Port Stephens Tour 2026: Sandboarding & Oakvale Wildlife Park
Discover the best of Port Stephens in 2026! This ultimate Sydney day trip combines thrilling sandboarding, a dolphin cruise, and an animal park visit.
Port Stephens Tour: Sandboarding & Oakvale Wildlife Park
Your Sydney, Australia Travel Itinerary
Words & Photos ©Haibubu
Sydney, Australia boasts a variety of day trips, but if you're looking for a tour that combines thrilling activities with incredible wildlife encounters, the Port Stephens tour is truly unique!
What made it even more exciting were the experiences – they're not something you easily find back home.
I'm excited to share all the details of my Port Stephens tour, plus an honest review of my experience!
Port Stephens Tour Itinerary & How to Get a Discount
First, let's dive into the Port Stephens tour itinerary and how you can book it at a discount!
📌Port Stephens Tour Itinerary
1. Nelson Bay Dolphin Cruise
2. Desert Sandboarding
3. Oakvale Wildlife Park or Winery
The tour essentially covers three main highlights.
In the morning, you'll embark on a dolphin cruise in Nelson Bay. The afternoon brings the thrill of sandboarding in the desert. Then, you'll round off your day with a visit to either Oakvale Wildlife Park or a winery before heading back to Sydney.
While the basic itinerary is as described above, this tour offers great flexibility, allowing you to add or remove experiences to perfectly customize your adventure.
>> Explore the Port Stephens Tour
My Full Review of the Port Stephens Tour
Now, let's dive into the full review of my incredible Port Stephens tour experience!
Tour Assembly & Journey
The tour kicked off bright and early at 7 AM, with everyone gathering in front of the Rydges World Square Hotel.
We traveled in a comfortable 13-seater mid-sized van, and with its plush seats, the long journey felt incredibly smooth and pleasant.
Mid-journey, we made a stop at a rest area.
Normally, eating and drinking aren't allowed in the vehicle, but our guide that day made an exception, kindly permitting us to enjoy light snacks on board.
So, we grabbed some pastries and enjoyed a relaxed ride all the way to Nelson Bay.
Nelson Bay Dolphin Cruise
Our first destination was Nelson Bay, where we were thrilled to take a cruise out to spot wild dolphins!
As we arrived at the bay and walked towards our cruise, the harbor views were absolutely stunning. The weather was clear, and the waves were calm, making it feel like the perfect day to encounter some wild dolphins.
We had a little time before the cruise departed, so we spent it snapping photos on deck. Just being on the boat already filled me with excitement!
After the cruise set sail, it rained briefly, but luckily, we still managed to spot some dolphins! Seeing dolphins swimming right alongside the cruise was
Their backs were so smooth and surprisingly cute!
After finishing our dolphin cruise, we had about an hour of free time for lunch in Nelson Bay.
We decided to have a light lunch with fish and chips and a beer at a cafe overlooking the harbor.
The food was delicious, but the relaxed harbor scenery made us feel naturally healed and refreshed.
Since it's a harbor, there were lots of cute magnets with sea views in the souvenir shops, so I grabbed one as a memento!
Port Stephens Desert Dune Sledding
Our second destination was the Port Stephens Desert,
where you can experience 4WD adventures and desert dune sledding.
Being a desert, the terrain was bumpy and consisted of fine sand where your feet would sink right in.
It was really fascinating how the 4WD vehicle moved over the uneven ground without getting its wheels stuck.
We took some commemorative photos against the desert backdrop and tried out the dune sledding multiple times.
It was surprisingly high, making the sledding quite thrilling, and since the sand was so soft, it didn't hurt even when we fell.
It was a much more fun experience than I expected!
Here's a tip: because the sand is so fine,
if you wear knitwear or sweaters,
it will be really difficult to get the sand off.
I recommend wearing clothes made of light cotton material.
Before heading back after our sledding adventure,
we also got to meet a cute group of camels.
Their wet, soulful eyes were absolutely adorable!
Do keep in mind that you can choose a camel riding experience as an activity when booking your tour!
Oakvale Wildlife Park
The last stop on our tour was Oakvale Wildlife Park.
On this particular tour, everyone else chose the winery option,
so we had the wildlife park all to ourselves, just the two of us enjoying it!
The first highlight at Oakvale was the koala enclosure experience.
You get to spend about 5 minutes in an enclosure with truly adorable koalas.
We were so happy that we could gently stroke their backs
and take photos right next to them without any extra charge.
The koalas' backs, in particular, were incredibly soft –
it felt like touching a real plush toy!
Even if you've been to Featherdale, I really recommend visiting Oakvale as well.
What's more, food is provided for free,
so you can also enjoy feeding the animals.
Oakvale felt much more free-spirited, as if the animals were being raised in wide-open fields.
And maybe because there were far fewer visitors,
the animals seemed quite hungry.
They readily accepted food when offered,
and even chased after us asking for more, which was absolutely adorable.
At Oakvale, while you can't touch them,
there were also smaller animals like quokkas and meerkats.
Just watching them from a distance filled me with such cuteness,
making it a truly healing experience.
After finishing the tour, we also stopped by the souvenir shop.
There were so many adorable animal plushies,
I wanted to take one of each home!
A Tour Filled with Only Happy Memories
Today, I shared my review of the
Port Stephens Tour, a must-do for your Sydney trip.
Meeting wild dolphins, trying sandboarding in the desert,
and encountering adorable animal friends,
it was an incredibly joyful time.
What's more, at the very end, our guide even gave us a tour souvenir of
a truly delicious Shiraz wine,
making it a memorable tour right to the very end.
(Gifts may vary depending on the guide.)
Even if I visit Sydney again in the future, this is definitely
a tour I'd love to do again!
You can book the tour I went on below and get a 5% discount,
so make sure to check it out!
▼ Explore these other Sydney tours too! ▼
Australia Sydney Featherdale Wildlife Park: How to Open Run & Quokka Feeding Review
Sydney, Australia Travel Tour Recommendation: Review of Visiting Three Hunter Valley WineriesFrequently Asked Questions
What are the main components of the Port Stephens tour?
The Port Stephens tour primarily consists of a dolphin cruise in Nelson Bay, desert sandboarding, and a visit to Oakvale Wildlife Park or a winery. You can freely customize your itinerary by adding or removing experiences centered around these three locations.
Where and at what time does the Port Stephens tour meet and depart in Sydney?
The tour meets and departs at 7 AM in front of the Rydges World Square Hotel. A 13-seater medium-sized van is used for transportation, and the comfortable seats minimize discomfort during long journeys.
What activities are possible during the koala enclosure experience at Oakvale Wildlife Park?
At Oakvale Wildlife Park, you can spend about 5 minutes in the koala enclosure, and it's possible to pet a koala's back or take photos next to them without any additional charge. You can directly feel the soft fur on a koala's back.
Is there any special advice regarding clothing for the Port Stephens desert sandboarding experience?
Since the desert sand is very fine, clothes made of materials like knitwear or sweaters might make it difficult to shake off the sand. It's recommended to wear light, cotton-based clothing.
What kind of meal could be had during the free lunch break after the Nelson Bay dolphin cruise?
After completing the dolphin cruise, there was approximately an hour of free lunch time in Nelson Bay. The author had fish and chips and a beer at a cafe overlooking the harbor for lunch.
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