Ultimate guide to visiting Stockton Sand Dunes
by ling and jace
The ‘Stockton’ sand dunes are located within the Country of the Worimi nation. We acknowledge and pay our respects to the Traditional Owners.
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In Port Stephens we set out into the sand dunes of the Worimi Conservation Lands. We’ve made the two-hour trip up from Sydney many times before, but no matter how many times we visit, there are always new views across the slopes.
This spectacular stretch of coast is one of the main places we recommend to anyone visiting NSW. The sand dunes are the largest moving dunes in the Southern Hemisphere. They sit across 32 kilometres and, at their peak, can be 40-50m high. They also share the coastline with one of the most beautiful beaches in NSW, Stockton Beach.
It has taken us a number of trips to find access to the most scenic areas of the dunes. We’ve explored different sections, with much higher dunes each time. Now that we’ve stayed in a few different places and found the best locations, we’ve included everything that you need to know about visiting Stockton Sand Dunes by tour, driving or walking.
Ultimate guide to visiting Stockton Sand Dunes
This post includes:
HOW TO GET TO STOCKTON SAND DUNES
Finding the best way to visit the dunes will depend on what you want to do while you’re there. We’ve included all options for walking, driving (including permits needed for 4WD, quad bike or motorbike) and the best tours that we could find.
One of the most flexible and affordable ways of accessing deep areas in the dunes is to book this sand boarding and 4WD sand dune tour, which runs a shuttle bus every 15 minutes so you can stay on the dunes for as long as you want. Alternatively, if you are travelling to Port Stephens from Sydney, this full day tour is the perfect one-day trip which includes transfer from Sydney, whale watching, a 4WD tour to the highest sand dunes, and sand boarding.
BY CAR AND WALKING
The Stockton Sand Dunes are over 32km long, so the only downside of walking across them is that we feel like we barely scratch the surface. But, over time, we’ve found the best place to start on foot.
If you have a car (and not a 4WD), this is the best starting point for you:
MAP LINKED HERE
This will take you to entry via Gan Gan Road at Anna Bay.
It leads to a 4WD access road just around the corner from the large Anna Bay sign. You can park your car anywhere along the side, and there’s no need to go all the way down to the sea at the very end. We’d actually recommend leaving the car closer to the entrance, as it’s a good place to start walking from.
When facing the sea, walk towards the dunes on your right (north-east), passed the shrubs and abandoned buildings. From here, it is only a 10-15 minute walk to reach some of the most beautiful areas that we’ve seen so far.
Don’t forget to drop a pin on your map to help you get back to the car.
BY 4WD, QUADBIKE OR MOTORBIKE
If you plan on independently driving a 4WD, quadbike or motorbike over the dunes, there are a few things you need to know.
Firstly, you need to pick up a 4WD permit or a quadbike/motorbike permit from either the Port Stephens Visitor Information Centre, or any of the below vendors (Google maps linked):
The cost of a 4WD/bike permit is $33 for 3 days, or $88 for an annual pass. Without a permit, you can be fined for driving on the dunes.
Secondly, there are 2 access roads into the dunes for your 4WD, quad bike, motorbike adventures:
Having gone to both, we recommend you take the access road on Gan Gan Road as the dunes are larger on the Anna Bay side.
This tour is a convenient way to join a guided 4WD route, which you can follow in your own car. It includes the national park permits that you need and will help you find some of the best areas.
BY TOUR
One of the easiest ways to get to Stockton Sand Dunes is through a tour. There are several tour companies offering 4WD, quad biking and motorbiking tours of the Stockton Sand Dunes. Most of them are located in Anna Bay or Nelson Bay.
Tickets to some of the most recommended tours and guides are linked here:
Sand boarding and 4WD sand dune tour: if you’ve made your own way to Port Stephens, this is one of the most flexible and affordable tours to the sand dunes. It runs a shuttle bus every 15 minutes, so you can stay on the dunes for as long as you like.
Quad biking sand dune tour: the sand dunes are one of the best places for quad biking, with wide open spaces to drive through. We’ve included this tour as it is best for small groups, with guides close by. It runs along the ocean (via Birubi beach) and takes you far into the sand dunes)
Guided 4WD tour: this tour is a convenient option if you have a 4WD. It includes the national park permits needed to enter the dunes by 4WD and leads to some of the best areas in the sand dunes.
Full day tour from Sydney to the sand dunes: this is the perfect option for a one-day trip from Sydney to Port Stephens, and includes whale watching, a 4WD tour across the sand dunes, and sand boarding down the highest dune.
Alternatively, companies like Port Stephens 4WD Tours and Sand Dune Safaris also offer private charters that you can arrange with them to do your own activities, including photo tours. 4WD Tag Along & Passenger Tours also offer tours to other areas in Port Stephens.
BEST TIME OF DAY TO VISIT STOCKTON SAND DUNES
For the dreamiest colours across the sand, try to be on the highest points during golden hour, just as the sun is starting to set. In summer, this is at around 7:00-7:15pm, and in winter at around 3:45-4:00pm. As a general rule, golden hour starts about 40 minutes before sunset. You can also visit at sunrise, which would be equally beautiful, but might be more difficult (and colder!). Other than the early start, the hardest part will be finding your way across the dunes in the dark.
If you’re interested in photography, we’d recommend using an app to track the lighting at that time of year. We use Magic Hour on iOS. We’d also recommend getting to the dunes at least 30 minutes beforehand to location scout.
When we visited in June, we left the car by the side of the access road at Gan Gan Road at 3.00pm and walked for around 15 minutes until we made it to the largest dunes.
vlog from stockton sand dunes
We waited there until the sun set, and you can see how the light shifted in our vlog from the dunes:
WHAT TO TAKE TO STOCKTON SAND DUNES
food and water (and maybe a picnic set up!)
sun protection—hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, maybe a face scarf if you’re going to deal with the sun reflection off the sand for a long time
warm layers—it gets cold quickly when the sun goes down
photography equipment—drones are also permitted over the dunes
WHERE TO STAY NEAR STOCKTON SAND DUNES
STAYING NEAR STOCKTON SAND DUNES
If you’re planning a longer coastal trip, there is plenty of accommodation along the nearby beaches of Port Stephens. We recommend staying in Nelson Bay, Anna Bay or Fingal Bay. Newcastle is also a good driving distance away (about half an hour).
We loved staying in Anna Bay the most. On our last trip, we found this duplex on Airbnb with an incredible ocean view. Whale migrating season starts in late June/early July, and we were particularly lucky to be able to whale watch from the couch of the apartment!
A full list of things to do in Port Stephens is linked here.
DAY TRIP FROM STYDNEY TO STOCKTON SAND DUNES
It’s possible to visit the sand dunes on a single day trip from Sydney. This full day tour is a convenient one-day trip to see whales and sand dunes. It includes transfer from Sydney, a 2.5 hour whale watching cruise, and 4WD access to the Stockton Sand Dunes.
If driving yourself, just note that it’s about 2.5 hours each way. We’d recommend leaving early in the morning and visiting some of the beaches along the way, getting to the sand dunes for sunset, then driving back.
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