hang out and play chess, checkers, Scrabble, Jenga, Guess Who? or backgammon. This gives you a chance to reconnect and use your brain.
Have a beer tasting night at home
Can’t get out to a brewhouse? Have fun tasting craft beer at home with a blind taste test. Just stock up on different types of beer.
Challenge each other on video games
Wait until the kids fall asleep and then start playing their Playstation, XBox or Nintendo. Go old school with classic games like Super Mario Bros.
Keep checking back for date ideas as we’ll be adding more!
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