Things to do in Port Stephens

What are the top 10 things to do in Port Stephens?

Dolphin watching, sandboarding, the Koala Sanctuary and the Tomaree Head summit walk lead the list. Quad bikes, whale cruises, the Birubi Beach 4WD run, snorkelling at Fly Point, the beaches and the oysters fill out the ten.

The table is in the order we would do them on a first visit. Times are the time you actually spend on the activity; the starting points are where you need to be, because none of the local tours below collects you from a hotel by default.

What is Port Stephens famous for?

Dolphins, dunes and koalas. About 100 bottlenose dolphins live in the bay all year, the Stockton dunes are the largest moving coastal dunes in the Southern Hemisphere, and the Koala Sanctuary nurses injured wild koalas.

Locals call it the dolphin capital of Australia, and the numbers back them up: the cruise operators count around 100 resident bottlenose dolphins, which is why a 1.5-hour trip finds them almost every time. The bay itself covers about 134 square kilometres and reaches about 24 km inland, and Port Stephens sits on the humpback migration route, so from May to November whales pass within a few kilometres of the headlands.

On land, Stockton Beach runs 32 km from Stockton to Anna Bay, backed by dunes over 30 metres high that creep north by about 4 metres a year. The Worimi people are the traditional owners, and the Worimi Conservation Lands that hold the dunes are owned and co-managed by the Worimi community with NSW National Parks. Then there is the food: oysters grown in the bay and fish landed at Nelson Bay.

Where can you see dolphins and whales in Port Stephens?

From Nelson Bay. The sailing catamaran leaves d'Albora Marina ($35, 1.5 hours), the express power cat leaves Teramby Rd ($38, 1 hour), and the whale cruise runs from May to November ($69).

Dolphins are year-round residents, but individual cruises are seasonal. The Imagine dolphin sail runs from November to the end of April, on a 16-metre sailing catamaran with a dry net on the bow and a wet boom net you can drag behind in swimwear. It reports a 99% sighting rate, and if you miss the dolphins you sail again for free. The 1-hour express is the quick option on a fast power cat with a small group: good if you have a dune tour booked the same morning.

For humpbacks, the whale express takes up to 12 guests out past the heads, with a free standby return trip if no whales show. Moonshadow TQC dates its 2026 whale season from 23 May to early November, so check the calendar before you plan around it. The full season-by-season picture is in the dolphin and whale watching guide.

★★★★★

We had a fantastic trip in Nelson bay, we saw lots of dolphins very close up, including their babies. The boat was lovely and the crew were very informative, and great value for money too.

A 1.5-hour sail on a 16-metre catamaran, a boom net ride in warm weather and a free return trip if the dolphins stay away.

★ 4.8 · 1.5 hours · from $35

Explore the dolphin sail → Tour details

What can you do on the Stockton sand dunes?

Sandboard (from $28, no time limit), ride a 4WD along Birubi Beach and dig for pipis ($40), or ride a quad bike across the dunes ($82, riders 16 and over only).

Unlimited sandboarding is the best value on the peninsula. You meet at the lower car park on James Paterson St in Anna Bay, a 4WD takes 10 minutes to reach a private patch of dune, and you stay as long as your legs hold out, with sit-down boards, basic stand-up boards and pro boards. Bring a towel for the sand you will carry home.

The Birubi Beach 4WD tour drives the beach in an air-conditioned truck, stops to dig for pipis and adds a sandboarding run, with the national parks fee included. The quad bike ride starts at the Murrook Culture Centre in Williamtown and is strictly 16+. Its transfer runs on Saturdays only, so on other days you drive there and arrive 30 minutes early. If you want to drive the beach yourself you need a Worimi beach vehicle permit; NSW National Parks says annual park passes are not valid there. More in the dunes guide.

Can you hold a koala at the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary?

No. Holding koalas is not permitted in New South Wales. You see them up close from the 225-metre SKYwalk in the tree canopy and through the Koala Hospital window instead.

The Sanctuary at One Mile is a rescue and rehabilitation centre: the koalas here were brought in sick or injured, and the aim is to return them to the wild. The 250-metre Story Walk leads through the bush, the hospital window shows the vets at work, and the SKYwalk lifts you 10 metres into the gums. One reviewer noted the volunteers knew each koala and its story. Look for echidnas on the ground too.

• Official 2026 prices: adult A$28, child (3 to 17) A$15, family A$72, under 3 free. General admission now includes a 3-day pass.
• Hours: 9am to 5pm in summer (last entry 4pm), 9am to 4pm in winter (last entry 3pm). Closed Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Parking is free.
• Weather: the SKYwalk can close in strong wind, so a calm morning is the time to go.

Rescued wild koalas, the hospital window and the treetop SKYwalk, with a ticket that lets you come back for three days.

★ 4.7 · 1 to 2 hours · from $19

Explore the Koala Sanctuary → Tour details

What are the best free things to do in Port Stephens?

Climb Tomaree Head, walk the Fort Tomaree gun emplacements, swim at Zenith or Shoal Bay, walk a stretch of the 27 km Tomaree Coastal Walk and watch for whales from the headlands between May and November.

• Tomaree Head summit walk: 2.2 km return, 1.5 to 2 hours, grade 5 per NSW National Parks. It is steep, with many steps, and ends 161 metres above the bay entrance, with views to Cabbage Tree and Boondelbah islands, the only nesting sites in the world of the endangered Gould's petrel. Park at the lower or upper Zenith Beach car park off Shoal Bay Road; on busy days you end up on the road.
• Fort Tomaree walk: an easier 2.5 km return on a paved track below the summit, to the gun emplacements built in 1941 to defend the east coast.
• Gan Gan Hill lookout: Destination Port Stephens suggests driving up here if the Tomaree climb is too much.
• The coastal walk: the 27 km Tomaree Coastal Walk links Tomaree Head to Birubi Point. The Shoal Bay to Fingal Bay section is the short version; One Mile to Fingal Bay takes three to four hours.
• Beaches: Shoal Bay for calm water, Zenith and Box Beach for surf, and One Mile, Fingal Bay and Birubi for patrolled swimming. Zenith is a sanctuary zone, so no fishing or collecting.

What is there to do in Port Stephens at night?

Watch the sunset from the water or a camel, then eat. Moonshadow TQC runs a 2-hour sunset cruise on Saturdays from November to April (from A$50), and the dining rooms with a view fill up at sunset.

Port Stephens is a daytime place, and the tour boats are in by late afternoon. The evening is about the light. Moonshadow TQC's Sunset on the Bay cruise sails on Saturday nights from November to April, with a light meal and drinks to buy on board. Oakfield Ranch runs sunset camel rides on the dunes, which the Koala Sanctuary's own list of the top ten things to do singles out as a bucket-list hour.

For dinner, the names locals send you to are the rooftop at Shoal Bay Country Club, Little Beach Boathouse in Nelson Bay and Restaurant 2317 at Soldiers Point, with Rick Stein at Bannisters for a big night. Book the sunset table ahead in summer. If you are staying at the Koala Sanctuary, its overnight stays promise you wake up to koala sounds, which are louder than you would expect.

Where should you stay in Port Stephens?

Nelson Bay if you have no car: the cruises leave from its marina and the Sydney coach stops there. Shoal Bay for a calm beach under Tomaree Head, Anna Bay or One Mile for the dunes and the koalas.

The peninsula is small, but the towns feel different, and one night is enough to do the dolphins, the dunes and the koalas without rushing. Two nights leave time for Tomaree Head and a beach day.

Frequently asked questions