Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Maitland
Supervised visits and changeovers in Newcastle and Maitland
Across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Maitland area: supervised contact at the beaches, reserves and play centres Hunter families already know, or in the supervised parent's home after a safety check. No waiting list.
- Where
- Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Maitland
- Recommended venues
- Twenty-two recommended venues, from the beaches to Maitland, and any suitable venue you suggest
- Start
- No waiting list: a first visit in as little as 2 days once both parents have completed intake
- Reports
- The same report to both parents within 3 business days
Where we work
Newcastle, the lake and up to Maitland
We cover Newcastle and its suburbs, the Lake Macquarie shore and the Maitland area. The places below are where families already meet us; if yours is not among them, call and we will confirm the same day.
A Hunter visit is held at a community venue, or in the supervised parent's home once a home safety check is complete. Online contact is available wherever the two homes are.
How it works
Three steps, and no waiting list
The same three steps for every Hunter family, court ordered or private: both parents' forms, an interview each, then the first visit at a venue that suits the child.
Both parents complete the intake form
Each parent fills in their own form online, in six short steps, about 5 to 8 minutes. If you give us the other parent's email address, we ask them for their form ourselves.
An interview each, then the agreement
A confidential phone interview with each parent, separately, so we understand your family and your child's needs. Then the service agreement is signed and the first session paid.
The first visit, near your child
A supervisor is allocated and the first visit booked at a venue that suits the child, in as little as 2 days once both parents have completed intake. The same report goes to both parents within 3 business days.
Supervised visits
Three hours or more with your child in a setting that feels natural, a professional supervisor present throughout, and a report with photographs of every visit, included.
How supervised visits workSupervised changeovers
Staggered handovers at a neutral venue in Newcastle and Maitland, so your child moves between parents without the parents meeting.
How changeovers workOnline contact
Supervised video contact on Zoom when being in the same room is not possible, with a full written report to both parents.
How online contact works
Recommended venues
Where Newcastle and Maitland families meet
Beaches, bushland reserves, lakeside playgrounds and indoor play centres for a wet day: the venues families use most from the coast to Maitland. They are recommendations, not a fixed list: a visit can be held at any suitable venue, and the venue is chosen with both parents, around the child's age, the orders and how easily everyone can get there.
Newcastle Ocean Baths 
Merewether Ocean Baths and Park 
Maitland Regional Art Gallery
- Blackbutt Reserve, KotaraA peaceful bushland sanctuary with walking trails, wildlife encounters and picnic areas.
- Lake Macquarie Variety Playground, Speers PointAn inclusive, adventure-style playground with climbing structures, water play and shaded seating.
- King Edward ParkA heritage-listed park with sweeping ocean views, gardens, walking trails and a rotunda.
- Indoor climbing gym, Warners BayBouldering, top-rope climbing and family-friendly challenges.
- Speers Point ParkA spacious lakeside park with an all-abilities playground, bike paths and open green space.
- Newcastle MuseumLocal history, science exhibits and hands-on displays for all ages.
- Dixon Park BeachA patrolled beach with coastal walks along the Bathers Way.
- Nobbys Beach and ParkA popular beach with a historic lighthouse and scenic coastal walks.
- Lambton Park and PoolA large community park with a public swimming pool, playgrounds and shaded picnic spots.
- Indoor play centre, BelmontClimbing structures and slides for younger children.
- Foreshore Park, Newcastle EastA waterfront park with playgrounds, large grassy areas and views of the harbour.
- Merewether Ocean Baths and ParkHistoric ocean baths, walking tracks and ocean views.
- Indoor inflatable play centre, Warners BayA large indoor arena of inflatable slides, obstacle courses and bounce zones.
- Newcastle Ocean BathsThe renewed ocean baths on the beachfront, with a shallow pool for children and the promenade beside them.
- Civic Park, NewcastleA city park with lawns, a fountain and shaded seating, beside the library and the art gallery.
- Warners Bay foreshoreA lakeside playground and a flat shared path along Lake Macquarie, with cafes close by.
- Rathmines Park, RathminesA lakeside park on the old air base, with a playground, open lawns and the lake's edge.
- Pasterfield Sports Complex, Cameron ParkA large playground with climbing nets, slides and a musical corner, beside the sports fields.
- Hunter Wetlands Centre, ShortlandBoardwalks, birdlife and dipping ponds in a wetland reserve, for a quiet, nature-based visit.
- Fernleigh TrackA flat, car-free path from Adamstown to Belmont for walking, scooting or riding together.
- Maitland Park, MaitlandA large park with a playground, open fields and the pool, close to the town centre.
- Maitland Regional Art GalleryA free gallery with family activities and a cafe, in the centre of Maitland.
These are the venues we recommend, not the only ones we use: have one in mind that is not listed? Suggest it at intake. Indoor venues are named by their type and suburb rather than their brand, and every venue we recommend, in every region, is on the venues page.
Photos: the hero Nobbys Beach and Park by Daniel Silk (CC BY-SA 3.0); Newcastle Ocean Baths by DaHuzyBru (CC BY-SA 4.0), Merewether Ocean Baths and Park by DaHuzyBru (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Maitland Regional Art Gallery by DaHuzyBru (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.
Fees
Fixed fees, GST included, no admin fees
What a family pays in Newcastle and Maitland is what a family pays anywhere we work: the figures come from one price list, and there are no handover fees and no admin fees.
The same fees apply everywhere we work. Weekend and public holiday prices, the intake interview, the optional preparation sessions, the travel allowance and the subpoena fees are all on our fees page; family lawyers will find the referral details on the page written for them.