Delphine in Port Stephens

Port Stephens is not a port or a city as one might assume, but a peninsula of 1,000 km2, which contains several bays and smaller towns. It is a popular vacation destination and a starting point for a variety of activities. The campsite we have chosen for three nights is quite busy with different holidaymakers, especially young Australian families.

We have set ourselves the goal of spending a peaceful weekend here before driving down to Sydney on Sunday, where we are likely to encounter bushfires and heavy traffic, but also our nice friends Nicole and John.

Yesterday we booked a trip on a very old ferry called 'Sunset Tours' with dolphin watching. In the late afternoon (under a sun obscured by smoke clouds in the distance), we board the ancient boat and cross over Nelson Bay to 'Tea Gardens', an allegedly pretty village on the Myall River. In fact, we see dolphins twice in the distance along the way. Over in Tea Gardens, it was said that there are restaurants to eat at and various attractions, but actually only the fish and chips shop is open, and in the only bar that is otherwise open, a lot of dressed-up Australians celebrate December 6th with necklaces made of Christmas baubles and Santa Claus hats. So we have a barramundi fish and chips by the shore and wait for the return trip. This becomes exciting because for a while dolphins swim ahead of the boat, occasionally surfacing and spinning underwater as if they want to play. It is a lovely spectacle, which can only be enjoyed by pushing past the celebrating Australians who have meanwhile landed on the boat. After this admittedly quite noisy journey home, we are looking forward to a peaceful campsite.

Today we went for a hike up Tomaree Head, a mountain (about 190m high) that stands at the very end of a bay and can be climbed. It is getting quite hot as we search for the stone steps and metal walkways to go up in 35 degrees, but there awaits a magnificent view of several bays and the Tamoree National Park. On the way back, we realize that this was probably our last excursion from the campervan. The time with the campervan was wonderful, but we admit that we are also looking forward to a real bed and a life without worrying about whether the refrigerator is running or if the gas is still enough.