How to spend a winter weekend in Port Stephens

It’s Sydney’s summer playground, but Port Stephens is still quite a catch in winter – or so I recently found out.

On the North Coast of New South Wales, three hours in the car from Sydney, you’ll find this disgustingly beautiful place. Port Stephens is a collection of coastal villages, and with 26 beaches and an absolute reckless amount of aqua-coloured ocean, this place is built for summer holidays.

But, there’s something special about visiting Port Stephens in winter. The crowds have buggered off, meaning you can have free run of the place. And, let’s be honest, Sydney in winter is no Cruella de Vil – the sun still packs some heat. This was the thinking that saw Jude and I head up the coast a few weekends back.

Here’s what our winter weekend in Port Stephens entailed:

SATURDAY

Breakfast at The Little Nel

In my researchy phase pre-bag packing, I naturally asked Google to inform me of the best places to eat in Port Stephens. One name kept popping up: The Little Nel – the resident café at the Hotel Nelson in Nelson Bay (Nelson Bay being the epicentre of Port Stephens). I now know why.

If you’re going to do anything in Port Stephens, do yourself a favour and have breakfast at The Little Nel. Better yet, order the buttermilk pancake stack. Drizzled with passionfruit curd and prettied up with a rainbow of fruit, it’s the shiz. And I NEVER order sweets for breakfast!

So impressed with The Little Nel, we went back for breakfast on Sunday.

The Little Nel | 3/7 Government Road, Nelson Bay, New South Wales
Phone: (02) 4916 4600
littlenel.com.au

Hike up Tomaree Mountain

With a belly full of pancakes, you’re ready to tackle the Tomaree Head Summit Walk – hands down one of the best lookouts in New South Wales.

It takes about 45 minutes to walk up the one-kilometre path, and while it looks pretty intimidating and steep, it was easier than I thought, especially given I had a rolled ankle at the time. There were even young kids making the climb – all 161 metres.

Once at the top, your eyes are assaulted with some pretty incredible views across the Port Stephens’ harbour entrance and Shoal Bay, as well as Zenith Beach, the Fingal Spit and Shark Island. You can also see Yacaaba Head, Cabbage Tree Island and Boondelbah Island. And there’s even a faint outline of Darwin in the distance – ok I made that up.

If you’re lucky, some dolphins might swim past and complete the picture – not a rare event given the Port Stephens area is home to 100-odd bottlenose dolphins.

Afternoon drinks and cheese at Murray’s Brewery

You know that thing I said about Port Stephens being crowd-free in winter. Well, I take it back because Murray’s Brewery heaves on a winter’s afternoon. A visit to this craft brewery, which shares its site with the region’s oldest winery – Port Stephens Winery – is anything but dull. There’s beer and wine tasting, live music, bocce courts and a café-style lunch menu – which includes a very large, very unforgiving cheese platter.

The best bit: there’s a weekend brewery bus shuttle service ($5pp) that shuttles boozers staying in Nelson Bay, Boat Harbour, Anna Bay and Middle Rock to Murray’s Brewery, and back. Yes, way, rosé!

If you’re not all wined out, there’s also another country-style winery – Wonganella Estate – just up the hill behind Murray’s Brewery.

Murrays Brewery | 3443 Nelson Bay Road, Bob’s Farm, New South Wales
Phone: (02) 4982 6411
murraysbrewingco.com.au

Dinner at Little Beach Boathouse

With all that coastline, it’s no surprise that seafood is king around here. And if you’re after something a little more fancy than fish ‘n’ chips on the beach, there’s one name you should know: Little Beach Boathouse.

Perched on the beach at Little Beach, this fine diner is schmick. The service is on point, the food of a bloody high standard, the serving sizes generous and the views, well, they’re all right too. Try the local oysters, the Spring Bay mussels, the Hervey Bay Scallops or the house-cured Atlantic Salmon – all good.

Oh and there’s a bar downstairs for those in search of a pre-drinkie. Book a Nelson Bay Taxi fo’ sure.

Little Beach Boathouse | 4 Victoria Parade, Nelson Bay, New South Wales
Phone: (02) 4984 9420
littlebeachboathouse.com.au

SUNDAY

Visit Port Stephens’ beaches

Yeah it might be winter and you’re probably not keen on an ocean swim. But, given this place is all about the sea and the sand, it would be remiss to visit Port Stephens and not lock eyes with at least half a dozen of its beach beauties. There’s 26, so take your pick, but these are the big-name stars:

Zenith Beach – framed by the towering Tomaree Mountain on the left, the secluded Zenith Beach is a picture of perfection, especially if you’re watching the sun rise over the very blue ocean. It’s also apparently a decent surf beach, with the right conditions – yep, now it’s obvious how I got the husband here.

Anna Bay – with sand dunes for as far as the eye can see, it’s entirely understandable to think you’re in some desert city, not the NSW North Coast, while here. Anna Bay is fun for quad biking, sand boarding, camel and horse riding, and just getting sand in your knickers.

One Mile Beach – I didn’t get my surveyor’s wheel out, so can’t confirm whether this beach is exactly one mile but it must be mighty close. Lots of sand here also. Not enough to fool you into thinking you’re in Baghdad, and not as towery tall as Anna Bay, but plenty to have to yourself and make some sizable sand angels. Surrounded by bushland, One Mile Beach is also very beautiful and very secluded.

Fingal Bay Beach – this c-shaped beach is another looker – you can see why it’s a fan favourite. Fingal Bay Beach is fancy enough to have its own island, which is connected to the mainland via the Fingal Spit sand bar. Currently the only way to get to Fingal Island, and investigate the ruins of Point Stephens Lighthouse, is via boat or kayak.

Enjoy the mega views from Gan Gan Lookout

Another day, another lookout. If you’re all tuckered out from the day before, the good news is that getting to Gan Gan Lookout requires very little physical exertion. Just enough to shut the car door and walk a few steps.

Standing 160 metres high, the views from Gan Gan Hill are pretty special. Port Stephens, Soldiers Point, Hawks Nest, Tomaree Mountain, it’s all here. You can even see all the way to Newcastle from the south platform. (No, I’m not lying this time).

Drink it up because it’s time to head back to Sydney, leaving this slip of paradise behind.