Port Stephens has lots to do, whether it’s a four-wheel-drive experience over the dunes, a lunchtime dolphin cruise, or a numerous-route seafood degustation. The place’s month-long Love Sea Food Tastes Festival starts offevolved on August 1, and for those keen on an iciness spoil packed with top-notch meals, out-of-doors fun, and masses of sunshine, it’s the precise weekend away.
I took the 2. Five-hour force north from Sydney to preview the quality the festival has to offer. For the ones seeking a thrill, 4-wheel driving over Port Stephens’ dunes is a should. The adventure groups running on the dunes host many tourists all year spherical, and the surroundings look as if something out of Mad Max: Fury Road.
Think sweeping cliffs of sand, cut in specific, rippling styles by the wind and, regardless of being just minutes from suburbia, a feeling of overall isolation if the winter solar is a no-display. At the same time, you visit, by no means fear. Locals say the landscape is ‘moon-like’ in the course of the rain, making for some amazing images.
Visitors can also attempt sand-browsing down several of the ‘cliffs’ before refueling at a nearby beachside cafe. You may even glimpse one of the passing pods of whales.
Details: Sand Dune Safari tours depart from the decreased automobile park on James Patterson Street, Anna Bay.
A few brilliant ninety-minute cruise alternatives are traveling out of the Nelson Bay basin, with skilled publications imparting an entertaining narration of the location’s records and surrounds.
I took the Moonshadow cruise, which became more serene than expected, with nothing but clear blue water as far as the eye should see.
The boat had three stages available for clients to wander between, and rooftop and deck regions imparting prime actual property for dolphin viewing.
Expect to see organizations popping up and escorting the vessel playfully through the waters for a big chunk of the journey.
With extra eating options than mealtimes, Port Stephens is a foodie paradise, but I’m right here for the seafood — and there may be plenty to provide at the pageant.
If you take your seafood critically, the Munch and Move tour is a fun manner to taste a chunk of the whole lot from the top nearby restaurants.
A coach selections guests at Mavericks, with pit stops at The Point, Murray’s Brewery, and dessert at Seabreeze Hotel.
Another highlight of the pageant is the Evviva Cafe and Bar takeover via My Kitchen Rules winners Luke Stewart and Matt Gawthrop, who could be showcasing their meals and sharing memories of their time on the show.
“Our dinner is an opportunity for us to cook a few dishes that evolved because of our time on MKR,” Stewart said.
“The night will include plenty of interplay and discussion approximately the food in addition to our revel in MKR.”
Visitors can also engage in seafood recreation at the pageant with various cooking classes. Other highlights encompass the Tip to Tail Cooking Class with the resident chef at The Anchorage, Michael Jenkins, from an oyster masterclass to a crustacean pasta elegance.