This sparkling blue bay has beautiful sandy beaches with resident bottle-nose dolphins, giant sand dunes and a fabulous waterfront of pubs and restaurants serving freshly-caught seafood. You can kick back and relax or get involved in whale and dolphin-watching, scuba diving on a shipwreck, surfing, swimming and bush-walking, or you can live on the edge and step into the water with sharks and stingrays at Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters!

Stunning Shoal Bay, just one of 26 local beaches, is 2.5kms of pristine protected sandy beach - a must-see only a couple of kilometres from the main town of Nelson Bay. Kayaks and stand-up paddle boards are available for hire, allowing you to get up close and personal with this magnificent natural water world. The splendid backdrop to Shoal Bay is Tomaree national Park with its magnificent summit walk and military heritage. You can see koalas in the wild at the Tilligerry Habitat or get up close with them and other native animals at the Oakvale Wildlife Park.

At the head where the bay meets the Pacific Ocean you’ll find Tomaree Head summit, a mini-mountain that, when climbed, offers stunning views of Port Stephens and further inland, as well as north and south along the stunning white sandy beaches that front the Pacific Ocean.
Dotted along the southern bay shoreline are pubs and restaurants serving fresh local prawns, oysters, crabs and lobsters. There are vineyards and a craft beer brewery nearby, as well as accommodation to suit every budget, from island camping and holiday parks to private houses, apartments and stylish resorts.

Port Stephens statistics

• 15 times the area of Sydney Harbour
• Just over an hour's drive in your Top Down Rentals convertible