20 Best Things to Do in Port Stephens, NSW

1. Tomaree Head Summit Walk
2. Fingal Bay & Fingal Bay Beach
3. Camel Rides at Birubi Beach
4. Worimi Conservation Lands & Stockton Sand Dunes
5. Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary
6. Irukandji Shark & Ray Encounters
7. Birubi Beach
8. Gan Gan Lookout
9. Shoal Bay Beach
10. Dolphin Watching Cruises

The Tomaree Head Summit Walk is one of the most iconic things to do in Port Stephens, climbing to the summit of Tomaree Head, 161 metres above the entrance to Port Stephens. The 2.2 km return walk is short but challenging, with steep sections and plenty of steps before reaching two viewing platforms at the summit.

From the top, you’ll be rewarded with sweeping views across Shoal Bay, Zenith Beach, Fingal Island and Point Stephens Lighthouse, while the northern outlook takes in Yacaaba Head and the offshore islands. Between May and November, the elevated headland is also an excellent vantage point for spotting migrating humpback whales.

💡 Local Tip. Start early, particularly on weekends and during holiday periods. You’ll avoid the busiest part of the day, the temperature is cooler for the steep climb, and the soft morning light across Port Stephens makes the summit views even more spectacular.

Fingal Bay is one of the most beautiful coastal destinations in Port Stephens, centred around the sweeping white sands of Fingal Bay Beach. The family-friendly surf beach is popular for swimming, surfing, fishing and long beach walks, while Barry Park on the northern headland provides panoramic coastal views and a popular vantage point for watching migrating humpback whales.

One of Fingal Bay’s most distinctive landmarks is Fingal Spit, the narrow sandbar leading towards Fingal Island and the historic Point Stephens Lighthouse. Crossing the spit has long been a popular Port Stephens experience, with the island offering spectacular coastal scenery and access to the lighthouse. However, the crossing is extremely hazardous and requires careful planning, with conditions capable of changing rapidly.

⚠️ Safety Note: Fingal Spit is notoriously dangerous and fatalities have occurred at this location. Conditions can change rapidly with tides, swell and deep channels. Always check conditions and the NSW National Parks website before considering a crossing. At times, the spit may be impassable even around low tide.

💡 Local Tip. When conditions allow and Fingal Spit is safely passable, the walk across to Fingal Island is a fantastic adventure. Allow for an approximately 7 km return hike to explore the island and historic Point Stephens Lighthouse. The island feels surprisingly remote, making it one of the more adventurous experiences in Port Stephens.

Camel rides at Birubi Beach offer a unique way to experience the enormous coastal dunes surrounding Anna Bay. Departing from the lower car park at Birubi Beach, Oakfield Ranch takes riders across the sand dunes before heading down onto the beach, combining sweeping ocean views with the unusual experience of riding a camel beside the Pacific Ocean.

The popular 20-minute camel rides operate during the day and don’t require bookings, while longer one-hour beach and high-dune rides provide more time to explore the landscape. Sunset rides are also available, combining the dunes, beach and evening light for one of the more distinctive experiences in Port Stephens. Operating days, times and prices can change, so it’s worth checking with Oakfield Ranch Camel Rides before visiting.

💡 Local Tip. If photography is part of the experience, consider one of the longer rides or a sunset ride. The late-afternoon light across Birubi Beach and the surrounding sand dunes can be spectacular, particularly as the sun gets lower over the dunes.

The Worimi Conservation Lands and Stockton Sand Dunes are one of the most remarkable natural attractions in Port Stephens. Covering around 4,200 hectares, the conservation lands include an enormous system of moving coastal dunes alongside the 32 km-long Stockton Beach. Some dunes rise more than 30 metres above sea level, creating an extraordinary landscape of shifting sand stretching towards the Pacific Ocean.

The lands are home to the Worimi people and hold significant Aboriginal cultural heritage, with ancient campsites, middens and other cultural sites found throughout the landscape. Today, there are plenty of ways to experience the dunes, including sandboarding, quad biking, 4WD tours and beach driving, while guided tours can also visit Tin City, the isolated collection of dwellings hidden among the dunes. Driving your own 4WD on the beach requires a valid Worimi Conservation Lands beach vehicle permit.

💡 Local Tip. For your first visit, head to Birubi Point at Anna Bay where you can experience the scale of the Stockton Sand Dunes without needing a 4WD. For a bigger adventure, book a sandboarding, quad bike or 4WD tour to explore much further into the dune system.

The Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary is an eight-hectare sanctuary dedicated to the care, rehabilitation and conservation of wild koalas. Visitors can follow the 250-metre Sanctuary Story Walk through native bushland before exploring the elevated SKYwalk, which provides a treetop perspective and the opportunity to see recovering koalas among the eucalyptus trees.

A highlight is the Port Stephens Koala Hospital, where sick and injured wild koalas from the surrounding region receive specialist care before, where possible, returning to the wild. A large viewing window provides a glimpse into the hospital’s clinical area when treatments are taking place, making the sanctuary both a wildlife experience and an opportunity to learn more about the challenges facing the local koala population.

💡 Local Tip. For families, the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary makes a fantastic day out with children. Take your time along the elevated SKYwalk and encourage the kids to search the surrounding eucalyptus trees — spotting a koala curled up amongst the branches is part of the fun.

Irukandji Shark & Ray Encounters is an interactive aquarium in Anna Bay where visitors can experience sharks, rays and other marine animals at remarkably close range. Rather than simply viewing the animals through glass, the experience includes shallow lagoons where visitors can wade at the edges and interact with and feed rays while learning about the animals and their marine environment.

For an even closer experience, optional encounters allow visitors to enter deeper water or snorkel alongside species including zebra sharks, tawny nurse sharks and rays. Irukandji also has a strong focus on education, rescue and conservation, making it an especially engaging Port Stephens attraction for families and children interested in marine life.

💡 Local Tip. Irukandji is a fantastic choice for families, particularly if the weather isn’t ideal for the beach. For the full experience, consider upgrading to one of the in-water encounters – getting into the water with the sharks and rays is what makes a visit here particularly memorable.

Birubi Beach sits at the northern end of Stockton Beach in Anna Bay, where the coastline meets the towering dunes of the Worimi Conservation Lands. The combination of open ocean, golden sand and enormous dunes makes it one of the most distinctive beaches in Port Stephens and a spectacular place for swimming, surfing, beach walks and photography.

Birubi is also the starting point for many of Port Stephens’ best-known dune experiences, including camel rides, sandboarding, quad biking and 4WD adventures. The beach has a surf lifesaving club, café and family facilities, while the elevated areas around Birubi Point provide sweeping views along Stockton Beach and out across the Pacific Ocean.

💡 Local Tip. Birubi Beach is particularly spectacular late in the afternoon when the setting sun lights up the surrounding sand dunes. Grab a drink or something to eat near Birubi Point and take some time to enjoy the view as the light changes across the dunes.

Gan Gan Lookout, also known as Gan Gan Hill Lookout, sits around 160 metres above sea level and offers some of the most expansive views in Port Stephens. Easily accessible by car, a short paved path leads to the viewing platforms, making this one of the easiest places to experience spectacular elevated views without a long or difficult walk.

From the lookout, you can see across Nelson Bay and Port Stephens towards Tomaree and Yacaaba headlands, with views extending along the coastline and towards the Stockton Sand Dunes. Interpretive signs help identify landmarks across the landscape, while the surrounding native vegetation adds to the experience.

💡 Local Tip. Keep an eye out for the impressive Gymea lilies growing around Gan Gan Hill. When flowering, their enormous red flower heads can sit several metres above the surrounding vegetation and make a spectacular foreground for photographs from the lookout.

Shoal Bay Beach is a beautiful stretch of white sand and clear blue water overlooking the entrance to Port Stephens. Sheltered within the bay, its generally calmer waters are popular for swimming, kayaking and paddleboarding, while sailing boats anchored offshore and the dramatic backdrop of Tomaree Head create one of the region’s most recognisable coastal scenes.

The beach runs alongside the relaxed village of Shoal Bay, with cafés, restaurants and shops just across from the foreshore. There are also grassy picnic areas, BBQs and plenty of space to settle in for a few hours, making Shoal Bay Beach an easy place to combine a swim with lunch or an afternoon exploring the surrounding area.

💡 Local Tip. The combination of white sand, clear aqua water, anchored sailing boats and views towards the surrounding headlands is hard to beat. Hire a kayak or paddleboard, go for a swim, or simply find a quiet stretch of sand and enjoy the view.

Dolphin watching in Port Stephens is one of the region’s signature wildlife experiences. The sheltered waters are home to a year-round population of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, with local tourism sources estimating around 90–140 resident dolphins. They live throughout the eastern and western sections of the Port Stephens waterways and can often be seen swimming, feeding and socialising in the bay.

Several dolphin watching cruises depart from Nelson Bay, ranging from relaxed sightseeing cruises to sailing experiences with boom nets and marine commentary. For something completely different, Port Stephens is also home to NSW’s only permitted wild dolphin swim, where Dolphin Swim Australia takes guests into the open ocean to swim alongside wild oceanic dolphins.

💡 Local Tip. A dolphin cruise is a fantastic way to experience Port Stephens from the water, even before you spot the dolphins. If you’re looking for something more adventurous, the wild dolphin swim is a genuine bucket-list experience and the only permitted experience of its kind in NSW.

Oakvale Wildlife Park is a 25-acre, family-owned wildlife park in Salt Ash and one of the most interactive animal attractions in Port Stephens. Home to more than 110 species, the park brings together native Australian wildlife including kangaroos, koalas, wombats, dingoes and emus, alongside farm animals and exotic species such as red pandas, meerkats and ring-tailed lemurs.

What makes Oakvale particularly popular with families is the amount of hands-on interaction. Visitors can hand-feed free-roaming kangaroos, join animal feeding experiences and keeper talks, and ride the tractor-trailer through the park. There are also playgrounds, picnic and BBQ areas and Splash Bay Water Park, which is included with admission and makes it easy to spend several hours exploring.

💡 Local Tip. Oakvale is one of the best Port Stephens attractions for a full day out with younger children. Pack swimmers for Splash Bay and allow plenty of time rather than rushing through – the animal feeding experiences, tractor ride and water park can easily fill several hours.

Zenith Beach is a secluded 400-metre stretch of white sand within Tomaree National Park, framed by the imposing slopes of Tomaree Head and Stephens Peak. Its rugged headlands, clear water and relatively undeveloped setting give the beach a much wilder feel than nearby Shoal Bay, despite being only a short walk from the car park.

The beach is also one of the first highlights along the Tomaree Coastal Walk and the Shoal Bay to Fingal Bay walking track. Zenith Beach forms part of a sanctuary zone within the Port Stephens–Great Lakes Marine Park, protecting its marine life and natural environment. There is no lifeguard service, and dangerous rip currents can occur, so it is better suited to enjoying the scenery and coastline than treating it as a sheltered swimming beach.

💡 Local Tip. Visit Zenith Beach around sunrise when the beach is often beautifully quiet and the first light hits the surrounding headlands. It’s one of my favourite locations in Port Stephens for coastal photography.

From May to November, the Port Stephens coastline becomes a highway for migrating humpback whales, with tens of thousands travelling along Australia’s east coast each year. Dedicated whale watching cruises from Nelson Bay head beyond the sheltered waters of Port Stephens and into the open ocean, providing the chance to see whales breaching, tail slapping and travelling along the coastline.

The experience changes throughout the season. During the northern migration from May to July, adult humpbacks travel towards warmer breeding waters, while the southern migration from September to November provides opportunities to see mothers returning with their calves. Cruises depart from Nelson Bay during the season, making whale watching one of the best seasonal things to do in Port Stephens.

💡 Local Tip. For a different whale watching experience, visit twice during the season. The northern migration from May to July can produce plenty of activity, while September to November gives you the chance to see mothers travelling south with their new calves.

The Tomaree Coastal Walk is a 27 km walking track through Tomaree National Park, beginning at Tomaree Head in Shoal Bay and finishing at Birubi Point in Anna Bay. The walk crosses spectacular headlands, secluded beaches, rocky coastline and coastal forest before reaching the enormous dunes near Birubi Point.

The full walk is best completed over two or three days, with nearby villages providing accommodation and dining along the way. You don’t need to tackle all 27 km, however, with numerous access points allowing visitors to experience shorter half-day or day walks. Along the route you’ll encounter places including Zenith Beach, Fingal Bay and One Mile Beach, with opportunities to spot dolphins, birdlife and migrating humpback whales.

💡 Local Tip. Don’t have two or three days? Choose a shorter section instead. The walk has plenty of entry and exit points, making it easy to experience some of the best scenery along the Tomaree coastline without committing to the full 27 km. NSW National Parks also provides a interactive map to help plan your route and follow the track.

Boat Harbour is a quieter corner of Port Stephens, surrounded by rocky headlands and beautiful ocean views. Hidden along the coastline are several natural rock pools, including the aptly named Champagne Spa — a deep, clear pool where incoming waves send foaming seawater bubbling through the rocks like a natural spa.

Reaching the Champagne Spa involves an unmarked scramble across uneven rocks and boulders from the Boat Harbour headland, which is also a well-known whale watching location during the annual migration. The rock pools sit close to the open ocean, so conditions are particularly important. Visit during low tide and calm seas, and stay away from the rock platform when there is a large swell.

💡 Local Tip. Check the tide and swell before heading down to the rock pools. Wear sturdy footwear and only attempt the Champagne Spa in calm conditions. During whale season, take some time to scan the ocean from the headland – you might spot humpbacks passing just offshore.

Nelson Bay Marina, also known as d’Albora Marina Nelson Bay, is one of the main waterfront hubs in Port Stephens. Located just a short walk from the Nelson Bay town centre, the marina is lined with cafés, restaurants and boutique shops overlooking the boats and sheltered waters of the harbour.

The marina is also the departure point for many of the region’s dolphin watching and seasonal whale watching cruises, along with boat hire and other on-water experiences. Families can watch the daily fish feeding, while live music and activities are regularly held around the marina. Even if you’re not heading out on the water, it’s an enjoyable place for a stroll, lunch or simply watching the boats come and go.

💡 Local Tip. Combine a walk around Nelson Bay Marina with lunch or a drink overlooking the water. If you’re taking a dolphin or whale watching cruise, allow some extra time before or afterwards to explore the marina rather than simply arriving for your boat and leaving.

Fly Point Aquatic Reserve is a protected marine sanctuary between Nelson Bay and Little Beach and one of the most popular places for snorkelling and shore diving in Port Stephens. Decades of protection have allowed marine life to thrive, with extensive sponge gardens and kelp-covered reefs beginning just a short distance from shore.

Snorkellers and divers can encounter an impressive variety of marine life including blue gropers, octopuses, wobbegong sharks, seahorses and large schools of fish. During summer, warmer currents can also bring juvenile tropical fish into the reserve. Fishing and collecting marine life are prohibited within the sanctuary zone, helping protect the area’s remarkable underwater environment.

💡 Local Tip. Plan your snorkel around the top of the high tide, when conditions are generally best. Access is via the stairs opposite Neil Carroll Park on Victoria Parade, making Fly Point an easy place to experience Port Stephens’ underwater world directly from the shore.

Soldiers Point Jetty is a peaceful waterfront spot on the Soldiers Point peninsula, surrounded by the calm waters of Port Stephens. The jetty is popular for fishing, photography and simply enjoying the view, with boats and yachts scattered across the sheltered bay creating a particularly picturesque setting.

Soldiers Point is especially well known for its spectacular sunsets, with its position on the western side of the Port Stephens peninsula providing expansive views towards the setting sun. The surrounding area is also worth exploring, with waterfront parks, swimming spots, boat ramps and the nearby Soldiers Point Marina.

💡 Local Tip. Visit Soldiers Point Jetty in the late afternoon, then make your way to nearby Sunset Beach for sunset. It’s one of my favourite places around Port Stephens to watch the sun go down, particularly when the water is calm and the colour reflects across the bay.

One Mile Beach is a popular family beach between Nelson Bay and Boat Harbour, with a long stretch of golden sand backed by dunes and the natural landscape of Tomaree National Park. The beach is patrolled during designated periods and is a great choice for families with children, with plenty of room to set up for a day beside the ocean.

The beach’s long, rolling waves can also be ideal for beginner surfers when conditions are suitable, making it a popular place for kids and adults learning to surf. Access is from Hannah Parade, where you’ll find parking, shady picnic areas and easy access across the dunes to the beach.

💡 Local Tip. One Mile Beach is one of my favourite family beaches in Port Stephens. The long, rolling waves can be perfect for kids and beginner surfers, while the patrolled swimming area makes it a great place to spend a few hours as a family. Always swim between the flags when patrols are operating.

Little Beach in Nelson Bay is a small, sheltered beach with gentle water that makes it particularly popular with families and young children. Facing northwest between Nelson Bay and Shoal Bay, the beach has a sandy swimming area alongside a large grassy reserve with shady trees, picnic tables, BBQs and play equipment.

The foreshore also has a public jetty, boat ramp and fish-cleaning facilities, where pelicans are often seen waiting around for an easy meal. Little Beach is particularly accessible, with accessible amenities and a ramp and jetty providing wheelchair access directly into the water. The beach is not patrolled, so children should still be closely supervised around the water.

💡 Local Tip. Little Beach is one of the best spots in Port Stephens for families with younger children. Pack a picnic or use the BBQs, let the kids enjoy the calm water and playground, and keep an eye out for the pelicans around the jetty and fish-cleaning tables.