Newcastle: The Lost Album

Lo and behold! Here is the long awaited photos and blog about Newcastle, the dirty bald spot of Sydney.

So years ago, my roommates convinced me that going on a trip was a neccessary adventure, especially since we spent the better part of two weeks lurking around our appartment, bogged down by assignments. It was probably a good idea to get away and see something new, since I think Andy got a bit of cabin fever and was walking around with a rather insane look in his eye. Newcastle was ceremoniously dubbed as the destination for our field trip. Although I was a bit skeptical about going there, since I've only heard about the beaches (it was a bad week weather-wise), I was coaxed out of my bed at 4am to catch a bus down to Central Station, and take the 3hour train ride to Newcastle.

Not uncommon site for the internet to be down... Not at our best...

Luigi and Andy geeking out over nature in the sunrise. I'm half-asleep and hating life.

Home is never too far away.

After catching a bit of sleep on the train, balancing precariously on some 1950's Mad Men-esque trains, we made it into Newcastle at around 8:30am. Super excited to see... well, anything. We rolled out of the station and took a walk around.

Ungodly hour of arrival...

... but Harry Potter?

A much needed sandwich break. Also time to do some boy band shots for the next album

Oh look, more beaches!

At this point, I wanted a long nap.

Luigi breaking stuff as usual.

We managed to find our way to a nature sanctuary full of indigenous Australian lifeforms. Oh and there were some animals there too.

Typical Australian.

Another Australian

Australians who were perpetually stoned and suffering from the munchies.

This asshole kept trying to shit on my head!

This creeper just watched us.

Can't go anywhere without some Harry's Pies.

Knackered.

While we saw some really nice beaches and a few cool spots... Newcastle isn't really a tourist spot, more of a place where people live. Hence, the kind of place I really like. Personally? not worth getting up at 4am to see. But, I can seriously see myself living in a place like that further down the road. Beaches everywhere, lots of restaurants and pubs... a Games Workshop? Sweet! We stopped by a pub after going on our little hike through the nature sanctuary, where I got a little too close to nature. Spider webs in this country are ginormous, and spiders here aren't exactly little either. Such a close brush with death, or at least a very bad spider bite... I think I had enough nature for one day. Such is life in Australia.

Hope you enjoy my mediocre pictures! Hopefully I'll reveal some cooler, more fantastical trips while I'm here. Perhaps involving kickboxing a Kangaroo and punching a shark in the throat? Who knows!

- Rick