Having spent significant time observing and imaging from both locations, I can only compare the Newcastle area to Canberra and sadly it is no comparison
ie Newcastle had generaly hard to predict weather with constant below average to poor seeing (never good) all year, both from the suburb of New Lampton in the city and 40min west of the city in Kurri Kurri. In comparison, as you would already know, Canberra has much steadier skies with a good sprinkling of very steady nights and more predictable weather much easier to get under decent dark skies too, Bortle 3 skies are just a 40min drive in any direction where no such skies exist in the inner Hunter unfortunately.
Good luck, you should be able get dark skies in many places on the coast
but steady ones?...probably not
Mike