Port Stephens – Nelson Bay

A week ago, we had a long weekend here in Australia. We used this opportunity to spend a couple of days in Nelson Bay with our friends. The destination turned out to be a bullseye. The scenery was beautiful and there were so many attractions that it was simply impossible to get bored. On top of all we had an amazing weather.

Nelson Bay is the biggest town in Port Stephens territory. It lures one with beautiful landscapes and wonderful beaches. It’s almost impossible to resist this temptation and not go for a swim. There are couple of beaches around. Some are calm, perfect for kids or long swims, and other for those who enjoy jumping through big waves.

 

Nelson Bay is also a perfect place for dolphin encounters trips. We also decided to go for one of these. The cruise was a memorable experience alone and seeing dolphins in their natural habitat was like a sweet cherry on top of a cake 🙂

 

If you are around here it is worth to visit Shoal Bay and take a walk to the summit of Tomaree Head. The view is just amazing. Track alone is somewhere between easy and moderate difficulty and has around 1km (one way). Remember to take a water with you. During hotter day, like the one we had, even this 1km can make you dehydrated. But views are worth every drop of sweat and they will definitely stay in our minds for a long time.

   

The trip wouldn’t be complete without visiting sand dunes located in Worimi Conservation Lands. They are the biggest ones in Australia with area of 4,200 hectares. The beach stretches for 32km. We enjoyed this place so much that we’ve already made plans to come back there in the future with 4×4 car to drive between these hills of sand. What surprised us were the camels we saw there (actually for the first time in Australia) taking people on their backs for a quick walk between sand dunes. Well you must admit… without water in, the view it does look like a desert here 🙂

   

On our way back, we also stopped in Murray’s Brewery (one does not pass an occasion like that) to taste some beers and celebrate a birthday of our friend.

Since we were already up north we decided to make a stop in Newcastle, second largest city in NSW. This city is a home of the biggest coal port in the world. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to visit the whole city. Main reason for stopping here was to have a lunch 🙂 To get some fresh air and movement after a good eat we went for a long walk along the harbour towards Nobby’s Lighthouse. To be honest with you, we were really surprised how charming this place is, and that means there is a high chance we will come back to Newcastle in a near future 🙂

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