Marina and shops at Nelson Bay

 

Nelson Bay
Major township servicing the smaller townships around the coast of Port Stephens.
Nelson Bay is a coastal resort town of 5230 persons located just inside the mouth of Port Stephens, a large natural harbour. Despite its growing popularity the town, treads a sensible line between tourism and charm. Nelson Bay, the largest town of the Port Stephens area, is 223 km north of Sydney via the Pacific Highway, 69 km from Newcastle by road and 18 m above sea-level.

The origin of the town's name is not known. It may have derived from the boat the Lady Nelson used by Governor Macquarie in 1812 when he came to visit the Port with an eye to establishing a settlement which never eventuated. Another contender is Admiral Horatio Nelson.

A group of Chinese fishermen established a base here early in the 19th century. They cured their catch and sent it back to China and to Chinese merchants in Sydney and Melbourne. They later sent supplies to the goldfields.

The first survey of Nelson Bay was carried out in 1874. A post office and school were established in 1883. By 1886 there were about 30 residents. The villagers led a rather peaceful life based around fishing (still important to the local economy) until developers arrived in the late 1960s.

Today Nelson Bay has everything the visitor could want as far as facilities and aquatic recreation goes.

Things to see:  

Nelson Bay Visitors Centre
The visitors' centre is located under the pedestrian footbridge in Victoria Parade, the main street along the town's beachfront. They are well-organised and helpful, have a wide range of pamphlets on things to see and, most helpfully, have rationalised an array of cruises into one exhaustive and easy-to-follow chart. These outings take in the Port, the Myall River, the Myall Lakes and the offshore islands. The centre has fishing guides and tide charts and can tell you about the fishing tournaments which are held in February-March. They also have a booklet with maps called "Bushwalks Around Port Stephens". Another pamphlet outlines a self-guided walk through the town's heritage sites although it is mostly a matter of "used to be here".

 

Cruises
There are dolphin and whale-watching cruises, deep-sea and big-game fishing cruises, yacht tours and a ferry across to Tea Gardens. Humpback whales pass by the coast between September and November headed for the Antarctic and can also be seen returning to the tropics between late May and July. Other migrants include right whales and minke whales.

Private charters and dive charters are available as well as diving lessons and equipment. There are a number of offshore wrecks to explore, as well as Broughton Island, a noted diving, fishing and bushwalking location where there is camping, a toilet, an emergency radio and some drinking water. The waters off Halifax Park and Fly Point are classified as an aquatic reserve and are the two best-known and most frequented diving locations at Port Stephens. They are said to be particularly rewarding at a depth of 10 m.

Houseboats, catamarans, runabouts and power boats can be hired plus the appropriate equipment for parasailing, jet-skiing and waterskiing.

 

Halifax Park and the Marina
Behind the visitors' centre is Halifax Park, an attractive patch of greenery that is especially appealing when lit up at night. Along the shore is a veritable city of boats docked in the harbour, as well as a marina, restaurants and other shops. If you look due west you will see the string of lights which indicates Soldiers Point stretching out almost to the northern shore of the port.

There is a bicycle track which runs through Halifax Park, hugging the shoreline and following it west to the next beach at Dutchmans Bay. This is a very white, sandy and attractive beach surrounded by casuarina and eucalypt. It is a rather secluded spot and the waters are gentle making it a popular beach with families. There is a pleasant park adjacent with children's play facilities.

 

 

Nelson Head Lighthouse Museum

 

Nelson Head
At the eastern end of Nelson Bay is an elevated piece of land known as Nelson Head which separates Little Nelson Beach to the west from Shoal Bay to the east: the latter being another popular spot for holidaymakers. On Nelson Head sits the Inner Lighthouse, dating from 1872 but still operating and classified by the National Trust. Originally lit by three kerosene lamps electric lights were installed in 1946. The system was recently automated. The cottage was built in 1875. This small cluster of buildings incorporates a modest historical display. There are also films, panoramic views, a tea room and a gift shop, tel: (02) 4984 2505.

 

Fly Point
Fly Point is a nautical term meaning safe anchorage with protection from winds. This was the site of the curing operations of the Chinese, their burial site, the area's first school, the original customs building and the location of an armed forces personnel and training base during World War II. 22 000 Australian and American troops trained here in ship-to-shore invasions. The area was also heavily fortified against prospective Japanese attack aimed at the industry of Newcastle, the aerodrome at Williamtown and the Tomago water supply.

 

Little Nelson Beach
Little Nelson Beach has a car park, a large boat ramp, a wharf and a children's play area. This is a very pretty spot. In the clearing over the road from the picnic and play area are several Aboriginal canoe trees - trees which, in the distant past, had a large chunk of bark carved out and lifted off in the rough shape of a dugout. The cuts are still plainly visible and are surviving remnants of the land's occupation by the Worimi Aborigines prior to European settlement.

The dense bushland area behind this small beach (the area adjacent the enormous anchor) is a flora reserve. You will see another car park off Dixon Drive just up the hill and a brick building called the Ngioka Centre which is a kind of visitors' centre attached to the reserve.

 

 

View from Nelson Head lighthouse

 

Gan Gan Lookout
1.5 km south-west of the city centre along Stockton Rd is the turnoff to the right (signposted on your left) along Lily Hill Rd which will take you up to the Gan Gan Lookout car park. Follow the path around the Telstra buildings to the viewing platform. This is truly one of the highlights of the area. The panorama is breathtaking, especially at dusk. It is possible to look south to the opposite side of the peninsula, south-west down to the stacks of Newcastle and the cargo vessels in its harbour, west to the mountain boundary, north-west over Soldiers Point, spanning eastwards over Hawks Nest, the two gigantic headlands that loom over the Port's entrance, Nelson Head and Nelson Bay. Lily Hill Rd is named after the abundance of enormous Gymea lilies to be found at the top the hill. The stalks, which grow to 5 metres, can be eaten and were used by the Aborigines for spears.

 

Salamander Bay
1.7 km further south along Nelson Bay Road is a roundabout. A right turn will take you along Salamander Way towards Salamander Bay. The entry to the Toboggan Run complex lies just 100 m along this road (to the right). This is an ideal outing for children. There is a winding 700-m downhill toboggan track with automatic up-hill tow, mini-golf, radio-controlled boats, video games, table games, canoe rides, plaster painting, Krazy Kars and indoor rock climbing. It is open seven days a week, tel: (02) 4984 1022, or (018) 681 764.

 

Additional Information
There are a number of ways to get around Port Stephens: the Bay Explorer Ticket facilitates exploration on the local bus service, there is the aforementioned network of cycleways and the passenger ferry service which runs across to Tea Gardens. Horizon Safaris offer 6WD excursions around the area, tel: (02) 4982 6328 or (018) 681 600. The visitors' centre also has an access guide for those with mobility restrictions.

Nelson Bay also hosts several annual maritime events: the Blessing of the Fleet in January, the Regional Boat Show in November and the weigh-ins of the Port Stephens Game fishing Competition in February.

 

 

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We advise prospective purchasers that we take no responsibility for the accuracy of any information in the business provided by vendors or their professional advisers and that they should make their own enquiries as to the accuracy of this information, including obtaining independent legal and/or accounting advice

 

 

 

Nelson Bay