Port Stephens is a coastal paradise on the NSW North Coast, about two and a half hours north of Sydney by car. It’s built around a deep blue harbour, framed by national park headlands and backed by the kind of beaches that make you question why you ever bother going anywhere else.
But it’s not just a pretty place to sit by the water. Port Stephens has over 140 resident bottlenose dolphins living in the bay year-round, the largest moving coastal sand dunes in the Southern Hemisphere, summit walks with views that stretch for kilometres and a wildlife park where kangaroos come to you.
So, this blog is for Australians who’ve heard the name but never made the trip. Whether you are browsing dolphin watching cruises or just starting to research Port Stephens attractions, here is exactly what to do when you get there.
Dolphin Watch Cruises on Port Stephens Harbour
Port Stephens is home to between 90 and 140 Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins that live permanently within the Port Stephens-Great Lakes Marine Park, which is why it’s earned a reputation as one of the best spots for dolphin watching in Port Stephens. These aren’t seasonal visitors passing through. They live here year-round, so you can hop on a cruise any time and have a genuine chance of spotting them.
Dolphins also hold deep significance for the Worimi people, the traditional custodians of Port Stephens, who call them Guparr in the Gathang language. There’s a long history of connection between the Worimi elders and the dolphins here that goes well beyond tourism.
Cruises depart daily from Nelson Bay and typically run between one and two hours, heading out through the harbour past the headlands to known dolphin hotspots. Some include a boom net ride on the return. While sightings aren’t guaranteed as the dolphins are wild, most operators offer a free return pass if no dolphins are spotted. Bring a light jacket even in summer.
Sandboarding at Stockton Bight Sand Dunes
Most people don’t realise there’s a Sahara-style dune system sitting right on the NSW coast, but Stockton Bight is exactly that. Stretching 32 kilometres from Anna Bay to Stockton, these are the largest moving coastal sand dunes in the Southern Hemisphere, with some dunes reaching over 40 metres high. That’s roughly the height of a ten-storey building.
The dunes sit within the Worimi Conservation Lands, jointly managed by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and the local Aboriginal owners. This is a culturally significant landscape with ancient middens and bush food sites throughout. Some operators run guided cultural tours alongside the adventure activities, which adds real depth to the experience.
For the sandboarding itself, guided tours depart from Anna Bay. You’re loaded into a 4WD (four-wheel drive), driven into the heart of the dunes, and handed a board. Most tours run for about two hours, with unlimited runs, and operate year-round.
Tomaree Head Summit Walk
If you only have the energy to do one walk in Port Stephens, make it this one. The Tomaree Head Summit Walk takes you 161 metres above the harbour entrance and the views from the top are some of the best on the NSW coast. The trailhead is at the end of Shoal Bay Road next to Zenith Beach. The track is 2.2 kilometres return and takes around one and a half to two hours. It’s paved the whole way but steep in parts, with stairs near the summit.
From the top, you get views across to Yacaaba Head, Cabbage Tree and Broughton Islands to the north, and Zenith Beach, Fingal Island and Point Stephens Lighthouse to the south. Bring binoculars as dolphin and whale sightings from the summit are common. On the way down, stop at the World War II gun emplacements at Fort Tomaree, which will be worth your time!
Fingal Bay
Fingal Bay is a quiet beachside suburb sitting about 10 minutes from Nelson Bay, and it’s the kind of place that makes people rethink their plans to leave. It’s a long crescent-shaped stretch of white sand tucked under Fingal Head, with calmer water than most of Port Stephens’ southern beaches, thanks to the protection offered by the headland and the spit.
The standout feature is Fingal Spit, a narrow sand bar that connects the mainland to Fingal Island at low tide. When it’s exposed, you can walk across, explore the rock pools, and follow the trail up to the operational Point Stephens Lighthouse and the ruins of the old lighthouse keeper’s cottage. The walk to the lighthouse from the island is 1.2 kilometres one way.
The Barry Park lookout at the northern end of the beach has a dedicated whale watching platform. If you’re visiting between May and November, it’s worth the short walk up for a look.
Oakvale Wildlife Park
Oakvale Wildlife Park is not your standard zoo setup. It’s a 25-acre open bushland park in Salt Ash, about 25 minutes from Nelson Bay, where the animals aren’t all behind fences. Expect kangaroos wandering up to you while you’re trying to look at something else. The park has over 100 species including koalas, Tasmanian devils, quokkas, dingoes, cassowaries, alligators and ring-tailed lemurs.
General admission is $43 for adults and $29 for kids aged 3 to 16. The park is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm, with the last entry at 4 pm. Your ticket includes the tractor-trailer ride, all keeper talks and feeding shows, bottle feeding of baby farm animals at 11 am and 2 pm, and access to Splash Bay, the on-site water park.
If you want something closer, add-on wildlife encounters are available separately but tend to book out, so book those in advance.
One Last Thing
You’ve made it to the end of the list, which means you’re either already booking or still somehow on the fence. Either way, Port Stephens has dolphins in the harbour, dunes the size of buildings, a summit walk with views that stretch for kilometres, a beach with a sand bar you can walk across to a lighthouse, and a wildlife park where the animals come to you. All within the close proximity of Sydney.
