Top 05 Things to do in Port Stephens – The quintessential Australian adventure destination

The rush you get when a 40-ton behemoth Humpback Whale breaches near your boat is hard to put into words. These gentle giants mean no harm, however, it does give you a sense of perspective when sailing side by side with these majestic creatures. But if going out on onto open water seems too much but you want to catch a glimpse of whales playing in the ocean head to Birubi Beach. Every year there is a migration of over 25,000 whales as they come to breed in the warmer waters of Queensland before heading south with their newborn calves.

If you are an adrenaline-junkie you're probably not a stranger to this sort of thing. The shifting sands of Stockton Bight are probably the largest moving dunes in the world – reaching as high as 30m in some cases. The dunes are spread across over 32km with more than enough room for you to let loose do all the tricks you've been waiting to try. The quad bikes which are rented for thee excursions are 400cc two-stroke ones. While you're in the area you can visit with the local indigenous tribes as well.

This adventure begins by heading through Worimi Conservation lands on a modified cruiser or hummer – you can actually even pair this excursion with quad-biking if you wish. However, once you reach the dunes you have the ocean in sight and massive sand dunes you can surf down to your heart's content. You can even visit 'Tin City'; an untamed settlement of beach shacks which was made famous by the Mad-Max movies. This is one of the most popular excursions Port Stephens has to offer it is quite otherworldly in a sense. If you're coming with the plan of trying these sort of adventure experiences out make sure to stay at one of the better Nelson Bay hotels such as the highly recommended Oaks Lure as it'll make arranging everything so much easier.

Port Stephens is actually home to one of the world's most amazing marine sanctuaries. It is spread across nearly 100,000sqkm and home to a wide variety of amazing marine life such as the bottlenose dolphin, green sea turtles, penguins and seals. The sanctuary is also home to a few species which are found nowhere else. The best part about the excursion is that by sea-kayaking you aren't travelling in large groups and you are actually presented with the opportunity to get up and close with these beautiful animals. You can spend the day exploring and in the evening watch a spectacular sunset before heading back to the shore.

Though you wouldn't normally associate Australia with camels there is quite a large population found here. And you can actually join one of these tours and experience the solitude and otherworldliness of the desert in a way you wouldn't think possible. It's like a trip back in time in some ways.