Year 2 – 12 February 2025 -Port Stephens Area

If anyone reading this is free in June 2025 to come to Australia then do contact me as I have no one for that month fully at present.

It was a bit grey when we woke but it had not rained in the night. We had berry smoothies for breakfast. We had been thinking of where we were going to go next and had contemplated Port Macquarie (which has a river bar to go over) but it did look quite shallow. We decided to ring Marine Rescue (their equivalent of coastguard) to ask them the latest on the bar etc. This call enabled us to speak to the Boating Officer who said we should have enough water to come over the bar and confirmed that most of the mooring buoys had a limit of 20 tons (we are probably 45) but there were places deep enough to anchor but the anchor areas were some way from the town. He suggested trying the marina which we did. They had a potential berth for us but due to our draft they were going to get the local man to ring us.

We decided in the interim to go ashore and explore the area. As the weather (which had improved) looked good we decided to go to Tomaree Head where we could walk to the summit which had great views all round. We therefore drove through Nelson Bay and on toward the headland as far as the road would go. We parked and started to walk up to the summit which was 161 m above sea level. It does not sound a lot but it was pretty well vertically up. The path was quite steep and went left and right and there were various sections where it was aluminium walkways and flat sections built into  the cliff. It took us about 45 minutes to walk up and in various areas there were great views. However, the top had fantastic 360 views although the foliage is beginning to interfere with some sections. We could look out to sea and toward the Broughton Islands and along the East coast going North with Yacaaba Head and Providence Bay. We could look South and Southeast with Fingal Bay, Shark Island and ethe beaches going toward Newcastle. The view was magnificent and today’s picture is of a view of the coast and Tamaree National Park. We also had a great view West of Shoal Bay and looking toward Salamander Bay.  The marina rang and said they could take us and would email the details.

Once we had enough of feasting our eyes on the view we descended and then went toward some old gun installations. Yes another!  It was quite interesting as they had a Fort here called Fort Tamaree from 1942-45. This was to help protect Newcastle and the aerodrome nearby and it was thought that Port Stephens could be an easy landing place for an enemy.  The fort had two 6-inch guns, two three pounder guns, torpedo tubes, mortars, machine guns, rifle pits, search lights, command posts, observation posts, barbed wire and enough accommodation for 500 troops. This was interesting to see but none were fired in anger.

We walked back to the car and through some forest or bush and saw some Parrots and Kookaburra’s. We then drove over to Ana Point but there were no real suitable restaurants there. We went to try one mile beach, and another restaurant and either they were not suitable or closed. I remember a lady suggesting Bannisters on  Soldier’s Point and that was open – called Cheeky Dog and it had a Rick Stein restaurant next door!!

Once fed we drove round Soldier’s Point and then back to Nelson Bay where we bought some fresh fish and prawns. We then did some provisioning, filled up the car and drove back to the dinghy via a fishing shop where Trevor got some advice and new lures. We dropped everything off at the dinghy and the guy came to collect the car and we returned to Stormbird with all our stuff. We had a sundowner and remarked we are lucky that it has not rained today. We had a light supper.

We feel we have seen the area and will move on tomorrow to have a look further upriver and then go over to Broughton Islands some 15 nm away before we move on to Port Macquarie.  

Need/Opportunity Year Two

I am in need of more crew from late April to Mid-July so if of interest do email me at  hine.nick9@gmail.com  

In year two I will be going from New Zealand to Sydney and hen up the Eastern Australian Coast, Indonesia and then through Bali, Singapore and on to Thailand to end year two about the end of November 2025.

The blog will continue as we continue the journey. If you have any comments or suggestions about the blog then do email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com