Port Stephens

Port Stephens is known for its unspoilt beaches with perfect surf breaks or sheltered bays for swimming, snorkelling and kayaking. Or try parasailing over the bay. Walk along the beach at Shoal Bay to Tomaree Headland for splendid panoramas. At sunset, kayak with dolphins at Nelson Bay and Soldiers Point. Fingal Bay Beach has its own island. Surfers will be thrilled by One Mile Beach, Birubi Beach, Zenith Beach, Box Beach, or Samurai Beach. Families will love One Mile Beach, Boat Harbour and Birubi Beach.

Dolphin Swim Australia remains the only permitted wild dolphin swim in NSW, licensed by the Marine Park Authority to operate in the Port Stephens Great Lakes Marine Park. Aboard an ocean-going catamaran, qualified dive masters take you through the most amazing experience of your life, frolicking with short-beaked common dolphins and oceanic bottlenose dolphins.

Tomaree National Park provides a stunning backdrop to the coastal towns of Port Stephens. It’s the only place in NSW where you can see rhyodacite outcrops, a rare volcanic rock. The park's rugged bush coastline is perfect for walkers, with the Wreck Beach trail offering a scenic route through angophora forest. It's also great for whale watching and exploring the historic gun emplacements at Fort Tomaree. Don’t forget your fishing rod — the waters here are teeming with fish.

Port Stephens is a prime location to observe humpbacks and southern right whales during their annual migration. From mid-May to early September, thousands of whales head north to their breeding grounds, and from mid-September to mid-October, they migrate south. You might even see mothers with their newborn calves in the calmer waters. Watch them from Tomaree Head Summit, or get up close on a tour from Nelson Bay.

Ride quad bikes from the bush to the beach, traversing magnificent sand dunes while learning about Aboriginal culture in the Worimi Conservation Lands. On a Sand Dune Adventures tour, you’ll ride a 400 cc bike through the Southern Hemisphere’s largest moving coastal sand dunes, some rising over 30 metres. Guided by expert Aboriginal guides, you’ll be immersed in the area’s natural beauty while learning about traditional Aboriginal foods and methods for finding fresh water.