Port Stephens NSW September 15-20 2016

Port Stephens NSW September 15-20 2016

Port Stephens, aka Nelson Bay, is our current location - actually we are a place called Soldiers Point, but it may as well be the same place. The first thing you notice driving around is that it's jam-packed people  and housing wise. Every square inch of land has been developed and exploited into huge mansions or multi-storey units or both, and the second thing is that all the roads are 50kph, except those through the shops, which are 40kph. It just makes it dull, boring and downright frustrating to go driving around trying to get a glimpse of the few natural features that are left. There's an added insult - in the towns such as Nelson Bay and Shoal Bay, it's pay parking, either 4 hour or 8 hour, which is too bad if you just want to take half an hour to stroll the marina and buy an ice-cream.

The marina is the usual pretty place, and as usual, the piers and jetty are closed to all but those that own the boats. But a snap just because I can:

Marina. Nelson Bay NSW

The weather has been rainy and windy. our planned trip over to Tea Gardens on the 'ferry' was cancelled due to 'bad weather forecast'. How surprising. 

One day the sun came out and it was quite pleasant. We took the opportunity to go up to the lookout and took a few snaps. One thing that hits you in the eye is the prevalence of Gymea Lily. These are weird looking plants that shoot up this one stalk, up to 6 metres high and topped with these huge bright red flowers and are growing prolifically throughout the bushland.

Gymea Lilys. Nelson Bay lookout.

Nelson Bay to the left, Shoal bay straight ahead. Nelson Bay lookout.

We took a drive out to Lemon Tree Passage, which sounds nice but turns out to be pretty run down and as its quite a way from the rest of the place, looks a bit like its just been forgotten. We thought we might have lunch there but the choice was: some flash looking and stupidly expensive place almost over the water, a choke-and-puke masquerading as a bakery, and a cafe which when approached stank of fish oil, probably stale oil that they deep fry everything in

We ended up back at The Scottish Restaurant (Golden Arches, McD), where we have discovered a reliable source of cheap edible food and coffee.

About 5km from Nelson Bay, down past Samurai and One-mile beach, which you can't actually see from the road because they are big sand dunes, is Boat Harbour. Who are they kidding? There isn't a boat to be seen for miles and if you did want to launch one, it's across the beach and out through a raft of treacherous rocks and reefs.

Doesn't stop the fishos having a go, is it any wonder more than a few get washed away every year?

Bunch of rocks near Boat Harbour, Port Stephens NSW

Bunch of rocks near Boat Harbour, Port Stephens NSW

Then there is Anna Bay, which is just totally forgettable, so let's move on...

We came to Stockton Sand Dunes. These have been on every outdoor / getaway / weekender TV show ever broadcast, and are rather special. Billed as the biggest moving sand dune in the southern hemisphere, you can immediately see why. The big thing here is 'sand boarding' like kite boarding or wake boarding only on sand. We paid a very few dollars to go out to the slopes in one of the 4x4 tour buses as 'walkers'. It's pretty impressive and looks like a lot of fun, a bit self limiting as you have to climb back up to the top each time, and when you come off, you are hitting sand, not nice soft snow or water! The sand itself is shifting all the time, even your footprints disappear in a few minutes. I was intrigued by how there were patches of wet sand and even though it rained overnight, I just assumed that it would all soak right in immediately and that the sun and wind would finish it off quick-smart.

Makes for some interesting snaps though:

Stockton sand dunes. Stockton NSW

Mrs Happy Snapper. Stockton sand dunes. Stockton NSW

Back to the tour buses again. Stockton sand dunes. Stockton NSW

Stockton sand dunes. Stockton NSW

Stockton sand dunes. Stockton NSW

Sliding down the sand dunes, and then a big trudge back up for another go. Stockton sand dunes. Stockton NSW

One last thing for me, I went and found the local swimming pool. Turns out to be a full-sized Olympic pool heated to a very swimmable 23C. Fabulous.

That's pretty much it for our visit this time and to be truthful, it'll probably be a long while before we come this way again. Tomorrow we are off the the Hunter Valley, you can drink wine even in a predicted downpour!