Stockton Sand Dunes
The largest moving coastal sand dunes in the southern hemisphere
On the lands of the Worimi people.
A 32-kilometre system of towering mobile sand dunes stretching north from Stockton Beach near Newcastle. The Stockton dunes are the largest moving coastal sand mass in the southern hemisphere, rising up to 30 metres high and offering sandboarding, quad biking and camel riding on Worimi Conservation Lands.
The Stockton Sand Dunes are part of the Worimi Conservation Lands, a stretch of coastline managed jointly by the Worimi people and the NSW government. The dune system runs for 32 kilometres from Stockton Beach north to Anna Bay and Birubi Point near Port Stephens, covering an area of around 4,200 hectares.
The dunes are constantly moving, pushed by the prevailing winds at a rate of several metres per year. Some of the larger dunes stand over 30 metres high and create a desert-like landscape that has been used as a location for films, commercials and music videos. The sand is a mix of fine quartz grains carried north by longshore drift from the Hunter River.
Sandboarding is the most popular activity. Several operators run tours from Birubi Point at the northern end, providing boards and transport to the biggest dunes. The experience is similar to snowboarding but on warm, soft sand, and wipeouts are far more forgiving. Quad bike tours cover more ground and reach the larger dunes further from the access points. Camel rides along the beach add an unexpected desert-meets-ocean experience.
The Worimi people have managed this country for thousands of years and the conservation lands contain middens, campsites and other cultural sites. A permit is required to drive on the beach section of the dunes and is available from the Worimi Conservation Lands office at Birubi Point. The dunes are best visited on a clear day with moderate wind, which keeps the sand firm enough for walking and boarding without being uncomfortably gusty.
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- Background text summarised from Wikipedia: Stockton Sand Dunes , licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Images (3)
- Stockton Sand Dunes, Salt Ash, Australia (Unsplash Hyp37Eif3... · Cherry Laithang laicho · CC0
- Stockton Sand Dunes.JPG · Turtletime13 · CC BY-SA 4.0
- The Safari at New Castle (Unsplash).jpg · Cherry Laithang laicho · CC0
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