Express News Service
From Gan Gan Hill Lookout, the Australian coastline appears like a panoramic movie shot—a string of 26 pristine beaches, the gentle Shoal Bay, a playground for dolphins and whales, and native bushland. Anna Bay is the entrance to the Stockton sand dunes—part of the indigenous Worimi conservation lands—which are the largest moving coastal dunes in the Southern Hemisphere. Indigenous plants like waratah flowers with their razored leaves frame our view, along with huge Gymea lilies with long stalks and bright red flowers that the aborigines sometimes used as food. We are in Port Stephens, which is a region rather than a single township,just two hours from Sydney, Australia.
Our first stop in Port Stephens is the shifting landscape of Stockton. Created thousands of years ago, the dunes are 30 metres high—as tall as 10-storeyed buildings—stretching over 30 km of spectacular coastline, from Birubi Beach to Newcastle. “The dunes are constantly changing; the next time you visit, it will be a completely different landscape,” says our local guide. From the top of the towering dunes, one can see far up to Newcastle, and maybe spot wild kangaroos on a lucky day. One can experience the sand dunes in myriad ways, from four-wheel drives to quad bikes to sandboarding and, for a more sober experience, a camel. We take a bumpy ride through the dunes in a 4WD and then, whizz down, sandboarding from the top.
The heart of Port Stephens is Nelson Bay—its central business district, with a marina dotted with boats, fishing trawlers, chess and souvenir shops, and restaurants. We depart here for our dolphin cruise, passing Cabbage Tree Island and beaches, going far into the ocean for an hour, when the captain asks us to keep our eyes out for any unusual movement in the waves. We finally spot our first pod of these playful, streamlined, Bottle-nosed dolphins, which get their name from their snout resembles a bottle. They first appear out of the waves with the light bouncing off their arched backs, followed by their companions and then swim alongside our boat, coming out of the water at regular intervals, as we train our cameras on them. Their light grey colour helps them camouflage against predators. Each sleek dolphin weighs about 200 kg and can hold its breath for 20 minutes in the water.
Our hotel, Bannisters, at Soldiers Point (named after a former garrison) with an open plan lobby, a stretch of beach and a Rick Stein restaurant, used to be a 60s’ retro-style seaside motel. Lorikeets and Kookaburra fly above my head and the lapping sound of waves is the omnipresent motif as we sit on my balcony.
One of the first places we head to is the Koala Sanctuary. Koala population in Australia is found along its eastern coast and in the southern part of the country, and has been diminishing due to drought, bush fires and habitat loss. The marsupial native also suffers from a bacterial infection called Chlamydia, while many are killed by dogs and others hit by cars in the dark. Opened in September 2020, the $10-million Koala Sanctuary takes care of sick, injured or orphaned koalas and rehabilitates them.
We walk through the meandering walkway in the sanctuary with paw prints of koala—the word is derived from the aboriginal word for ‘no drink’ as they get 90 percent of their hydration from the leaves they eat. Artistic koala sculptures line the path—some high up in the trees, some on the ground, pointing to a particular aspect of the animal such as their eating or mating habits. The elevated boardwalk on one side of the sanctuary takes you 30 feet into the canopy.
Each of the cuddly creatures here have their own story written on a signboard. There is Solstice, named so because she was found on June 21 with a broken elbow, in a car accident. We also meet Miss Sunset, who was first rescued in 2010 and again this year was found with a broken hip, hit by a car. “Howie suffers from repeated eye disease, but he loves to show off to the ladies,” says our guide Tracy Doyle, with a smile. We learn that Koala poop is the least offensive and does not smell as all it eats is eucalyptus leaves. There is also glamping accommodation so that families can stay inside the sanctuary and watch the koalas.
On our last night in Port Stephens, we drive to the stylish Shoal Bay Country Club facing the beach. An inviting Greek dinner at Atmos designed by Athenian architects, with Greek music enveloping the air, is soul food where we feast on delicious Tzatziki, warm pita bread, Saganaki fried cheese with walnuts and honey, glazed eggplants and wine, with the cool sea breeze and the vibe of Mykonos. We breathe in the tranquillity of the place with the sound of the waves in the background, and store it in our memory chip.
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