Reporter Mike Smith Spends A Week in Port Stephens
A PORT FOR ALL SEASONS
A 2hr 30 min drive north of Sydney is a blue water paradise that only 12 months ago was labelled by online travel app Wotif as Aussie Town of the Year.
Port Stephens is more than a town though. The blue water hotspot comprises a cluster of townships which make for a quintessential Aussie coastal holiday – all year round.
Whether you throw a prawn on the barbecue or picnic on local oysters or fish and chips on the water’s edge, Port Stephens is as relaxing as it is energising.
And it’s about to get busier with the arrival of the annual whale watching season attracting hordes of tourists from here and from overseas, reports travel writer MIKE SMITH
Points of interest:
10 things to see and do –
1. The vast open sands of the Stockton Bight Dunes (Worimi Regional Park).
2. The blue waters of the port, by taking a dolphin or whale watching cruise (May – November). Home to around 140 bottlenose dolphins.
3. Embrace nature on a walk along a series of marked trails. Of note is Tomaree National Park, including Mt Tomaree for those fit enough to challenge.
4. Where to dine, day or night – Little Beach Boathouse, Inner Lighthouse (for scones and jam), Aussie Bob’s Fish and Chips, Crest Birubi Beach Café, Shoal Beach Country Club, etc
5. Dine out on local oysters. Or try one of around 45 different pie selections at Red Neds I Nelson Bay.
6. Try your skills at some more strenuous activities like quad biking on the dunes or joining Sand Dune Safaris sandboarding down the slopes. Toboggan Hill Parkis another family favourite.
7. Family attractions such as Oakvale Wildlife Park, Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary and the Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters.
8. Fighter World Museum near the airport at Williamtown.
9. Drive to Lemon Tree Passage for a walk-through bushland at Tanilba to spot koalas in the wild.
10. We have stayed at a series of alternative forms of accommodation, the past two at the Mantra Nelson Bay. Of course, you have hot spots such as Bannisters at Salamander Bay, The Anchorage at Corlette, Shoal Bay Country Club, The Landmark at Nelson Bay (near the golf course),
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