Surf Beach 88

Rachel Sullivan finds wildlife, fine food and great beaches in three days at the 'Bay'.

In my childhood Port Stephens was the quintessential Aussie beachside town, with a stunning setting, daggy shops and an RSL club. Today it is a vibrant holiday destination with activities to tempt even the most jaded palate. Many of its fibro cottages and red-brick motels have made way for architecturally interesting houses and hotel complexes that blend comfortably into the hills that surround the sparkling bay.

Day one

We had decided to get away from Sydney for a long weekend and Port Stephens, a 21/2 hour drive away, is just far enough to give that "on holiday" feeling but close enough so that the journey isn't too arduous. Keen to see the dolphins that give the area its title of Dolphin Capital of Australia, we are waylaid by the many farm-gate stalls selling just-picked avocadoes and freshly shucked oysters, macadamias and tomatoes that taste like tomatoes used to.

Port Stephens has three wineries tucked into the swales between the massive dunes that enclose the waterway to the east. After stocking up on enough wine to last a good few weekends and lunching at the One on Top Cafe at Wonganella Winery, we head for our apartment at the recently opened Mantra Aqua. Self-contained accommodation is the norm at "the Bay", as it is known to locals, giving visitors the choice of DIY catering or sampling the great cafes and restaurants.

By the time we are ready to sally forth it has started to rain, which scotches the plan to join a dolphin watch cruise or any of the other outdoor activities (see Fast Facts).

Instead we find ourselves wandering to D'Albora Marina, the heart of most activities in Nelson Bay, and soon discover the intriguingly named Africa 900 Miles from Anywhere Gallery. It has to be said that the Nelson Bay I remember was a bit of a cultural backwater, so this is a real surprise. While not as slick as an inner-city gallery it still has reasonably priced and incredibly tactile handcarved statues and other artworks from the Shona people of Zimbabwe. This style of carving, now a dying artform, is said to have inspired artists such as Picasso and Rodin, and this gallery is considered to be one of the best Shona stone sculpture galleries in the world.

We head downstairs to AquaBlu Cafe for afternoon tea and an ale or two from its extensive collection of Belgian imports, followed by a leisurely stop at the Port Stephens Chocolate Company, where the handmade chocolates, sauces and preserves are to die for.