Stockton was quiet but easily accessible to Newcastle city via the regular short ride Stockton ferry. We enjoyed the mix of quiet Stockton with exploring the moderately sized city. The exchange partners were clear in any instruction, helpful with our questions, welcoming at all times, then left us to it to enjoy this short break Barb and Ray

We had a great time in Stockton. We stayed in Julie and Lloyds holiday apartment (which is part of Julie and Lloyds house) and felt very much at home. It was such a lovely place to stay, we had everything we needed and would have loved to stay longer. We didn't expect Newcastle and its surroundings to be so beautiful and were surprised how much there is to do and see. Lloyd was nice enough to show us around a bit and told us a lot about Stockton and Newcastle. Julie even invited us to dinner - thank you again! If we ever come back to Australia we will definitely come to Newcastle again and explore all the places we didn't have time to see this time! Christiane and Niamh

We had an enjoyable stay at Julie and Lloyd's house in Stockton. The kids loved cycling on the billiard table flat tow path with the bikes that Lloyd lent them and there is a super little ferry ride over to Newcastle, with an interesting Cathedral and some fabulous beaches. We also had a lovely day trip to Nelson Bays.Thank you Julie and Lloyd for making our stay so enjoyable.

Julie's house is light, bright, clean and modern. It's well located to all the amenities you may require in Stockton and just a 10 minute ferry ride to Newcastle for more shopping and restaurants. A great place to relax with the ocean beach a 10 minute walk away.

Such lovely hosts in such a great area. We decided on an exchange with Julie and Lloyd not really knowing too much about Stockton and the Newcastle area. Well were we in for a surprise. We were met at the railway station and taken to their new apartment and settled in. What a great location, right beside the Hunter River and in view of all the shipping going up river to the coal loading berths and returning down river to head off to their designated countries full of Australian coal. Newcastle was a 3min ride on the ferry from Stockton and there we found lots of walks, enjoyable restaurants and cafes and interesting museums. We also went on a fantastic wine tour up the Hunter Valley. Julie and Lloyd made us most welcome and hosted us for an enjoyable dinner and shared with us all their knowledge of the local history and interesting places to visit or walking trails and finally drove us to the airport at the end of our stay. We would recommend Julie and Lloyd's apartment in Stockton.

What a wonderful discovery Stockton/ Newcastle was. How relaxing to walk up the street to Lexie's café right on the beach exceptional coffee, then walk to the ferry & you have an easy five minute ride to Newcastle. And what a fascinating town - history, funky cafes amazing beaches & walks. We loved being able to walk around easily to see so many of the sights. The museum was especially interesting & found an amazing restaurant on the headland- Rustica. It is an easy & pretty drive up to the Hunter Valley. Lloyd & Julie are just so friendly and the apartment is huge & welcoming. It was so nice to sit on the deck of an afternoon and watch the people walking their dogs in the park with massive tankers gliding past. There's just so much to see in this area. We'd love to come back

We loved Newcastle and Stockton. Stockton's a small, old, quiet suburb with good facilities and beautiful beaches and immediately accessible to the hustle and bustle of Newcastle. Also flat and quiet for cycling. Newcastle itself can keep you occupied for days - history, walks, shops, beaches, and is well worth visiting even if it isn't on your initial plan for Australia. It's lower key than Sydney, but has a great coffee culture, architecture, shopping, even (I hear) nightlife. It has two of the best ocean baths in the world. We ventured out to Nelson Bay which was great - but we could happily have spent every day in a different part of Newcastle. On a rainy (or far too hot?!) day the museum is perfect, interesting for adults and with soft play for little ones. We have two little children, and Julie was very accommodating with a high chair etc. We particularly loved sitting on the large patio watching the storms over the river, and the passage of the cargo ship.