Port Stephens Christmas Gifts

Port Stephens Christmas gifts here are about the day out rather than the thing: sliding down sand dunes, feeding sharks and rays, or heading out on the bay to find dolphins. Here's how to match one to the person you're buying for.

Christmas gifts for adventurers in Port Stephens

For someone who wants to keep going, the Unlimited Sandboarding & 4WD Adventure gives unlimited runs down dunes that can reach 30 metres high, and it's a popular choice. The Sand Surfing Adventure lets them stand up and surf the dunes, with board hire and instruction included. For a driver's seat instead, the Guided Quad Bike Sand Dunes Tour is one hour of guided riding with no experience needed, and the 4WD Beach & Dune Tour with Sandboarding adds a drive down Birubi Beach before the sandboarding.

Christmas gifts for animal lovers

The Irukandji Entry Tickets gets them wading into a lagoon to hand feed sharks and rays at Irukandji Shark & Ray Encounters in Anna Bay. The Stingray Cuddles and Shallow Water Experience adds a 20-minute small-group session with rays and stingrays, and the Snorkel with Zebra Sharks and Shallow Water Experience puts them in a heated lagoon with zebra sharks and leopard whiptail rays. A shark fan can try the Reef Shark Snorkel + Entry Pass instead.

Family gifts on the water at Nelson Bay

The Dolphin Watching and Sailing Cruise sails a 52-foot catamaran with a dry bow-net or wet boom net, and the Dolphin Watch Express Cruise is a one-hour, 360-degree look at the bay's resident dolphins. For a snorkel as well, the Marine Discovery Cruise with Snorkelling runs 3.5 hours and visits a sheltered cove off Cabbage Tree or Fingal Island. These three run from November to April, which covers summer holidays. For winter gifts, the Whale & Dolphin Watching Cruise and Whale Watching Express Cruise go looking for humpback whales during the migration, from mid May to early November.

Timing a Port Stephens Christmas gift

Check the dates before you wrap anything. The dolphin cruises run November to April, the whale cruises mid May to early November, and the sandboarding tours are closed on 25 December. For more ways to get onto the dunes, see the full list of Port Stephens tours.

Frequently asked questions

Which Port Stephens experiences run over Christmas and summer?

The Dolphin Watch Express Cruise, the Dolphin Watching and Sailing Cruise and the Marine Discovery Cruise with Snorkelling run from November to April, so they cover the summer holidays.

Do the Port Stephens sandboarding tours run on Christmas Day?

No. The 4WD Beach & Dune Tour with Sandboarding and the Unlimited Sandboarding & 4WD Adventure are both closed on 25 December.

What should the person bring to the Stingray Cuddles experience?

They should wear clothing over their swimwear for the shallows encounter and have swimwear underneath. Wetsuits are provided for the stingray cuddles part of the Stingray Cuddles and Shallow Water Experience.

Which Port Stephens gift suits kids?

The Stingray Cuddles and Shallow Water Experience is a wildlife encounter for all ages, and the Irukandji entry tickets include child and family options. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult in the water at Irukandji.

Find their Port Stephens experience above, from sand dunes to dolphin cruises. All good days are waiting.