Good morning, welcome back to the Newcastle Digest

I hope you have all had a good start to your week and are enjoying the slightly cooler days compared to last week’s heatwave.

There are still some tickets remaining for the Newcastle Digest morning pilates event this weekend, if this sounds of interest to you click the link in the body of the newsletter to purchase.

MIINE

MIINE is an Italian restaurant on Darby Street with an intimate feel, good spacing between tables, and attentive service that suits a slower, sit-down dinner. We went on a Wednesday, which happens to be their steak night, and it turned out to be a solid choice.

The steak special included an MS9 Wagyu cut, garlic herb pizza bread, and bottomless fries. The steak was cooked well and the quality was obvious, with the sides rounding it out nicely. We also ordered the garlic pizza bread with added truffle stracciatella, which was a standout and easily one of the best starters I’ve had locally. The spicy vodka macaroni was rich, well-balanced, and held its own alongside the rest of the meal.

There’s an extensive drinks list with a good mix of wines, cocktails, and beers, which adds to the overall experience. All up, MIINE delivers across food, service, and atmosphere, making it a strong option for a date night or a celebratory dinner.

📍13 Darby St, Newcastle NSW 2300

A quick reminder that tickets are still available for the first Newcastle Digest event.

On 17 January, I’m hosting a Saturday morning beachside Pilates session with TOOSH at Dixon Park Beach at 8am. It’s a straightforward way to start the weekend, get some movement in, and spend time around other people without it feeling forced.

This is a small, capped session and a BYO mat class.

Tickets are paid, covering the instructor and basic costs, with anything extra going back into Newcastle Digest to help support future events.

If this sounds like a good way to spend a Saturday morning, tickets are still available below. Tickets will be refunded or moved to a postponned event date in case of bad weather.

🔗 Get tickets here.

Tiny Moves supports children aged 8 months to 4.5 years, including those who haven’t yet started childcare or preschool, as well as those who already attend and benefit from extra movement, music, and social connection.

Classes provide a safe, nurturing space for children to explore and express themselves in their own way, whether that’s dancing, singing, playing, or simply observing their friends. There’s no right or wrong, just opportunities to learn, develop confidence, and have fun.

With small, intimate class sizes, children build social skills, fine and gross motor skills, rhythm, and early literacy and numeracy through engaging, play-based activities.

Tiny Moves classes incorporate a wide range of activities, including musical instruments and rhythm play, singing and dancing, storytime, obstacle courses, and gentle mindfulness exercises.

The best part? Children are having so much fun, they don’t even realise they’re learning and growing along the way.

Tiny Moves classes are offered weekly, with additional sessions and locations to be added as the business grows.

Find out more at www.tinymoves.com.au or follow along on Instagram @hellotinymoves

Summer School Holidays: Free Kids Activities – Shoal Bay Country Club, 35–45 Shoal Bay Rd, Shoal Bay | 4–25 January 12pm – 2pm (Tues, Thurs & Sun)
Free school holiday activities including kids disco, projector games and prizes. More info.

Friday Chill – Pacific Park, Newcastle East | 16 January 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Free family-friendly evening with live local music, food trucks and relaxed summer vibes. More info.

Twilight Fridays – MAP mima, Lake Macquarie Arts Centre, Booragul | 16, 23 & 30 January 5pm – 8pm
Rotating Friday night events including live music, kids discos and after-hours art experiences. More info.

Spotlight Walk – Hunter Region Botanic Gardens, Heatherbrae | 15 January 8.30pm – 10.30pm
Guided night walk spotting nocturnal wildlife. Cost: $10 participants, accompanying adults free. More info.

Monster Trucks Mayhem – Newcastle Showground | 17 January Gates 4pm, Show 6pm
Family stunt show featuring monster trucks, freestyle motocross, fireworks and comedy cars. More info.

William the Fourth Cruises: Pirates of the Hunter – Lee Wharf Pontoon, Honeysuckle | 18 January 10.30am & 1.30pm
Family pirate adventure cruise with games, treasure hunting and themed food. More info.

The Lumineers: The Automatic World Tour – Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Brown Rd, Broadmeadow | 15 January
Folk-rock favourites The Lumineers return with The Automatic World Tour, joined by The Head and the Heart. More info.

90s & 2000s RnB Party – The Exchange, 125 Denison St, Hamilton | 16 January from 8pm
Two-level party spinning classic 90s and 2000s RnB anthems with DJs Mathematics and Skoob. More info.

Fisherman’s Friends – Civic Theatre Newcastle | 20 January
Cornwall folk group Fisherman’s Friends bring their sea shanties and rich harmonies to Australia. More info.

The Bubble Spectacular – Civic Theatre Newcastle | 19 January 11am
Bubble-filled family show starring Dr Hubble. Cost: $34.90–$49.90.

Dawnbreak Sunrise Sober Silent Disco – Nobbys Beach | 18 January from 4.30am
Early morning silent disco dancing as the sun rises, followed by an ocean dip and coffee. More info.

Tower Cinemas Ghibli Fest – Tower Cinemas | 17–18 January
Weekend celebration of Studio Ghibli films including Spirited Away, Totoro and Ponyo. More info.

Y2K Weekend Part 1 – Bernie’s Bar | 16 January from 9pm
Free-entry throwback party playing iconic 90s and 2000s pop and dance hits. More info.

Beach Yacht Party – MV Calmer, Newcastle Harbour | 17 January 7pm – 10pm
Floating beach nightclub with DJs, harbour views and summer party vibes. Boarding from 6.30pm. More info.

Newcastle Fire & Flow Gathering – King Edward Park Rotunda | 18 January from 2pm
Free family-friendly community meetup with flow workshops, live DJs and fire + LED performances. More info.

Drums in the Park – King Edward Park | 18 January from 6.30pm
Community drumming circle during the Fire & Flow gathering. Bring a drum or just listen. More info.

THE FEAST: RAID Event 2026 – Lake Macquarie (secret location) | 17 January
Mystery picnic gathering where everyone brings food and drink to share. Location revealed the day before.

Pelican Foreshore Twilight Markets - Lakeview Parade Pelican | 17 January, 4:00pm
More info.

Marina Market - Nelson Bay Foreshore | 17 January, 4:00pm - 8:00pm
Local-made retail, delicious street food, live tunes & face painting! Every Wednesday & Saturday from 4-8pm throughout January

Warners Bay Markets – The Esplanade, Warners Bay | 17 January 9am – 2pm
Lakeside markets featuring fresh produce, handmade goods and artisan treats.

Newcastle City Farmers Markets – Broadmeadow Showground, Griffiths Rd, Broadmeadow | 18 January
Shop direct from local farmers and makers in a classic community farmers market.

Adamstown Lions Market – Cnr Glebe & Brunker Rds, Adamstown | 18 January 7am – 12pm
Local market offering seasonal produce, handmade goods and artisan treats.

Do you want me to share an event in the Newcastle Digest?

I know Pilates isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. I’d still like to keep doing small, in-person things through Newcastle Digest, but only if they’re genuinely worth running.

One idea I’m considering is Digest Dinners.

These would be small, curated dinners at local venues. A mixed table, good food, relaxed conversation, and no awkward networking or forced structure.

Before I go any further, I want to check:

Would you be interested in coming along to something like this?

That’s it. Your response helps shape what Newcastle Digest does next.