What are the best things to do in Anna Bay, New South Wales?

Things to do in Anna Bay, New South Wales, include One Mile Beach, camel tours, the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary and Irukandji Shark & Ray Encounters.

Where is Anna Bay?

Anna Bay is the quieter side of Port Stephens. Nelson Bay to the north tends to get all the attention as it’s where the Port Stephens dolphin watching cruises and dolphin swim experiences depart from. It’s also where most Port Stephens accommodation congregates.

The best things to do in Anna Bay, NSW, are:

One Mile Beach.
Samurai Beach.
Camel rides on Birubi Beach.
The Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary.
Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters.

Anna Bay is not as hectic, and is also home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the Tomaree National Park. Try One Mile Beach if you want to keep your clothes on, and Samurai Beach if you’re happier bathing with them off.

Anna Bay activities

The Anna Bay beach that most visitors will be interested in, however, is Birubi Beach. This is where Port Stephens camel riding tours depart from. It is also the major access point to the enormous sand dunes of Stockton Beach, which is popular for sandboarding, quadbiking and 4WD tours.

camel riding from Anna Bay, New South Wales — Camel riding is one of the best things to do in Anna Bay, Port Stephens. Photo courtesy of Destination NSW.

Other things to do in Anna Bay include a visit to the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary. This facility primarily exists to care for and rehabilitate orphaned or injured koalas. But it’s a good chance for visitors to see koalas up close. The Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary has bushland habitat to walk through, and an elevated viewing platform so you can better see the koalas high in the trees.

Perhaps more interesting is the on-site koala hospital – visitors can look through the windows as the injured koalas are treated.

It’s also possible to stay overnight at the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary, in posh tents.

6 fantastic Port Stephens experiences worth going for.

4WD dunes tour with sandboarding – whizz down the Sahara-style dunes
Dolphin-watching cruise with fun boom nets 🐬.
Quad-biking over the Worimi sand dunes – learning about local Aboriginal culture along the way.
Snorkelling with wild dolphins – the ultimate dolphin experience
Port Stephens koala sanctuary admission tickets 🐨.
Shallow water shark and ray encounter 🦈.

Things to do in Anna Bay, NSW: Irukandji Shark & Ray Encounters

The other wildlife attraction in Anna Bay is Irukandji Shark & Ray Encounters. This aquarium-style attraction allows visitors to get close to harmless sharks and rays in shallow pools.

The best time to visit Port Stephens is arguably November, but the weather is pretty good year round.

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