Port Stephens, Nelson Bay Dunes & Dolphins

Head to the 'desert by the sea' and enjoy an off-road adventure over the sand dunes in a 4-wheel drive vehicle before searching for wild dolphins on a wonderful discovery cruise. Head over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and follow the Pacific Coast through magnificent Hawkesbury River Fjord country and enjoy a morning stop at the Australian Reptile Park. Here you can really interact with the wildlife, including a walk with Hugo, a giant but gentle Galapagos tortoise. You can feed the friendly kangaroos and visit Elvis, a huge saltwater crocodile. For something a little more intriguing and less interactive, you can witness snake and funnel web spider milking – the park is the only supplier of many venoms that are critical in saving hundreds of lives each year.

Continue to Port Stephens where time is allowed for a lunch break before you join a dolphin watch boat and head out into the bay in for a cruise amongst the native dolphins that frequent the area. Although sightings cannot be guaranteed, the cruise boasts a 97% success rate finding dolphins and there is also the opportunity on hot days to swim in the boom net for close-up views of these playful creatures.