Revellers that hit the beach to celebrate the last week of the year were turned away at Blacksmiths, Stockton, Nobbys, Dixon Park and Merewether beaches.

Blacksmiths Beach was closed again on New Year's Day for an hour due to rough surf conditions and another shark sighting.

Newcastle beach inspector Warren Smith said it was common to see this number of sharks periodically, as they followed schools of fish along the coast.