Nelson Bay & Port Stephens NSW: Travel Guide

Nelson Bay is the main base for exploring Port Stephens, the large bay and beach region about 2.5 hours north of Sydney. The wider Port Stephens area covers a surprising amount of ground: from Anna Bay and the Stockton Bight Sand Dunes in the south-west, through the peninsula suburbs of Corlette, Nelson Bay, Shoal Bay and Fingal Bay, to Soldiers Point and Tea Gardens further afield.

What makes this part of NSW stand out is the variety. You can spend a morning riding camels on a sand dune and watching humpback whales from the beaches, eat freshly shucked oysters for lunch, be on a boat with dolphins by afternoon and then experience fine dining for dinner.

This guide covers Nelson Bay and the immediate peninsula: roughly everything within a 15-minute drive of the town centre. That includes the areas of Anna Bay, Corlette, Shoal Bay, Soldiers Point and Fingal Bay, which are where the bulk of things to see, eat and do are concentrated.

Next Escape is your guide to real places and real experiences, with honest, practical, independent travel advice based on first-hand visits: the beaches we’ve swum at, the restaurants we’ve eaten at, the walks we’ve actually done. This page may contain affiliate links; if you book or buy through them, Next Escape may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Is Nelson Bay worth visiting?

Yes – the area is easy to access from Sydney and offers a fantastic combination of gorgeous natural scenery, wildlife experiences and excellent regional dining. It works equally well for families (sand dune tours, wildlife tours), couples (fine dining, coastal walks) and groups or solo travellers (great range of activities and accommodation options).

Why visit Nelson Bay?

• Incredible wildlife: dolphins, humpback whales, seals and a koala sanctuary.
• Great walks, from the steep slopes of Tomaree Head to the beachfront promenades.
• 2.5 hours from Sydney, close enough for a weekend but far enough to feel like a proper break.
• Stockton Sand Dunes, the largest moving coastal sand dunes in the Southern Hemisphere.
• Excellent range of accommodation for all budgets and travel styles.
• Fresh local seafood and a diverse food scene, from takeaway fresh shucked oysters to fine dining.

Nelson Bay at a glance

Distance from Sydney	2.5 hours (214 km)
Best for	Families, couples, nature lovers, foodies
Known for	Sand dunes, dolphin and whale watching, beaches.
Ideal stay	2-3 nights
Best time to visit	Summer for beach swimming, May to November for whale watching.
Useful links	For whale watching or dolphin cruise options, check out Viator or GetYourGuide. For accommodation, both Booking.com and Stayz have a good selection.

How long should you stay in Nelson Bay?

• 2 nights: You can cover the main highlights (visit 1-2 beaches, do a whale or dolphin cruise and have a couple of good meals).
• 3 nights: Ideal to see the beaches, explore Tomaree National Park, do a cruise, explore some of the wider area and try a few restaurants.
• 4+ nights: Good for those who want to slow down and explore some of the quieter pockets like Fingal Bay and Soldiers Point. You could also combine with a trip to Newcastle.

Best things to do in Nelson Bay

Whale and dolphin watching cruise

Port Stephens is one of the best places on the NSW coast for dolphin and whale watching. Around 160 bottlenose dolphins live permanently in the bay, so dolphin sightings on cruises are reliable year-round. Humpback whale season runs from May through November and there are two peak periods – during the northern migration in late June/July and the southern migration with newborn calves in October/November.

If you are nervous about getting seasick, there is a chemist within walking distance of the Marina to buy seasickness tablets (most need to be taken in advance rather than when you start to feel nauseous).

For whale watching or dolphin cruise options, check out Viator or GetYourGuide.

Personal note: Our last trip we did the whale watching cruise with Moonshadow-TQC Cruises on our last visit and it was an amazing experience. The boat is well set up with plenty of space to move around and – most importantly! – we saw quite a few whales, plus dolphins and seals on the way back in. This is also a great way to explore the bay, Tomaree Head and out to the islands.

Whale watching from shore

If you are not keen on heading out to sea, Fisherman’s Bay, Anna Bay and Boat Harbour lookouts are all excellent spots to break out the binoculars and try and spot the migrating whales. To help fuel your whale watching, Crest Birubi Beach is a good spot to grab takeaway before you wander around to the Anna Bay Point lookout.

Tomaree Head National Park

Tomaree Head National Park covers the headland east of Nelson Bay, near Shoal Bay. The most famous walk is the summit walk (2 km, mostly uphill with a lot of steps) which leads up to the top of Tomaree Mountain and gives excellent views from the top. It is steep: there is a defibrillator at the fork where you turn right to go up, which gives you some idea of the gradient.

If you don’t fancy the hike to the top, the foreshore walk along the water’s edge is beautiful and easy, taking in views back across the bay and out to sea. Alternatively, about halfway up the summit walk you can turn off to the old gun emplacements from WWII and then circle back down to the foreshore.

Parking is paid and limited, so you may need to park slightly further away in busy times.

Gan Gan Lookout

This is a great thing to do when you first drive in to Port Stephens to get your bearings. Gan Gan Lookout sits at 160 metres on Gan Gan Hill, off Nelson Bay Road, and gives you views across the entire Port Stephens region: south over the dunes towards Newcastle, north to Hawks Nest and across the bay.

The lookout is also known for its Gymea Lilies (Doryanthes excelsa), enormous plants with stalks up to 5–6 metres tall that produce spectacular bright red flowers from late winter through to early summer. If you are visiting in the right season, these prehistoric looking lilies alone make it worth the trip.

Stockton Sand Dunes & Worimi Conservation Lands

The Worimi Conservation Lands includes the Stockton Sand Dunes – 32 km of the longest moving sand dunes in the Southern Hemisphere. Anna Bay is a great access point to the sand dunes, and from here you can take a camel, 4WD, quad bike or horseback tour, go sandboarding and sand surfing, or just grab a coffee and look out across the massive dunes.

Personal note: This is an excellent first stop on your drive in to Port Stephens. It’s so unexpectedly huge and the camels and pyramid tank traps make it seem quite surreal. You also have a good chance of spotting whales if you are visiting during the migration window.

Soldiers Point Walk

The Mariners Walk Heritage Trail in Soldiers Point is an excellent option if you are staying at Bannisters, are visiting nearby Holberts Oyster Farm, or just want a quiet walk with some lovely scenery and cafes.

The walk starts in Salamander Bay, then continues along the waterfront, loops around the top of Soldiers Point and back again. The Seaview Cafe is an excellent stop along the way for a morning coffee with lovely views across the bay.

For maps and more information check out AllTrails or the Port Stephens Council website. The two sources do have slightly different routes and start/finish points.

Check out the local beaches

There are 26 beaches within the Port Stephens area, including several within a short drive of Nelson Bay. A few of our favourites are:

• Fingal Bay: great for swimming and surfing, but best known for the sandbar (Fingal Spit) which, at low tide, connects the beach to Fingal Island, allowing you to walk across to the island. This is only possible at low tide and strictly only within an hour either side of low tide.
• Little Beach: a small, protected beach near the Nelson Bay foreshore. This is excellent for snorkelling, and a lovely spot for lunch at the Little Beach Boathouse or to watch the pelicans wait patiently to share in the fisherman’s catch.
• Birubi Beach: the northern gateway to the Stockton Bight Sand Dunes, great for spotting whales.
• Shoal Bay Beach: calm, protected beach, shown below. Good for paddleboarding and visiting the nearby Shoal Bay Country Club.

Where to eat and drink in and around Nelson Bay

The Port Stephens area around Nelson Bay has a brilliant range of dining options – from takeaway freshly shucked oysters to fine dining at Bannisters. These are a few of our favourites in the area.

• Fresh oysters by the water: Holberts Oyster Farm, Salamander Bay
• Waterfront fine dining and cocktails: Moby’s Bar and The Galley Kitchen at The Anchorage, Corlette.
• Casual waterfront lunch: Little Beach Boathouse
• Renowned regional dining: Rick Stein at Port Stephens, Soldiers Point
• Scones with jam, cream and a view: Inner Light Tea Rooms
• Beers in the sun: Shoal Bay Country Club

Holberts Oyster Farm, Salamander Bay

Ten minutes from Nelson Bay at Salamander Bay, Holberts is a Port Stephens institution. The shopfront overlooks Cromarty Bay and you can sit at tables outside with views over the water and order fresh shucked oysters and prawns with a beer or wine.

Personal note: This is a very simple shopfront with outdoor tables, but the oysters are excellent making this a perfect, no frills lunch option.

Moby’s Bar and The Galley Kitchen at The Anchorage, Corlette

The bar and restaurant form part of The Anchorage, a gorgeous, Hamptons style accommodation option in nearby Corlette (see accommodation section for more). Moby’s Bar has excellent cocktails and lovely views across the marina. The Galley Kitchen downstairs has perfectly cooked steaks, an excellent wine list, friendly service and equally good views. If you are staying at The Anchorage, this is an ideal choice for dinner.

If you are visiting The Anchorage on a sunny day, The Coffee Maker is another excellent option for a cafe lunch sitting out on a pontoon in the marina.

Little Beach Boathouse, Little Beach

Right on Little Beach with views across the water, the Boathouse offers both a casual cafe downstairs and a restaurant upstairs. Highlights on the menu for us were the san choy bao and the fish tacos but the view is the real drawcard.

Bannisters at Port Stephens, Soldiers Point

The Bannisters Port Stephens property at Soldiers Point has three dining options: Rick Stein (upmarket seafood), Julio’s (pizza and antipasti) and Cheeky Dog (casual bar with beer garden, sports bar and outdoor seating). Rick Stein at Bannisters is your go-to for fine dining, especially if you are staying at the Bannisters property. The menu changes daily based on the fresh seafood available, however the pick for us is always the Bannisters Fish Pie.

Personal note: We loved the Rick Stein fish pie so much that we bought one of his cookbooks when we got back home. You can recreate the dish using his recipe, now on SBS Food online.

Inner Light Tea Rooms, Nelson Bay

These very cute tea rooms sit next to the historic Lighthouse Keepers Cottage, with views over Shoal Bay. Our pick is scones with jam and cream and a wander through the tiny attached museum. One caveat: there’s not a lot of indoor seating so this may not be the best choice on a rainy day.

Shoal Bay Country Club, Shoal Bay

This large local club is right next to Shoal Bay and Tomaree Head National Park. It’s huge, with several restaurant, cafe and pub-style dining options. On a sunny day this is the perfect spot to sit with a beer after a walk in the nearby National Park.

Where to stay in and around Nelson Bay

The best places to stay in Nelson Bay aren’t necessarily in Nelson Bay itself: the nicer properties sit in the surrounding areas of Corlette, Soldiers Point and Fingal Bay, each within 10–15 minutes of the town centre. Two favourites from our visits are below, and you can also check Booking.com or Stayz for a wider selection.

The Anchorage, Corlette

Set around a quiet private marina at Corlette (about 5 minutes from Nelson Bay), The Anchorage is a Hampton-style boutique hotel with rooms overlooking the marina, a family pool and an adults-only pool, a small beach next to the hotel, The Galley Kitchen Restaurant and Moby’s Bar and a peaceful atmosphere. The decor is fresh, the rooms are lovely and the whole property has a restful, coastal feel.

Bannisters Port Stephens, Soldiers Point

The Bannisters property is in Soldiers Point, a lovely, quiet area less than 15 minutes drive from Nelson Bay. The property has the main, fine-dining restaurant (Rick Stein at Bannisters) as well as a more casual restaurant (Julio’s) and a casual pub-style restaurant (Cheeky Dog). The rooms have treetop and ocean views and are all reasonably sized and comfortable. There’s also a large pool with plenty of deck chairs, a pool bar and nearby coastal walks, marina and cafes.

Other accommodation options

If you’d like to stay right in Nelson Bay, close to restaurants and the marina, Hotel Nelson is a good option. For a more budget stay with good options for families, Fingal Bay Holiday Park is only 2 minutes from the beach.

Best time to visit Nelson Bay

• Summer: Peak season. Beach weather is at its best and the water is warm. Busier, especially on weekends and in school holidays, and accommodation books out quickly.
• Autumn: Crowds thin out after Easter. Good weather continues and whale season begins in May.
• Winter: Quieter and cooler. Accommodation rates drop, particularly midweek. Excellent for whale watching.
• Spring: Warm weather returns. Good all-round option.

Perfect Nelson Bay itinerary

2-day itinerary

Day 1: Drive in via Anna Bay and Birubi Beach → stop at Holberts Oyster Farm for fresh oysters and a beer → check in to The Anchorage or Bannisters → cocktails and dinner.

Day 2: Gan Gan Lookout for views across the region → whale watching or dolphin cruise (book ahead) → lunch at the Little Beach Boathouse → Tomaree Head National Park foreshore walk or beach afternoon → beers at the Shoal Bay Country Club → dinner in Nelson Bay or back at the hotel.

Extending beyond 2 days

If extending longer, we would suggest:

• Breakfast at The Coffee Maker on the marina pontoon
• Fingal Bay for the beach and sandbar walk at low tide
• Tomaree Head Summit Walk or Soldiers Point Walk
• Visit Stockton Sand Dunes and take a tour

What Nelson Bay isn’t

The Port Stephens area doesn’t have a busy town centre with lots of shopping, nightlife or a wide range of live entertainment. Nelson Bay has the main restaurants and cafes, but it’s a holiday town, not a city. It’s also a spread-out region. Getting between Anna Bay, Fingal Bay, Nelson Bay and Soldiers Point requires a car and you won’t be walking between many of the attractions.

How to get to Nelson Bay

Driving – 2.5 hours, 213 km north via the Pacific Motorway (M1) and Nelson Bay Road. The drive is mostly motorway and easy.

Local travel tips

• Book activities in advance, particularly whale watching cruises in peak season (July–October). These do sell out.
• The beaches, activities and restaurants are spread out and you will ideally need a car to travel around.
• If you are staying in Nelson Bay, be sure to explore the wider Port Stephens region, including Anna Bay, Fungal Bay and Soldiers Point.

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