This was published 13 years ago
Wanderers Retreat, Port Stephens review: Fun with a flippant lot
Dolphins by catamaran.
Peter Vincent combines a blissful treehouse eco-stay with a thrilling new way to see dolphins up close.
"WHAT if we meet Jaws and not Flipper tomorrow?" My partner has a point. We're sitting on the deck of a gorgeous "tree house" at Port Stephens, amid stands of paperbark, lemon-scented gum and swamp mahogany. We're booked to go swimming with dolphins and are contemplating what we've heard from a local: that Port Stephens is a nursery for great white sharks.
Wanderers Retreat is run with a non-preachy eco-philosophy. The owners have planted more than 1000 native trees; compost is put into worm farms from benchtop food scrap bins; towels are replaced only when needed; and the loos are composting toilets.
Our A-frame tree house is up a flight of stairs, its deck easily big enough for the barbecue, outdoor furniture and us.
Inside is a timber-panelled space with a large corner spa, kitchen, three-seater lounge and a lush queen-size bed - from which we can see nothing but trees.
The tree house also comes with charming little extras - a bottle of good-quality sparkling wine in the fridge, chilled glasses, chocolates, a jar of ethically-grown ground coffee, a plunger, two soft cotton robes and a large flat-screen TV. The next morning, we emerge from our romatic bush stay to climb aboard an ocean-going catamaran and meet the crew - sailors, dive masters, cetologists, researchers, documentary makers and deck hands.
A co-owner of Dolphin Swim Australia, marine biologist Elise Bailey confirms what we've heard about the great whites but sets us at ease by explaining how she can immediately see changes in dolphin behaviour when a predator is in the vicinity. Dolphins also emit distinct warning calls - any hint of trouble and everyone's out of the water.
After two hours searching for dolphins, about two nautical miles out, a wave of excitement sweeps the boat. Seabirds are seen swooping and diving above pods of dolphins rounding up fish.
After the dolphins have finished eating, Bailey says, they'll probably want to play. Soon enough, groups of four of us clamber nervously into a net at the front of the boat, don fins and snorkels and slip into the cold, dark-green ocean.
I am harnessed to a rope between the twin hulls of the 15-metre cat. It's from here swimmers watch the dolphins riding the bow. They cavort in front of us, across the bow, squealing, rolling over and generally showing off.
Although the water is murky, it's a remarkable experience. The dolphins sometimes seem to look right at us, then kick away as if daring us to chase them.
Later, back on land and energised by the experience, we sample several of Port Stephens's attractions.
First, it's a camel ride along Anna Bay beach, beside magnificent sand dunes up to 25 kilometres long. My camel, Gentleman Jack, lives up to his name and rolling along gently in the saddle is a meditative experience after the morning's excitement.
At sunset, we climb Tomaree Head, 161 metres above the beach, for views so good they send us quiet. We can see from southern Newcastle to the Great Dividing Range in the west and north to Seal Rocks.
Back on the tree house deck at Wanderers Retreat, we crack open a bottle of wine. As many as 56 species of bird make their home in the trees here and, later, we wake to their sounds. It really is blissful. We're told the koalas were calling out all night. Having missed hearing them, we go looking in the daytime. Of course, they remain hidden. So, we head for nearby Oakvale Farm petting zoo - to cuddle a koala.
The writer was a guest of Wanderers Retreat and Port Stephens Tourism.
Trip notes
Where
Wanderers Retreat, 7 Koala Place, One Mile Beach, Port Stephens. (02) 4982 1702, wanderersretreat.com.
Getting there
Take the Newcastle Freeway, continue north towards Taree along the Pacific Highway, then head east on the Tomago Road before Raymond Terrace, then follow Nelson Bay Road along the Tomaree Peninsula.
How much
One-bed eco-cottage $125-$250 a night; two-bed eco- cottages $135-$260; tree houses $195-$285; bush spa $215-$305. Two-night minimum stay.
Style statement
Unpretentious luxury on stilts.
Perfect for
A getaway where you can de-stress.
Don't forget
Your swimmers. Wanderers has a pool and the beach is a short walk away.
A shame about
The ants.
Kudos
For putting luxury on stilts in the trees. We felt like the Na'vi in Avatar — but with wine.
Take the kids?
Tree houses are suited to couples; cottages are for kids.
Dolphin swimming
The Aquatic Marine Viewing Experience costs $229 a person (minimum age is 12 years); $60 for non-swimming observers. 1300 721 358, dolphinswimaustralia.com.au.
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