Port Stephens Bay Overview

North of Newcastle, this ring of sleepy townships circles the placid blue-green water of Port Stephens Bay. A slew of outdoor activities near Tomaree National Park adds adventure to this otherwise relaxing destination. Most of the region’s attractions, restaurants, and facilities are in the township of Nelson Bay, while Anna Bay and Shoal Bay offer beautiful and somewhat isolated beaches. During the summer, surfing beaches and luxury resorts draw backpackers and families alike, clogging central shopping areas with traffic. Dolphins are visible year-round in the harbor and are quite cheeky—they’ll come right up and tag along with the daily dolphin cruises. The whale-watching season runs from June-Oct., when about 5000 giants head north to warmer waters to breed.

Transportation.  Port Stephens Coaches (☎02 4982 2940 or 1800 045 949; www.pscoaches.com.au) shuttles to and around Port Stephens and runs to Sydney (3hr.; 9:35am daily from Port Stephens Coaches Depot; $36, concessions $29). The Bay Rover Pack includes round-trip ticket and travel within and between Port Stephens’s townships ($22/11.) The main stop in Nelson Bay is at the Coles supermarket on Stockton St. Local buses run all week. (M-F hourly, Sa and Su every 2hr. $3; 1-day unlimited travel $11.) It may be more convenient to rent a car from Newcastle in order to avoid being stranded in one township for hours. The Port Stephens Ferry Service (☎04 1268 2117) makes trips to Tea Garden, a fishing village across the water from Nelson Bay. (8:30am, noon, 3:30pm. Round-trip $20, children $10, concessions $18, families $50. Book ahead.) Call a taxi (☎13 10 08) for service around town. Shoal Bay Bike Hire, 63 Shoal Bay Rd., near the Shoal Bay Motel, is a cheap bike rental option. (☎02 4981 4121. From $4-8 per hr., $68 per week. Open daily 9am-5pm in summer; in winter M-W 9am-3pm, F-Su 9am-5pm.)

Orientation And Practical Information.  Nelson Bay Road leads from Newcastle to four of Port Stephens’ residential townships. The road forks onto Gan Gan Road, which leads to Anna Bay, where Stockton Beach boasts the largest sand dune area in the Southern Hemisphere. It’s also close to the popular surf spot, One Mile Beach, called “The Big Beach” by locals. Gan Gan and Nelson Bay Rd. rejoin and lead to three other townships: Nelson Bay (the largest), Shoal Bay, and the rural Fingal Bay. The marina, shopping complex, and cafes are on Victoria Pde. and Stockton St. in Nelson Bay. The tourist office (☎02 4981 6900 or 1800 808 900; www.portstephens.org.au.), on Victoria Pde. by the wharf, arranges bookings for local attractions. (Open daily 9am-5pm.) Tomaree Public Library, in the Salamander Shopping Centre, has free Internet. (☎02 4982 0670. Open M, W, F 9:30am-6pm; Tu and Th 9:30am-8pm; Sa 9:30am-2pm.) Additional access is available at Internet Cafe and Gaming Shop, on Magnus St. in Nelson Bay. (☎02 4984 3225. $6 per hr. Open M-F 9:30am-7pm, Sa-Su 10am-8pm.)

Accommodations And Camping. Budget accommodations abound in Port Stephens Bay.   Samurai Beach Bungalows Backpackers/Port Stephens YHA , is on Robert Connell Cir. Reached by Frost Rd. off Nelson Bay Rd., the hostel is nestled in dense bushland, making for a romantic and relaxing stay. Travelers riding a bus into town can ask for a dropoff at the hostel. Guests enjoy simple, stylish rooms, a volleyball court, an outdoor kitchen, a rec room with TV, a pool, free sand boards, and campfires. Bikes are also available for $5 per hr. (☎02 4982 1921; www.samuraiportstephens.com. Laundry $3. Internet available. Reception 8:30am-9:30pm. 5-bunk dorms with fridge from $25; doubles with TV, bar, and fridge from $75; family room with all amenities $89. Rates higher in the summer; book ahead.) Shoal Bay Holiday Park , on Shoal Bay Rd., near the turnoff for Fingal Bay, has a new kitchen, two common TV areas, a rec room with ping-pong tables, and a tennis court. (☎02 4981 1427 or 1800 600 200; www.beachsideholidays.com.au. Laundry $3. Reception 8:15am-6pm. Powered sites for 2 $30-55; ensuite caravan sites $42-69; ensuite bungalows with kitchen and TV $59-180. Min. 2-night stay on weekends. Weekly rates available. Extra adult $10-15.) Malaleuca Backpackers , 2 Koala Pl., is just 5min. from the beach and offers comfortable cabins and camping on an expansive lawn. Koala sightings are very common. Head down Gan Gan Rd. and turn left on Koala Pl. (☎02 4981 9422 or 04 2720 0950. Laundry $7. Sites $14-18; dorm beds $30-34; cabins $80. Book 2-3 months ahead for summer and holidays. VIP/YHA accepted.)

Food.  Nelson Bay —the Port Stephens hub—is the best place to find cheap food, particularly on Magnus and Donald St., parallel to Victoria Pde. John Dory’s Seafoods , Shop 6 on Donald St., serves scrumptious sandwiches ($6.50-8) made with the freshest ingredients. (☎02 4981 4511. Open in summer daily 8am-4pm, in winter M-Sa 9am-3pm. Cash only.) A small Coles is located on the corner of Stockton and Donald St. in Nelson Bay (☎02 4981 1666) and a full-size Woolworths is in the Salamander Shopping Centre, which also holds a number of travel agencies and fast-food joints. Though Port Stephens is not known for its party scene, locals and backpackers alike enjoy good times and cheap drinks at Nelson Bay Bowling and Recreation Club, Stockton St., just up from the town center. (☎02 4981 1272. Live music F-Sa. Open M-F 10am-10pm, Sa-Su 10am-midnight.)

Sights And Activities. You’ve probably seen sport-utility vehicle ads on TV and wondered if anyone really drives off-road like that. Now’s your chance to find out. The fun-loving folks at Port Stephens Visitors Centre (☎02 4981 1579) will let you buy a three-day pass ($10) so you and your 4WD can go play on Stockton Beach, the biggest sand dune in the Southern Hemisphere. (The fine sands of this 26km long dune not only move 10m inland every year but are also shipped to Waikiki Beach in Hawaii.) Eleven kilometers down from Anna Bay is Tin City, a collection of tin shacks that were featured in Star Wars. Don’t let their simple exterior fool you: some are extremely well-furnished with cable, A/C, and other comforts. Passes are also available at the Mobil station in Anna Bay. Follow signs to Anna Bay from Nelson Bay Rd.; the Mobil is past the beach access sign. To get to the dunes, take Gan Gan Rd. and turn off onto James Patterson St. For renting or participating in more organized group-duning, try a 2hr. trip with Port Stephens 4WD Tours. The Beach and Dune Tour includes a trip to Tin City, pipi (clam) catch and release, and sandboarding down the dunes. (☎02 4984 4760; www.portstephens4wd.com.au. 10am daily, extra times Sa and holidays. $48, children $28.) Quad Bikes lets you motor through the dunes on a four-wheeler for $130. They also offer daily 4WD beach and dune tours from $45. (☎02 4919 0088; www.quadbikeking.com.au.) For a more tame sand activity, join Sahara Trails on spectacular 1½hr. dune and beach horse rides ($120) or a 1hr. bush ride starting at $50 per hr. (☎02 4981 9077; www.saharatrails.com. Open daily. Book ahead.) Camel Rides offers 20min. beach rides Su, and school holidays for $20. (☎04 2966 4172; www.oakfieldranch.com.)

Whale-watching and dolphin cruise boats depart throughout the day in the summer (winter trips run weather-permitting). The cheapest is the Seascape, which cruises the harbor for sightings of some of the 150 dolphins that live there year-round. (☎04 1882 2634; www.nelsonbaydolphinwatch.com.au. Cruises run daily noon and 1:45pm year-round. $19.50, concessions $18.50.) For a venture out of the bay and into the ocean, join the young crew aboard Imagine Cruises sailboats. Their popular 3½hr. Marine Discovery tour (Dec.-Mar.) includes sailing, swimming and snorkeling ($50, concessions $45), and their 3hr. whale-watching tours ($60, concessions $50), with afternoon tea, run June-November. (☎02 4984 9000; www.imaginecruises.com.au. Both depart Dock C, d’Albora Marina.) The Shark and Ray Centre, 686 Marsh Rd. in Bobs Farm township, invites intrepid visitors to feed the sharks and rays ($50, children $25) while snorkeling or standing in the tank. (☎02 4982 2476; www.ozsharkandray.com.au. Open daily 9am-5pm.) For less action and more cuddling, stop off at Oakvale Farm and Fauna World, 2828 Nelson Bay Rd., to pet or feed a koala or kangaroo. (☎02 4982 6222; www.oakvalefarm.com.au. Open daily 10am-5pm; feeding times 11am and 2pm. Wheelchair-accessible. $15, children $9.) For unparalleled views of Port Stephens Bay’s rippling blue-green water and stark headlands, take the 20-40min. walk to the summit of Tomaree Head at the end of Shoal Bay. The Anna Bay shore offers opportunities for surfing and nude bathing; inquire at the Port Stephens tourist office in Nelson Bay for information.