Guide to Port Stephens New South Wales Australia

Port Stephens is a vast natural harbour on the New South Wales coast, two and a half hours north of Sydney and less than an hour from Newcastle. More than twice the size of Sydney Harbour, it is ringed by quiet bays, bushland and small holiday towns, guarded at its entrance by two steep volcanic headlands, and backed to the south by the largest moving sand dunes in the southern hemisphere. It has been one of the state’s favourite beach holiday areas for generations.

Known For

• Dolphin cruises all year and whale watching from May to November
• The Stockton Bight sand dunes, 32 kilometres long
• Calm bay beaches, ocean surf beaches and wild koalas

Most visitors stay on the Tomaree Peninsula, the arm of land along the southern shore. Nelson Bay is the main town and marina, where the cruise boats leave. Shoal Bay, just to the east, curves beneath Tomaree Head, and Fingal Bay faces the open ocean. West along the bay are Corlette, Salamander Bay and Soldiers Point. On the ocean side, Anna Bay is the gateway to the dunes.

Across the water lie the twin villages of Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest, reached by ferry, and at the head of the port are Karuah, known for oysters, and the Tilligerry Peninsula around Tanilba Bay. The water is clear, the pace is slow, and much of the shoreline is national park or marine park.

Port Stephens Towns and Beaches

Each of the towns and villages around the port has its own guide, from the busy marina at Nelson Bay to the quiet beaches of the Tilligerry Peninsula and the villages across the water.

Things To Do in Port Stephens

Dolphin and Whale Cruises

A resident population of more than 100 bottlenose dolphins lives in the port, and cruises from Nelson Bay marina find them on almost every trip. Between May and November humpback whales pass close to the heads on their way to and from the tropics, and larger boats head out to sea to meet them. You can also swim with wild dolphins on a rope behind a catamaran, or paddle the bay by kayak.

Stockton Bight Sand Dunes

Behind Birubi Beach at Anna Bay, the dunes of the Worimi Conservation Lands stretch south for 32 kilometres towards Stockton, some of them more than 30 metres high. Join a four-wheel-drive tour to go sandboarding, ride a quad bike with Aboriginal guides, take a camel ride along the beach at sunset, or visit Tin City, a cluster of fishing shacks half buried in the sand.

Tomaree Head and the Coastal Walk

The climb to the 161 metre summit of Tomaree Head, at Shoal Bay, takes about 45 minutes on a steep path and stairs and gives one of the finest coastal views in the state, across the heads to Cabbage Tree and Boondelbah islands. Wartime gun emplacements sit just below the top. The summit is also one end of the Tomaree Coastal Walk, a track of more than 20 kilometres through Tomaree National Park to Birubi Point, walked in sections or over two days.

Beaches

There are 26 beaches to choose from. Shoal Bay, Little Beach and Dutchmans Beach have calm, shallow water for children. Fingal Bay, One Mile and Birubi are patrolled surf beaches, and Zenith, Wreck and Box beaches are reached on foot through the national park. Samurai Beach is clothing optional. The sand spit to Fingal Island looks tempting but is dangerous to cross.

Snorkelling and Diving

Fly Point and Halifax Park, a few minutes from the centre of Nelson Bay, are among the best shore dives in New South Wales, with sponge gardens, nudibranchs, wobbegongs and seahorses inside a marine sanctuary. Dive at slack water on the high tide. Boat trips run to Broughton Island, known for grey nurse sharks.

Koalas and Wildlife

Port Stephens has one of the few koala populations on the coast that visitors have a fair chance of seeing in the wild. The Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary at One Mile cares for sick and injured animals and has an elevated walkway through the trees. Tilligerry Habitat at Tanilba Bay has boardwalks through koala country, and Oakvale Wildlife Park at Salt Ash lets children feed farm and native animals.

Lighthouses and Lookouts

The Inner Light at Nelson Head, built in 1872, has a small museum, a tearoom and a broad view of the port. Gan Gan Lookout, above Nelson Bay, takes in the whole peninsula. Across the bay, a ferry from Nelson Bay to Tea Gardens makes a pleasant day out, with a riverside lunch and a walk over the Singing Bridge to Hawks Nest and the edge of Myall Lakes National Park.

Where To Stay

Nelson Bay has the widest range, from apartment hotels overlooking the marina to motels and backpacker lodges, and puts you within walking distance of the cruise boats and restaurants. Shoal Bay is quieter and right on the sand, with a large resort and many holiday apartments along the beachfront.

For something special, Bannisters at Soldiers Point and The Anchorage at Corlette are waterfront hotels with well-regarded restaurants. Families often choose the holiday parks at Shoal Bay, Fingal Bay, Halifax and One Mile Beach, which have cabins and sites close to the water. The area is very busy in the summer school holidays and at Easter, when bookings are needed months ahead; winter brings low prices and the whales.

Eat & Drink

Seafood is the thing to eat. Port Stephens oysters are grown in the upper reaches of the bay and sold from farm gates around Karuah, Lemon Tree Passage and Soldiers Point. The marina at Nelson Bay has a fishermen’s co-operative for fish and chips on the wharf, along with a row of waterfront restaurants and cafes.

Rick Stein at Bannisters is the best-known dining room in the area, and the Shoal Bay Country Club is a big, lively pub across the road from the beach. Little Beach Boathouse sits right over the water near Nelson Bay. Inland, at Bobs Farm, you will find cellar doors, an avocado farm cafe and roadside stalls, and the wineries of the Hunter Valley are about an hour away.

History

The port is the country of the Worimi people, whose shell middens and other sites line the shores and dunes. Captain Cook sailed past on 11 May 1770 and named the inlet after Sir Philip Stephens, Secretary of the Admiralty. Timber cutters and escaped convicts were the first Europeans to live here, and in 1826 the Australian Agricultural Company set up its headquarters on the northern shore.

During the Second World War the bay was a training base for amphibious landings, and guns were mounted on Tomaree Head. Fishing and oyster farming sustained the villages until the 1960s, when sealed roads and holiday flats began to turn Nelson Bay into a resort. Raymond Terrace, on the Hunter River, is the seat of the local council.

Getting to Port Stephens

By car, follow the M1 Pacific Motorway north from Sydney and turn off towards Nelson Bay, about 210 kilometres and two and a half hours. Newcastle Airport, at Williamtown, is 30 minutes from Nelson Bay and has flights from Melbourne, Brisbane and other cities. Buses run from Newcastle to Nelson Bay, and a daily coach links the area with Sydney. A car is the easiest way to move between the beaches and villages.

Nearest Airport: Newcastle

Website: www.portstephens-australia.com