Port Stephens Join-in Tour with BBQ Lunch

Anna Bay is the name of a suburb, a town and a bay in the Port Stephens local government area in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. The suburb and town are immediately adjacent to the north-eastern end of Stockton Beach and provide one of the major entry points to the beach at Birubi Point. Both were named after the bay of the same name which is located in the adjacent suburb of One Mile. According to legend to it was originally called Hannah Bay after an alleged shipwreck in 1851 but the vessel has never been identified. The name was changed by post service on the 15th May 1896 as many local were already referring to it as Anna Bay.

Birubi Beach is located at Anna Bay and is a favourite among local surfers and fishermen. Birubi Beach sits on the northern end of the Stockton Sand Dunes, which are the largest moving sand dunes in the Southern Hemisphere. They stretch for 32 kilometres from Stockton Beach near Newcastle, all the way up to Birubi Beach in Anna Bay, Port Stephens. Some of the sand dune hills get up to 30 metres in height, making them a fun place to go to for sand boarding, quad biking or 4WD'ing. The dunes were used for thousands of years by the Worimi people and they allow visitors to use the dunes for recreation, whilst keeping away from historical aboriginal sites. The rolling hills of sand that stretch as far as the eye can see, really are a sight to behold. You don't need to go to Dubai to see a sandy desert - it is here in Port Stephens!

Port Stephens is called the “blue water paradise” because of the beauty of its marine surroundings. It is located in New South Wales about two and a half hours north of Sydney, on the East Coast of Australia, and has a population of about 50,000. With over 19 miles of clean, white, sandy beaches, Port Stephens boasts vibrant tourism and fishing industries. 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; the Tomaree Peninsula, the Tilligerry Peninsula and the Golden Bight all surrounding the bay. The climate is warm year round with no winter frosts, and cool sea breezes keep the temperature mild in the summer. From late May through July the area is an excellant place to watch the thousands of migrating whales pass by.

Shoal Bay is the most eastern suburb of the Port Stephens local government area in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia.vIt is located on the southern shore of Port Stephens, adjacent to the bay of the same name at the entrance to the port. It includes part of Tomaree National Park within its boundaries and, like other suburbs around Port Stephens, is a popular tourist destination, especially in summer months. At the 2016 census the town of Shoal Bay had a population of 1,864 but the population increases significantly during tourist season.

Tomaree National Park near Port Stephens is a great weekend getaway. Tomaree National Park, jointly managed with Hunter Water Corporation, provides a magnificent backdrop to the coastal towns and villages of Nelson Bay, Shoal Bay, Boat Harbour and Anna Bay. It’s the only place in NSW where you can see outcrops of the acid volcanic rock rhyodacite. It’s an excellent spot for whale watching and offers a range of scenic walks, including the short Wreck Beach walk through coastal angophora forest and the longer Morna Point walk that comes alive with spring wildflowers.