Port Stephens
Coordinates: 32 ° 42 ′ S , 152 ° 9 ′ E
Port Stephens is a 20 kilometers inland natural harbor north of Newcastle on the Australian east coast in the state of New South Wales .
It is about 170 kilometers north of Sydney and is larger than Port Jackson in Sydney. The main places on the edge of the harbor are Shoal Bay, Nelson Bay, Salamander Bay, Lemon Tree Passage, Karuah and the seaside villages of Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest. The port got its name from Captain James Cook when he passed the site on May 11, 1770 and named it after Sir Philip Stephens.
The port is best known for the bottle-nose dolphins that live there . From the place Nelson Bay boat trips for dolphin and from whale watching available. Another attraction are the huge sand dunes near the small town of Anna Bay .