With giant sand dunes to rival the Sahara, national parks with epic cliff faces and views to match, and a pristine bay known for dolphin and whale watching, Port Stephens is an outdoor adventure wonderland.
- 7 min read
Go dolphin spotting (or jump in the water to swim alongside)
Around 120 bottlenose dolphins call the waters of Port Stephens home year-round and it’s easy to spot these friendly locals as they go about their day. Get out on the water with Moonshadow – TQC Cruises or Imagine Cruises and spot dolphins swimming beside the boat or playing in the wake. If you want to get even closer, Dolphin Swim Australia offers the only permitted wild dolphin swim in NSW – you’ll feel like you’re part of the pod.
Spotting dolphins with Moonshadow Cruises, Port Stephens
Snorkel or dive the region's underwater worlds
The pristine waters off Port Stephens are known for their abundant marine life and vibrant coral. Fly Point, in between Little Beach and Nelson Bay, is considered one of the best shore diving and snorkelling spots in the state. Lush sponge gardens and kelp forests are just a few metres from the beach, and home to pineapple fish, blue groupers, wobbegong sharks and seahorses. The Anna Bay rockpools are great for beginners, with crabs, starfish, lobsters and stingrays found in the calm, clear water. Join a boat tour to explore the 1903 wreck of the SS Oakland, meet the grey nurse sharks of Cabbage Tree Island, or look for blue devilfish off Broughton Island.
Aquamarine Adventures, Port Stephens
Feed and pet stingrays and sharks
For guaranteed marine life in a more controlled environment, visit Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters in Anna Bay. In their natural-style lagoons, you can feed and pet stingrays and sharks in the shallow waters. For something more adventurous, don a snorkel and swim along with reef and zebra sharks, and huge rays weighing up to 150 kilograms. Interacting with these magnificent creatures in their natural environment will give you a new appreciation for their importance in the ocean ecosystem.
Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters, Anna Bay
Get up close to koalas
Port Stephens is home to one of the last remaining koala colonies on the east coast, though only a few hundred remain in the wild. The Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary plays an important role in the protection of this vulnerable species, with a rescue service, koala hospital and bushland sanctuary. Follow the elevated Skywalk to spot koalas in the trees, look through the hospital window to see sick and injured koalas receiving care, or spend the night in a stylish glamping tent.
Keep exploring: You can also see koalas in the wild at Tilligerry Habitat, a tranquil wildlife reserve at Tanilba Bay.
Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary, One Mile
Join a whale-watching tour
Between May and November, thousands of humpback and southern right whales travel along the east coast of Australia on their annual migration. You can see them in Port Stephens throughout the whole season, though the best months are June to August and September to October. Moonshadow – TQC Cruises and Imagine Cruises run regular whale-watching tours, or you can spot them from land at Tomaree Head Summit Walk Barry Park, Boat Harbour Headland and Birubi Beach.
Imagine Cruises, Nelson Bay
Birdwatch and camp on Broughton Island
After a dedicated campaign to clear Broughton Island of pests, the local bird population is booming. More than 55,000 breeding pairs of edge-tailed shearwaters use the island as well as critically endangered petrels, little penguins and more. There are just five campsites on this beautiful island off the coast of Sandy Point, so you can be one of only a handful of people to wake among this tranquil wildlife haven. Bring your binoculars for birdwatching and your snorkel for the crystal-clear waters.
Broughton Island Campground, Mungo Brush - Credit: John Spencer | DCCEEW
Explore stunning national parks on a day hike
Soaring 161 metres above sea level, the magnificent Tomaree Head creates a striking scene. For jaw-dropping views over the bay and coast, take the 2.2-kilometre return Tomaree Head Summit Walk near Shoal Bay in Tomaree National Park. Nearby is the short Wreck Beach Walk which winds through an angophora forest to a little cove perfect for a picnic. For more spectacular views, the 160-metre Gan Gan Hill lookout is an easy walk that offers big returns. It’s just a short stroll from the carpark to the lookout and up to a viewing platform where you can see the whole of Port Stephens, Myall Lakes to the north and Newcastle to the south. There are also signboards to highlight points of interest and explain the hill’s Aboriginal history.
Keep exploring: The new Tomaree Coastal Walk is a 27-kilometre, two-day trek from Tomaree Head to Birubi Point Aboriginal Place, weaving through rich forest, around lush coastal headlands and across scenic rock ledges.
Tomaree Head Summit Walk, Port Stephens
Quad bike, sandobard or 4WD the Stockton Bight Sand Dunes
The Stockton Bight Sand Dunes in the Worimi Conservation Lands are an adventure playground. The largest moving coastal sand dunes in the Southern Hemisphere, they reach up to 30 metres in height. Zoom around the dunes on a quad bike tour with Quad Bike King or zip down the face on a sandboard with Sand Dune Safaris. Drive along the sand dunes and discover the mysterious Tin City on an off-road excursion with 4WD Tours R Us or Port Stephens 4WD. If you like to combine adventure with education, book a quad bike tour with Sand Dune Adventures – their guides share stories of local Aboriginal people and their connection to the dunes.
4WD R US, Stockton Beach
Take a sunset camel ride
Traverse the dunes at a more sedate pace with Oakfield Ranch Camel Rides. These ‘ships of the desert’ are perfectly engineered to cross the sand with ease. Take a 20-minute ride along some of the smaller dunes and onto Birubi Beach, or choose the one-hour ride to climb the higher dunes. Sunset rides capture the dunes and beach at their most picturesque – don’t forget your camera.
Camel Riding, Port Stephens
Kayak or SUP this watery wonderland
As soon as you spot the sparkling blue ocean of Port Stephens, you’re going to want to get wet. Hire a kayak or stand-up paddleboard from the team at Port Stephens Paddlesports and set out to explore on your own. The calm waters of Shoal Bay are perfect for first timers. They also run guided tours along the estuary where you’ll often be accompanied by curious dolphins. More experienced paddlers can join Walking Rivers for an exciting two-day kayak and camping tour to Broughton Island.
Shoal Bay, Port Stephens
Learn to wakeboard or surf from the experts
Turn up the dial with a wakeboarding lesson from Escape Eco Adventures. You’ll be towed behind their custom rigid inflatable boat and quickly learn how to stand up, catch small waves and maybe even master a trick or two. They also offer kitesurfing, windfoil and hydrofoil lessons. If you’d like to learn to surf, the experts from Port Stephens Surf School run regular lessons on the gentle swells of One Mile Beach.
Surfing at Birubi Beach, Port Stephens
Throw out a line on a tour
The continental shelf is around 30 kilometres offshore from Port Stephens and makes for excellent game fishing. You can regularly reel in marlin, hammerhead sharks, trag and other fighting fish. Calypso Fishing Adventures, Pacific Blue Charters and Hammerhead Fishing Charters have luxurious vessels equipped with game fishing chairs, rods and reels. The captain and crew are all experienced fishermen and can show you how to land a beauty.
Fishing on the water in Port Stephens, North Coast
Explore bush and beach by horseback
See the beauty of Port Stephens from the saddle with Sahara Trails Horse Riding. Beginners and children over four can explore pristine casuarina forest on horseback, looking out for koalas hiding in the trees. More experienced riders can canter along the beach with the towering Stockton Sand Dunes as a backdrop. Their calm, well-trained horses are suitable for even the most nervous rider and you’ll be immersed in the tranquillity of nature atop your trusty steed.
Sahara Trails Horse Riding, Port Stephens
Cycle along the coastline
There’s plenty to see on two wheels as well. Cycleways loop all around the Port Stephens peninsula, linking popular beaches, village and attractions. A path runs all the way from Salamander Bay to Fingal Bay, taking in Bagnalls Beach, Dutchies Beach, Nelson Bay and Shoal Bay. There’s also an extensive network of cycling and mountain bike trails in Tomaree National Park, with something for every skill level.
Tomaree Head Summit, Port Stephens
Speed through tobaggan tracks on a family day out
Kids will love the outdoor activities at Toboggan Hill Park. Race down the one-kilometre toboggan track, soak your friends with pump action water pistols in the giant maze and practice your flips on the bungee trampolines. There’s also putt putt golf, indoor rock climbing and roller skating on offer.
Keep exploring: At Go Karts Go, you can reach speeds of up to 70 kilometres on the specially designed track with its twist, turns and fast straights.
Toboggan Hill Park, Nelson Bay
