Port Stephens Activities

Port Stephens activities split three ways: sliding down sand dunes, getting in the water with sharks and rays, and heading out on the bay to find dolphins and whales. Here's how they differ, so you can pick the right mix for your group.

Sandboarding and quad biking on the Port Stephens dunes

Anna Bay is the starting point for the dune activities. The Unlimited Sandboarding & 4WD Adventure is a popular choice for as many runs as you can handle, and most people stay about 1 to 1.5 hours. The 4WD Beach & Dune Tour with Sandboarding adds a drive along Birubi Beach and a guide who shows you how to find pipis before you board.

Prefer an engine? The Guided Quad Bike Sand Dunes Tour is a one-hour, self-drive ride past water lagoons to panoramic summit views, and it needs no experience.

Shark and ray encounters at Irukandji in Anna Bay

Irukandji Shark & Ray Encounters, at 2 Jessie Road in Anna Bay, has several ways to meet its animals. The Irukandji Entry Tickets cover entry and a shallows encounter, where you wade in to touch and hand feed sharks and rays. The Stingray Cuddles and Shallow Water Experience adds a 20-minute small-group session with rays and stingrays.

To get deeper, the snorkel experiences each add a 30-minute guided snorkel. The Snorkel with Zebra Sharks and Shallow Water Experience takes place in a heated tropical lagoon with zebra sharks, leopard whiptail rays, bamboo sharks and shovelnose rays, and the Snorkel with Stingrays and Shallow Water Experience gets you swimming with stingrays. The Reef Shark Snorkel + Entry Pass heads into the deep water of the lagoon with the biggest sharks.

Dolphin and whale cruises from Nelson Bay

More than 100 resident bottlenose dolphins live in Port Stephens, and the cruises go looking for them. The Dolphin Watch Express Cruise is a one-hour, 360-degree look from a vessel with limited passenger numbers. The Dolphin Discovery Cruise adds a boom net ride over 90 minutes, and the Splash and Slide Dolphin Cruise adds a waterslide over two hours. The express cruise runs from November to April.

From mid May to early November, the Whale & Dolphin Watching Cruise spends three hours out of Nelson Bay looking for humpback whales, with southern fur seals and dolphins on the way. The whale watching page covers the season in more detail.

Choosing Port Stephens activities for your group

Want speed and sand? Go for the dunes. Want to see animals up close? Irukandji gets you into the water with them, while a bay cruise lets you watch from the deck and stay dry if you skip the boom net. Groups with mixed confidence can split the day: some in the lagoon, others on the dunes, since both start from Anna Bay.

Frequently asked questions

What can kids do in Port Stephens?

Kids can feed and pat sharks and rays at Irukandji Shark & Ray Encounters in Anna Bay, spot dolphins on a cruise from Nelson Bay, or try sandboarding on the dunes. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult in the water at Irukandji.

Do I need to be a strong swimmer for the Port Stephens snorkel experiences?

For the Reef Shark Snorkel + Entry Pass at Irukandji, yes. It is only for people over 12 who are competent swimmers.

When can you see whales in Port Stephens?

From mid May to early November. The Whale & Dolphin Watching Cruise Port Stephens runs for three hours during that window.

Where do the Port Stephens dolphin cruises leave from?

All of them leave from Nelson Bay. The Dolphin Watch Express Cruise departs Dock C at d'Albora Marina, the Dolphin Discovery Cruise leaves from d'Albora Nelson Bay Marina on Teramby Road, and the Splash and Slide Dolphin Cruise leaves from Wharf 1 at the Cruise Passenger Terminal on Victoria Parade.

Local tip: Irukandji and the sandboarding meeting points are both in Anna Bay, so a dune session and a shark encounter can share the same day.

Choose your Port Stephens adventure above, from the dunes to the lagoon to the bay. All good days are waiting.