After the Newcastle Marathon: Port Stephens

The Route: Newcastle → Nelson Bay → Anna Bay → Newcastle Airport Logistics: About 1 hour 15 minutes by road from Newcastle to Nelson Bay. A hire car is the easiest option. Check the current coach and shuttle services if you are not driving. Marathon Month: April Duration: 2 nights

Newcastle ──(about 1 hr 15 mins by road)──> Nelson Bay ──(about 25 mins)──> Anna Bay
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Newcastle Airport (NTL) <──(about 35 mins by road)───────────────────────────────┘

The Henderson Newcastle Marathon runs on an April Sunday. Port Stephens is a slow way to spend the next two days: boats, beaches and drives short enough that they never feel like effort.

April in Port Stephens: autumn. Days are typically in the low twenties, evenings cool, and the sea is still warm enough to look inviting. Dolphins live in the bay all year, so cruises run through April. Whales are a different case. The humpback migration passes the coast in the cooler months, but April is early in it, so do not book a trip for whales in April and treat any sighting as luck.

Nights One and Two: Nelson Bay and Anna Bay

Nelson Bay is the main town, with a marina, cafés, and the departure point for dolphin cruises. The waterfront is flat and paved for a kilometre or so, with benches, and it makes the easiest walk of the trip. Cruises take a couple of hours, involve sitting on a boat, and are much easier than any walking tour.

Tomaree Head has a summit walk with a lot of steps, and it should wait for another trip. Shoal Bay has a long flat beach and a level foreshore path.

At Anna Bay, the Stockton Bight sand dunes are the largest moving sand dunes in the southern hemisphere by some measures, and there are organised sandboarding and quad-bike tours. Both use legs and core hard, so choose a scenic 4WD tour instead.

For a bed, Peppers Anchorage Port Stephens at Corlette has a waterfront setting, and Oaks Pacific Blue Resort at Salamander Bay is a large resort with a pool. Check current prices, because these change with school holidays.

For a meal, Little Beach Boathouse at Little Beach serves seafood, and local fishing co-operatives at Nelson Bay sell fresh fish and chips for a simpler evening. Book restaurants ahead at weekends.

Getting Around Port Stephens

The peninsula is spread out, and most places to see are 10 to 25 minutes apart by car. Nelson Bay and Shoal Bay are the main visitor centres on the eastern side, Salamander Bay and Corlette sit in the middle, and Anna Bay is on the ocean side to the south-east. Public transport exists but is infrequent, so use the hire car. Parking at popular beaches fills in school holidays.

Night Two: Anna Bay and the Worimi Conservation Lands

The Stockton Bight dunes at Anna Bay sit within the Worimi Conservation Lands, which are jointly managed with the Worimi people, the traditional custodians of the area. Birubi Point Beach is the usual access point and has a car park, and you can walk on the sand for as long as your legs allow. The sand is soft and tiring, so limit any walk to 20 or 30 minutes and stay near the water's edge, where it is firmer. Guided 4WD dune tours give a longer look with little effort. Check current operators and prices, and book ahead in school holidays.

At Fly Point in Nelson Bay, a marine park has a level walkway along the shore, and it is a well-known snorkelling and diving site. The water is cool in April, so unless you have a wetsuit, stay on land. Shoal Bay has a long, flat beach with a path along the foreshore, suitable for a gentle stroll.

Getting Home

Newcastle Airport (NTL) is about 35 minutes by road from Anna Bay, and Sydney is around three hours by road. Allow more time on the day before a flight, and refuel the hire car before returning it.