Port Stephens, NEW SOUTH WALES
Airing Date: May 14th, 2002
Most activities are family friendly and allow the entire clan to participate in a variety of things at different levels of difficulty.
Sand Safari Active Adventure Tours offer quad bikes as a way to explore Port Stephens mass of sand dunes. For safety reasons, kids aged five to 15 get to ride up front with the instructors, but everyone else gets their own bike.
Stockton Beach, one of New South Wales' longest beaches stretches a massive 34 kilometres from Newcastle to Anna Bay in Port Stephens.
A 20-minute drive from Stockton Beach lands you at Shoal Bay, a homely town that explodes with tourists in the summer. Here you find about 20 shops and a selection of cafes.
At Shoal Bay Bike Hire can hire a family mover for $22 per hour. The whole of the Port Stephens shire is patterned with cycling tracks which are tree lined and mostly traffic free.
With so much exercise you are bound to work up an appetite and Bub's Fish and Chips, over looking the marina serves up a family sized fish and chip specialty for $19.
At Oakvale Farm and Fauna World the kids can do some feeding themselves. Located just outside of Nelson Bay this farm provides an experience where kids can milk the cows, play with ducklings and hand feed animals.
Oakvale is also home to four resident koalas and while you are not allowed to hold them you can get close enough for a pat - so remember to pack the camera.
The facts
Qantas flies to Sydney daily from all capital cities. Prices start from $176 ex-Melbourne return and $506 ex-Perth Additional taxes, levies and charges apply.
Qantas
Tel: 13 13 13
At Koala Shores Holiday Park campsites start from $16.50 per night. Garden suites start at $99 per night midweek and $135 per night on weekends.
Koala Shores Holiday Park
Tel: 02 4982 4401
Two hour Quad Safaris cost $54 for kids and $99 for adults.
Sand Safaris Active Adventure Tours
Tel: 02 4965 0215
Entry into Oakvale Farm costs $6.50 for kids and $11 for adults.
Oakvale Farm & Fauna World
Tel: 02 4982 6222
Tourism NSW
Tel: 13 20 77
