Mar 2021

Our son Cillian had just turned 5 months so we decided it was time to head away for our first family road trip. 160km north of Sydney is the natural harbour of Port Stephens. It lies a good way off the main highway north so we had never ventured there. The closest we had come was popping into Hawks Nest on our way back down from Bellingen the previous year.

Since we had not done much travel since Tasmania in January 2020 we decided to treat ourselves and stay at The Anchorage. Located in Corlette Point this Hamptons style abode was designed to resemble a New England fishing village and consists of a series of coastal style cottages linked by covered walkways as well as a harbour full of yachts.

The suite rooms were great with a seperate living room and kitchen over two floors so we could unwind after putting Cillian down for the night. There was also a balcony. In the main building there was also a lounge bar that had a great happy hour and a big cozy fire to sit near.

What we had not planned for was the weather. But more on that later on.

Out and About

We spent our time exploring the region – effectively a peninsula with a number of little towns and beaches. On the south side of the peninsula is Anna Bay. Here is a place that is a significant place called Birubi Point. It has a strong cultural connection for the Worimi people (traditional custodians of the land). It translates as ‘Place of the Southern Cross’ and one of the special characteristics is the expansive view it offers.

The beach next to the point is called Stockton Beach. 32km of golden sand it has been the site of numerous shipwrecks and aircrat crashes. The carpark is surrounded by concrete triangles. These are tank traps that were used to fortify the beach during World War 2 against a possible Japanese invasion. The beach was also used as a bombing range by the air force based out of the nearby RAAF Base in Williamtown.

The beaches sand dunes were used for several scenes in the 1979 movie Mad Max.

Just up the road and separated by the headland was One Mile Beach. At this point the rain had started to come down so we just took some photos on the beach and had a small walk with Cillian in the baby carrier. It certainly was not swimming weather.

We had slightly better weather over the other side of the peninsula at Soldier’s Point. Here there is a marina with even more yachts and and one of Gillie and Marc’s statues of Dogman and Rabbitwoman on a moped. Its a nice little seaside village and a far cry from its origins as a garrison tasked with the hunting down of escaped convicts in 1820. The area was a haven for escapees from Sydney including five who had commandeered a boat from Parramatta and shipwrecked there. They were welcomed into the Worimi tribe.

Murrays Brewing

Located a couple of kilometres out of town on Nelson Bay Road is Murrays Brewing Co (Now called B Farm by Murays). A Farm with a brewery, winery, restaurant and large beer garden. It is here that the Angry Man Pale Ale is brewed with its distinctive label – a man boxing a kangaroo.

Summit Climb

The Port Stephens bay area was pretty expansive so what better way to take a lot of in then to climb the summit of the largest point – Tomaree Head Summit. Located in a National Park of the same name on the east side of Shoal Bay is the start of the walk. The first part is mostly bushwalk before you reach a set of narrow metal stairs and the second part of the climb – metal boardwalks to the summit. Cillian slept for all the climb, nestled safely into daddy and his carrier.

At the top you can see why the climb is so worth it. At 162m high it provides one with spectacular 360 degree views. Dotted around the base of the summit are a number of fortifications and WWII gun emplacements.There is also the shell of a radar station at the top. Built in 1942, this station was setup to detect all aircraft in the area and report to the No. 2 Fighter Sector HQ in Newcastle. Zenith Beach, just below the summit was also used as an amphibious training centre. 20,000 Australian and US Marines learned key skills they would need for the Pacific theatre here.

After the climb we headed to the Shoal Bay Country Club to have some afternoon tea (and get out of the rain which harried our descent from the mountain).

Road Closure

The weather had been pretty bad all trip as a major storm lashed the entire east coast. There was some major flooding and even a collapsed road or two. Luckily this happened an hour after we drove on one of them. We did have a few close calls with other roads with Karen likening it to a log flume as our Hyundai i30 battled against the elements.

In the end we had to stay an extra night to let the worst of the weather pass us before braving the drive back to Sydney. Luckily for us there was a great little recently refurbished motel in Nelson Bay – the Hotel Nelson with a room available. It was a real shame as it put a literal dampener on the trip but we would return again in better weather a year later.

Toddler Travelling

Port Stephens is very good with little ones. Just over 2 hours drive from Sydney and there are plenty of shops and pharmacies if you need to stock up on anything you forget to bring. With a good carrier, beach umbrella and some suncream (although we didnt need that this time) there are a dozen beaches you can choose from as well as walks. Nelson Bay and Shoal Bay have some good playgrounds too.