When you look at a map of Port Stephens, the unspoilt coastal paradise recently named Australia’s town of the year for 2025, you’d be forgiven for thinking that vast stretch of sand just above Newcastle is one enormous long beach.
Just wait until you get there. Sand dunes so vast they could be a desert — that’s what awaits you when you get to the 32km-long expanse of sand along the edge of Worimi Conservation Area in New South Wales.
Less than 24 hours after setting off from Sydney in the car, and I’m quad-biking through what feels like the Omani desert having spent the morning dolphin-spotting against the backdrop of Mount Tomaree, the region’s famous peak that looks so exotic glistening in the background of all our photos that our friends keep thinking we’re in Thailand or Bali. Which we could have been, to be honest, when you look at the crystal-clear waters, surprisingly affordable prices ($75 for lunch for a family of five) and the nori and wasabi oysters we tucked into for lunch at Little Beach Boathouse in Nelson Bay.
If you’ve not heard of Port Stephens, you’ve probably heard of Nelson Bay, the most well-known of the three New South Wales regions that band together to make the area just crowned best in the country. They were awarded the title by Wotif, the popular Aussie travel app (Corlette and Salamander Bay are the two lesser-known).
The area has seen a 75 per cent increase in accommodation searches over the last 12 months and it’s not hard to see why. Pristine powdery beaches, lush national parks and the largest moving sand dune in the Southern Hemisphere are among the highlights of a stay in Port Stephens — and that’s before you even get to the food. TV chef Rick Stein runs one of his two Aussie restaurants at local hotel Bannisters (he’s opening a new one in Sydney’s Coogee later in 2025), local restaurant Poyer’s was crowned best seafood restaurant in NSW last year, and top winemakers flocked to Shoal Bay for its inaugural food and wine festival in March. Which checks out, given the region sits on the edge of Australia’s famous Hunter Valley wine region. You won’t go hungry or thirsty — as long as you’re into seafood and good wine.
You won’t spend half your time travelling, either. The region is just a two-hour drive from Sydney or just 30 minutes from Newcastle airport, and you can tick off most of the highlights in just 48 hours — ideal if you’re visiting Sydney for the Ashes this summer and have time to squeeze in a little weekend escape without the crowds. Regulars liken it to Byron Bay, minus the flight time from Sydney and party-stroke-influencer scene.
We stayed at The Anchorage in Corlette, a chic Hamptons-style hotel overlooking the marina and a perfect launchpad for a weekend zipping between beaches, restaurants and Tomaree, the area’s famous national park and lookout point and an essential hike while you’re in the area.
Tomaree is a must on any Port Stephens bucket list. The Head at the end of the 2.2km summit walk offers 360-degree views over the entire bay and offshore islands (guides recommend two hours, but we did it in less than one). Or there’s the new coastal walk which takes in 27km of rainforest, volcanic landscapes and coastal headlands.
But the best part is that the rugged green peak is the backdrop to your whole weekend, whether you’re dolphin or whale watching with TQC Cruises, feasting on freshly-caught barramundi at the Little Beach Boathouse in Nelson Bay (ask for a window table and order the market fish of the day), or blasting around Stockton Sand Dunes on a quad bike with Sand Dune Adventures, the unexpected highlight of our trip. Even if you don’t fancy yourself as an adrenaline junkie, give it a go. We’ll be signing up for a second go as soon as we’re back.
Visitors also rave about local horse and camel-riding, sandboarding, and four-wheel drive tours on the dunes, and snorkelling with Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters, where you can pet, feed and swim with everything from reef and zebra sharks to 150kg stingrays. But the area isn’t solely for active types. Port Stephens’ beaches are some of the best in Australia, from surfing at One Mile Beach to swimming at Shoal Bay (Shoal Bay Country Club tops most local lists for a relaxed lunch), and it’s fast becoming a haven for high-end foodies and travellers looking for laid-back luxury, too.
Families recommend Hotel Nelson, a marina-side property with a heated pool and lawn for playing Bocce with the kids, and outdoorsy types often treat themselves to a night or two in the glamping tents nestled amongst the treetops at Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary in Anna Bay — a peaceful spot tucked behind One Mile Beach, and chance to see sick, injured, and orphaned koalas being looked after at the on-site koala hospital.
Bannisters, a high-end spa hotel with a heated infinity pool, is another favourite. We took a 10-minute taxi there from The Anchorage for dinner one night, and tucked into black cuttlefish risotto and freshly shucked oysters served with spicy sausages and a cold glass of his signature Semillon — a seemingly odd combination but our highlight. On our second night, we stayed in and dined in-house at The Galley Kitchen, The Anchorage’s waterfront restaurant, which draws a crowd of guests and non-guests every night and was recently awarded best restaurant in a hotel at the R & CA Savour Awards for Excellence. The oysters are served natural or baked with roast capsicum, shallot and chorizo — a fun twist — and there’s a king brown mushroom ‘scallop’ for vegans looking for a twist on the local favourite.
Other musts to add to your Port Stephens foodie bucket list: The Little Nel for breakfast (locals queue down the street for a table), Aussie Bobs for fish and chips, Saltwater at Fingal Bay for lunch (playful chefs served us Beef Wellington the week of the Aussie mushroom trial verdict) and Lightyears in Newcastle for dinner — the perfect pitstop on your way home.
We were back in Sydney by Sunday night, stomachs full, faces glowing and laughing about how we’d convince friends we really had only popped a couple of hours up the coast, and hadn’t hopped on a plane to Thailand or Bali. The Opera House and Harbour Bridge feel like a long way away when you’re buzzing around a sandy desert on a quad bike or camel — and that was just the winter edition. Whale watching and hiking without the humidity made for a perfect June weekender (temperatures still reach the high teens in Aussie winter, and sunshine-filled days are the norm rather than the exception), but there’ll be a whole new side to Port Stephens when snorkelling and sundowner season begins. See you on the dunes.
Katie was a guest of Destination New South Wales and The Anchorage hotel, where prices start at $349 (£170) per night. 26 Corlette Point Rd, Corlette NSW 2315, anchorageportstephens.com.au, destinationnsw.com.au
