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Only a 2.5 hour drive from Sydney, Port Stephens is the perfect weekend getaway spot for me and my partner. Our accommodation of choice this time is the beautiful Anchorage Port Stephens. Each morning we are greeted by the amazing waterfront view. And if you’re lucky like us, you can actually see dolphins swimming by early in the morning, right from the balcony of your room!
On Day 1, we started the morning watching sunrise by the water, followed with a gorgeous breakfast spread at the hotel.
Bellys happy, we’re off to do some fun stuff! First stop was the dolphin watch cruise. We sailed out to the bay and luckily we saw lots of dolphins – so many that I’ve lost count! It’s an absolutely delightful experience and the crew members are so knowledgeable on these Bottlenose dolphins. Apparently when dolphins sleep, they keep one side of their brains awake and continue to swim. How cool is that?
After the cruise we grabbed some lunch at Little Nel cafe. This is my second time eating here and the food was as delicious as I had remembered. We ordered the zucchini & pea fritters and acai plate.
Next stop was what I looked forward to the most: quad biking adventures at the sand dunes! If you’re into adrenaline rushes, this is definitely for you. Driving down the high dunes to the magnificent 360 view of nothing but sand dunes is quite the experience.
Afterwards we drove back to Anna Bay to catch the sunset. We had some fun with the drone and took some cheesy couple photos. I really hope you’re not lactose intolerant.
Dinner tonight was at Little Beach Boat House, feasting on fresh local produce and seafood, and some Hunter Valley wines. It’s such a beautiful venue with a great atmosphere and amazing waterfront view.
After dinner, we drove back to the sand dunes to star gaze. It was a bit cloudy but it was dark enough to see more stars than you normally would in the city. Watching stars is one of my absolute favorite activities as it just reminds me how small and finite I am in this big beautiful universe.
Day 2 was nice and relaxing. We slept in, had some breakfast and drove back to Anna Bay again for a camel ride by the beach! This is probably the first time I’ve been up close and personal with a camel. They have beautiful luscious lashes and the funniest facial expressions, especially when they yawn and chew!
After some lunch by the beach at Crest, it was time to say bye to Port Stephens.
On the way back to Sydney we did stop by Caves Beach and Catherine Hill Bay for sunset. There are so many caves on this beach but unfortunately we had limited time. I can’t wait to return to explore all the different caves properly!
And that concludes my weekend! What an amazing way to refresh the mind and body and to prep myself for another Monday!
Till next time!