What is Port Stephens known for?
Port Stephens is a coastal area about 2.5 hours north of Sydney, known for huge sand dunes, wild dolphins, whale watching and calm bays. Nelson Bay is its main town.
The Stockton Bight sand dunes stretch about 32 kilometres along the coast and are often described as the largest moving coastal sand dunes in the Southern Hemisphere. Visitors take four-wheel-drive tours, sandboard down slopes or ride camels.
The large bay is home to a resident population of bottlenose dolphins, and dolphin-watching cruises run all year. From May to November, humpback whales pass offshore during their migration.
Lookouts and beaches
The Tomaree Head Summit Walk offers sweeping views of the bay, islands and coastline. Beaches such as Shoal Bay, Zenith Beach and Fingal Bay are popular for swimming and surfing.
The Worimi people are the Traditional Owners of the area, and part of the dunes is protected as Worimi Conservation Lands. The region also has a koala sanctuary in One Mile Beach.
Did You Know?
A shipwreck, the Sygna, rusted for decades on Stockton Beach after running aground in a storm in 1974.