48 perfect hours in PORT STEPHENS

Just north of Newcastle, NSW, this seaside town offers instant calm writes Woman’s Day’s RUTH MCCARTHY

WHERE TO STAY

Nestled between Shoal Bay Beach and Little Beach – two of Port Stephens’ most gorgeous beaches – my husband Eliot and I found Marty’s @ Little Beach the ultimate, intimate relaxation hub. The self-catering apartments and motel-style rooms are fully equipped, clean, comfortable and spacious so you can kick back and just stay, play and enjoy! The friendly owners made us feel at home instantly, greeting us with a cheery smile and enthusiastically sharing their knowledge for the local area. martys.net.au

WHERE TO EAT

For grub as good as the view, Little Beach Boathouse is the place to go. We were blown away by the spectacular sights – imagine a pictureperfect sunset over an expanse of glistening ocean as we sipped on cocktails. The Sea Monster is a must: sweet, sour, strong and sensational in every way! As for main meals – there’s a great selection of modern Aussie local cuisine to choose from. If you have a penchant for sweet treats, like my husband, the date and walnut pudding is the dessert dreams are made of. littlebeachboathouse. com.au

WHAT TO SEE

Dolphins and whales are in abundance in the crystal clear Port Stephens waters, so we decided to get up close to the gentle giants of the deep with a morning cruise on a 54-foot catamaran. We totally lucked out – whales were breaching, and dolphins were jumping and darting under the boat. We even saw the fin of a juvenile great white shark. It was an incredible three-hour experience! imaginecruises.com.au

WHAT TO DO

You’ve probably guessed by now that Port Stephens is all about life on the water so a Twilight Dinner Cruise aboard Moonshadow-tqc Cruises is a must! On occasions, the company runs themed cruises and we were fortunate enough to embark on an Indian-themed night. With a huge buffet of authentic Indian cuisine, it was great value for money, not to mention delicious! moonshadow-tqc.com.au

WHAT WE LOVED THE MOST!

For a fun-filled morning, you can’t go past the 1.5-hour Beach & Dune Tour. We hopped into a 4WD mini bus for an 11km sand drive along the beachfront, from Anna Bay to “Tin City” – a tiny fishing village of makeshift corrugated iron shacks hidden among the 2500 hectares of sand dunes. portstephens4wd.com.au