I've asked my workmates for theirs and the responses were interesting and in many cases a surprise. Greg Ray, for example, cites the upper stretches of Cockle Creek, a waterway that feeds into Lake Macquarie at Teralba and which was once known for its industrial pollution. Gabriel Wingate-Pearse mentions Redhead Beach and the beach walk to the south, Fran Thompson the village of Baerami near Denman, and Kate Tarala, a newcomer to the Hunter, Gan Gan Lookout at Port Stephens and, something Novocastrians may overlook, Blackbutt Reserve.

My favourites include the Newcastle Farmers' Markets at Newcastle Showground on Sundays, the Fernleigh Track cycleway, Swansea Caravan Park, The Victoria Hotel at Moonan Flat, the township of Dungog, Tea Gardens Hotel looking through the big window over the Myall River, and a place you may not have seen, Tamboy, a collection of professional fishermen's shacks where Myall Lakes meet the Myall River.

Of course we have Nobbys and the breakwall, Newcastle's magnificent beaches, the glorious waters of Port Stephens and Lake Macquarie, the vineyards, the Watagans, and they're hard to go past for sheer impact. But do tell us, please, about your special places beyond these majors.