Sand Dune Safaris · Anna Bay lower car park
A 4WD shuttle from Anna Bay to a private sandboarding area on the Stockton dunes, with boards, a quick lesson and no clock running. Pick it for the time: the guided beach tour gives you about 45 minutes on the boards, this one lets you stay all afternoon.
NSW National Parks calls the Stockton dunes the largest moving coastal sand dunes in the southern hemisphere. They lie in the Worimi Conservation Lands, owned and co-managed by the Worimi Aboriginal community, and you cannot simply drive in: beach driving needs a permit. This ticket gets around all that. You meet at the lower car park on James Paterson St, Anna Bay, and a 10-minute 4WD run takes you over the sand to the operator's own sandboarding area.
An instructor shows you how to ride, then it is up to you. There are three board types: sit-down, basic stand-up and pro stand-up for people who snowboard, and you can pair up for a tandem sit-down ride. Slopes run from gentle to steep. Destination Port Stephens notes that the operator, Sand Dune Safaris, has you board barefoot. When you have had enough, the shuttle back runs about every 15 minutes. Most people stay one to two hours; nobody makes you leave.
There is no hotel pickup, so you need your own way to Anna Bay. Food is not included apart from a 600 ml bottle of water: bring a picnic for the shaded tables. Sandboarding is not recommended in pregnancy, with back or heart problems, after recent surgery or with limited mobility, but anyone can ride out and watch on a spectator ticket, which the listing prices at A$35 (concession rate). Children aged 3 and under are free, and the operator says children 16 and under must come with an adult.
Check in at the ticket booth in the lower car park at the end of James Paterson St. A guest in April 2026 found free parking right in front.
A 4WD carries you across the Worimi dunes to the private sandboarding area, away from the crowds.
An instructor covers sitting, steering and stopping, and how to stand on the stand-up boards. Pick a board and a slope that fits.
Every run down means a walk back up through soft sand, which is the real limit on your time. Rest in the shade between runs.
Return 4WDs leave about every 15 minutes. Hop on when your legs are done.
★★★★★Had an absolute blast sandboarding! It was honestly a lot more fun than I expected, and we ended up staying for around two hours because we were having such a great time. [...] Even the drive out to the dunes was enjoyable, with beautiful landscape views along the way.
★★★★★It was great; having access to the dune all afternoon was a lot of fun. Having the choice of 2 types of board (sitting/standing or standing) was cool too. There is a shaded area under an arbor for breaks.
★★★★★Guides were all so friendly and helpful. We were able to do this at our level which made the experience that much more fun. It was the only company that offered stand up options which makes it much more appealing!
★★★★★Great activity, free parking right in front, nice staff, and you can stay at the dunes as long as you like!
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As long as you like. The ticket covers one 4WD ride out, unlimited sandboarding and one ride back. Most people stay one to two hours, and return shuttles run about every 15 minutes.
You need your own way to Anna Bay, as there is no hotel pickup. The 4WD part starts at the lower car park on James Paterson St. Without a car, the day tour from Sydney includes 4WD sandboarding.
Yes. The listing calls it suitable for a wide range of ages, sit-down boards are easy for children, and kids aged 3 and under are free. The operator says children 16 and under must come with an adult.
Not on a tour. NSW National Parks requires a beach vehicle permit to drive in the Worimi Conservation Lands, and the tour's 4WD transfer takes care of access. Annual NSW park passes are not valid there.
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A 4WD drops you on the Stockton dunes with sit-down and stand-up boards, and you stay as long as you like.
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