Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Through the Dunes on Horseback
You can ride a horse through the dunes with
Sahara Horse Trails
(
&
02/
4981 9077
). A 2-hour trip costs A$60 (US$39), and a half-day excursion is
A$120 (US$78). Bookings required 1 day in advance.
Finds
Port Stephens.
Port Stephens Coaches
(
&
1800/045 949
in Sydney, or 02/
4982 2940) travel between Port Stephens and Newcastle, and to Nelson Bay
from Sydney daily at 2pm. Buses from Sydney leave from Eddy Avenue, near
Central Station; the journey takes 3
1
⁄
2
hours. Return tickets cost A$44 (US$29)
for adults and A$31 (US$20) for children.
VISITOR INFORMATION
The
Port Stephens Visitor Information Cen-
tre,
Victoria Parade, Nelson Bay (
&
1800/808 900
in Australia, or 02/4981
1579; fax 02/4984 1855; www.portstephens.org.au), is open Monday through
Friday from 9am to 5pm and Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 4pm.
SEEING THE AREA
Several operators have vessels offering
dolphin- and whale-watching cruises.
Some of the best are aboard
Imagine
(
&
02/4984 9000;
www.portstephens.
com.au/imagine), a 15m (49-ft.) catamaran operated by Frank Future and Yves
Papin, two real characters. They offer a daily “Island Discovery” trip that includes
dolphin-watching and a trip around the offshore islands. The 4-hour cruise
departs from
D'Albora Marina
in Nelson Bay daily at 11am and costs A$49
(US$32) for adults, and A$25 (US$16) for children 4 to 14, including lunch.
Four-hour whale-watching tours cost the same and leave at 11am from June
1 to November 15. You are most likely to spot humpback whales, but there's also
a chance to see minke and southern right whales.
A morning dolphin-watching cruise runs from 10:30am to 12:30pm daily
during summer and costs A$20 (US$13) for adults, A$13 (US$8.45) for chil-
dren, and A$53(US$34) for families. If you happen to be around on the week-
end nearest a full moon, ask about overnight
“Full Moon Tours.”
The
Port Stephens Ferry Service
(
&
02/4981 3798,
or 0419/417 689
mobile phone) operates a 2
1
⁄
2
-hour “Early Bird Dolphin Watch” daily at 8:30am
with a stop off at Tea Gardens. A similar 3
1
⁄
2
-hour cruise departs at noon (you
can eat lunch at Tea Gardens), and a 2-hour dolphin-watching cruise departs at
3:30pm. All cruises cost A$17 (US$11) for adults, A$9 (US$5.85) for children,
and A$40 (US$26) for families.
Wonderbus
(
&
1800/669 800
in Australia, or 02/9555 9800; www.wonder
bus.com.au) transfers passengers from Sydney and back for A$55 (US$36) one-
way. Otherwise it offers wine tasting in the Hunter Valley, a 2-hour dolphin-
watch cruise, a visit to Oakdale wildlife farm, and lunch for A$168 (US$109).
WHERE TO STAY
Port Stephens is very popular with Sydneysiders, especially during the Christmas
holidays, January, and Easter, so you'll need to book well in advance then.
Peppers Anchorage Port Stephens
This low-rise resort, split into a
main guesthouse and four separate lodges, is built onto a headland and runs
almost directly into the bay—it's only stopped from sliding in by a boardwalk
and a picturesque marina. Rooms are light and luxurious; the suites each have a
