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Port Stephens is a naturally beautiful area, with plenty of reasons to visit all year round. In truth, it’s not a town in its own right, but rather a region that is divided into different areas including Nelsons Bay, Salamander Bay, Soldiers Point, Anna Bay, Tiligerry Peninsula, Lemon tree Passage, Hawks Nest, Shoal Bay, Fingal Bay, Tea Gardens and Raymond Terrace. 

Port Stephens lays claim to the title ‘Dolphin Capital of Australia’. The blue water off Port Stephens is part of the Pacific Ocean and the bay is home to around 150 bottlenose dolphins. There are several tour operators in Nelson Bay that offer dolphin and whale -watch trips. These playful aquatic mammals often ride the bow wave just a couple of metres from the vessel. Between May and June, humpback whales cruise past the town on their northern migration, returning south between September and November and these huge animals are often encountered on the dolphin cruises.

Port Stephens – Great Lakes Marine Park is a 98,000 hectare marine reserve. The largest in NSW, the marine park extends from Cape Hawke Surf Life Saving Club near Forster south to Birubi Beach Life Saving Club at the northern end of Stockton Beach, and includes offshore waters to the 3 nautical mile limit of state waters. It includes Port Stephens and the Karuah River, the Myall River, Myall and Smiths lakes and all their creeks and tributaries to the tidal limit.

Much of the beauty of Port Stephens lies below the surface and it is for this reason that the Port Stephens area is a mecca for snorkeling and diving. The best place to scuba dive is off Halifax Point, where large sponges and a great diversity of marine life exist, to a depth of twenty-eight metres. Here you will meet a friendly blue groper before reaching the rocky bottom, which is covered in sea urchins. A more sheltered dive is off Fly Point, featuring sponge gardens and coral life. One of the best shore dives in New South Wales lies protected within the Fly Point-Halifax Park Aquatic Reserve.

Whether it’s for diving, fishing, boating, snorkelling or sandcastle building, Port Stephens has everything you need for year-round aquatic action, but there's also plenty of "land action" too!

The Port Stephens area as one of the richest koala sites in the state, and the Tilligerry Peninsula contains prime habitat which supports one of the state's last viable populations. Visitors browsing along the waterfront reserves on the peninsula may spot them in the wild, and local guides also take tours which explain the unique biology of these beautiful creatures.

Lying between Cosmopolitan Newcastle and Port Stephens you'll find the wind-blown sand dunes of Stockton Beach. These dunes comprise the largest continuous mobile sand mass in New South Wales. The yellow grains have been washed in from the sea and blown ashore to form dunes up to thirty metres high. Most of the sand was deposited about six thousand years ago. The lee side of a dune is steep and loosely packed, making a perfect surface for sliding down on a sheet of cardboard or something more elaborate. 4WD tours can also be taken which travel along Stockton Beach - stop for a dune-ride - or a camel ride (yes you can ride a camel here!) along the way!

Port Stephens offers an excellent choice of restaurants.  Whether you're looking for quick takeaway, home delivered meals, casual waterfront dining or a stylish, sophisticated restaurant - you'll find it in Port Spethepns. The busy port of Nelson Bay is a haven for seafood - or try Salamander Bay, Shoal Bay, Anna Bay or Hawks Nest for local treats.