travel

You will need a visa to enter Australia -- see http://www.immi.gov.au/Visit/Pages/Visit.aspx

From the US/Europe, you can either fly to Sydney (SYD) and take the train, or fly to Melbourne (MEL) or Brisbane (BNE) and get a connecting flight to Newcastle (NTL). Spend a couple of days in SYD/MEL/BNE -- check out the city and/or recover from jetlag.

NTL is a small domestic airport with frequent daily flights to MEL, BNE and a few other places. There is a local bus (Port Stephens Coaches) from the airport to Newcastle town centre (AUD4.60) -- check the timetable. Taxi from the airport is around AUD60.

Useful numbers/urls:

Newcastle airport bus: Port Stephens Coaches

Taxi: 133 300

Trains (to-from sydney): Cityrail (regular services)

Countrylink (long distance train to Broadmeadow)

Airlines flying to Newcastle: Virgin, Jetstar (also Qantas, Rex with limited services to different places)

Newcastle buses (local busses, $3:70 for 1hr ticket)

Directions:

Newcastle airport to city centre: Bus is $4.60 (Port Stephens bus company) and takes 30 minutes, check the timetable above. There is free wireless internet at the airport, so waiting for the bus is not so bad. Taxi is around AUD60, takes around 30 minutes.

Sydney (airport) to newcastle city centre: Take the airport train to Central. Change at Central for a train to Newcastle. Buy your ticket for the whole trip at the airport station. Alternatively you could rent a car at the airport. The train trip is slow but beautiful scenery (Hawkesbury river).