Merewether is the broadest and most open of Newcastle's beaches, about 3 kilometres south of the city centre. It is a consistently good surf beach — the waves here are more reliable and powerful than at the more sheltered city beaches — and hosts regular surfing competitions. The Merewether Ocean Baths at the northern end is one of the largest ocean baths in the southern hemisphere: two large saltwater pools carved into the rock platform, heated by the sun, and popular year-round.
The beach stretches south for over a kilometre to the Bar Beach headland. The walk along the clifftop from the baths south to Bar Beach is excellent at any time of day, with the ocean on one side and a residential neighbourhood of comfortable bungalows on the other. The Merewether Surfhouse café and amenities building at the car park end is a popular breakfast spot.