Situated only 2.5 hours drive north from Sydney, Port Stephens is an outstanding holiday destination. Covering over 126 square meters of water, two and half times the size of Sydney Harbour. Port Stephens, offers gorgeous and stunning unspoiled waters and over 26 golden beaches and eco-diverse Marine and National Parks this area is really a must do if visiting Australia.

Port Stephens offers a unique diversity of activities for travellers, from snorkelling, diving in marine parks to discovering koalas in their natural habitat, to cruising the waters to observe the resident bottlenose dolphins and humpback whales on their migratory journey up the coast(June to November).Stockton Beach and its sand dunes are truly one of nature’s masterpieces. Explore the sand dunes on a 4WD adventurer tour www.sandsafaris.com.au or camel, horse or sand buggy.

The most popular beaches are Birubi Point, Fingal Beach and One Mile Beach, for calmer waters Little Beach and the foreshores of Nelson Bay are good family spots.

Getting There:

Drive Sydney to Port Stephens on F3 highway then Pacific Hwy. Approx 2.5 hours. Coaches depart from Sydney daily www.pscoaches.com.au.

Regular flights run daily from Sydney airport to Newcastle Williamtown airport and coaches connect from here to Port Stephens.

Whale and Dolphin cruises operated from Nelson Bay daily at the Cruise Terminal d'Albora Marina

Where to Stay:

Restaurants:

  • Merretts Restaurant - At the exclsuve Peppers Anchorage Resort, enjoy a seafood lunch overlooking the water.
  • Malai Thawng - Licensed and BYO  opened 7 nights up the hill from the Cinema Tel - 02 4981 0044
  • Marco's Italian - Breakfast Lunch and Dinner, Alfresco Dining Tel - 02 4981 2980
  • Il Porto - Fine Italian cruisine, kids meals and take-away Tel 02 4981 4300
  • Shoal Bay Resort and Spa - Fish Restaurant Beachfront - Tel 02 4981 1555

Other things and places to do and see:

Day Trips from Port Stephens:

The Myall Lakes Area: Discover the beauty of the stunning lakes, wildflower heathlands and refreshing rainforests.For information on accommadation check this web site www.visitnsw.com.au and search for Myall Lakes.

Barrington Tops:A World Heritage Wilderness of rainforests, extinct volcanic peaks, mountains, rivers and waterfalls. See the Antarctic beech forests and the pure water flowing from the moss swamps.Twenty valleys dominated the region creating a wonderland full of stunning scenery in the mist of a protected National Park wilderness. Stay at Barrington Country Retreat in the wilderness www.thebarringtons.com.au

The Hunter Valley: Take a drive to the valley and sample some of Australia's best wines. Towns are scattered around the Hunter-Valley route,offering excellent restaurants and cafes. The pick of the bunch is "Roberts" restaurant. For accommation use these web sites www.huntervalley.com or www.huntertourism.com