Port Stephens Dolphins, Koalas and Sandboarding Day Trip from Sydney

Port Stephens and the drive from Sydney

Port Stephens is a large natural harbour on the New South Wales coast, about 2.5 hours' drive north of Sydney. It lies on the traditional lands of the Worimi people, and its sheltered blue water, white beaches, headlands and national parks make it one of the favourite weekend escapes for Sydneysiders. A Port Stephens day trip from Sydney is the easiest way to see it if you do not have a car.

Your day starts early with pickup from central Sydney hotels, sometimes by shuttle to Central Station where you join the main coach. The route crosses the Sydney Harbour Bridge and heads north along the Central Coast, with a short comfort stop on the way. Your driver-guide shares stories about the places you pass and explains what to expect at each stop, so the long drive passes quickly.

Dolphin watching cruise from Nelson Bay

Nelson Bay is the main village of Port Stephens, with a busy marina, cafes and a long waterfront. From here you board a 90-minute dolphin watching eco cruise on the turquoise water of the harbour. Port Stephens has a large resident population of bottlenose dolphins that live here all year, so sightings are very common, and the dolphins often swim around the boat or surf in the bow wave.

The crew gives commentary about the dolphins and the marine park, and you may also see pelicans, sea eagles and sometimes seals. If the weather allows, you can try boom netting: a large net is lowered behind the moving boat and you lie in it as the water rushes past, so bring swimwear and a towel. As with all wild animals, dolphin sightings cannot be guaranteed, but this is one of the best places in Australia to see them.

Free time and lunch in Nelson Bay

After the cruise you have around an hour in Nelson Bay for lunch at your own choice and expense. The marina area has fish and chips shops, cafes and bakeries, and fresh local seafood is the speciality: Port Stephens is famous for its oysters and prawns. You can also simply stroll along the foreshore and look out over the harbour to the headlands of Tomaree and Yacaaba at its entrance.

Best time to visit Port Stephens? The region is lovely all year. Summer is warm and ideal for swimming and boom netting, while winter brings migrating humpback whales past the coast, and the water is often at its calmest in autumn. Whatever the season, the light over the bay is beautiful, so keep your camera handy for the rest of the day.

Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary

In the afternoon you visit the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary, a conservation centre that cares for sick, injured and orphaned koalas with the aim of releasing them back into the wild. Visiting supports its work directly. The sanctuary sits in natural bushland, and the koalas in its care recover in large enclosures before returning to the forest.

Start with the Sanctuary Story Walk, a flat 250-metre path with large koala sculptures that explain how koalas live and what threatens them. Then climb onto the SKYwalk, a 225-metre elevated boardwalk through the treetop canopy with viewing platforms, where you have a rare chance to spot wild koalas resting in the gum trees. You spend about an hour here, enough time to walk both trails at a relaxed pace.

Stockton Beach dunes: 4WD and sandboarding

The final stop is the Stockton Beach sand dunes near Anna Bay, part of the Worimi Conservation Lands. This coastal desert stretches for about 32 kilometres and is the largest moving coastal dune system in the Southern Hemisphere, with dunes reaching over 30 metres high that shift with the wind. Only 4WD vehicles can drive here, and the ride across the sand is an adventure in itself.

At the top of a high dune your instructors show you how to sandboard, lying or sitting on the board and sliding down the soft sand slope. It is great fun for all ages and needs no experience. Wear clothes you do not mind getting sandy, and bring sunglasses and sunscreen. After about 1.5 hours on the dunes you depart for Sydney, arriving back around 19:00.