2015 May - Day 5 (Hunter Valley-> Port Stephens)

TODAY'S ITINERARY

DAY 5: PLACES VISITED

1.         Hot Air Balloon         2.       Gan Gan Lookout         3.       d'Albora Marinas Nelson Bay         4.       Port Stephens Visitor Information Centre

5.       Nelson Bay Bed & Breakfast         6.       Gan Gan Lookout         7.       Dinner at Wharf Restaurant

First activity of the day: Hot Air Balloon by Wine Country Ballooning

The Meeting Place was supposed to be at the Mercure Resort, Hunter Valley Gardens, South Western, corner of Broke Road and McDonalds Road, Pokolbin. However, as we are the only passengers for the hot air balloon that day, they actually drove to pick us up right at our accommodation. Really appreciate the effort cos it is freaking early to wake up! 

It was dark when we board the vehicle, however, as we need to know where the air is travelling towards to ensure safety and there is an open space for taking off and landing, we drove around Hunter Valley for quite a while before they decided on a safe location. By then, we were able to capture the sunrise as they set up the hot air balloon. 

It's an interesting experience to see the full set-up of the Hot Air Balloon.

That's guy in the middle top picture is Darren who is our pilot of the day. He was explaining the things to take note of the hot air balloon.

It was supposed to a 45-65 minutes flight, however, the wind direction changed while we were in the air, it was moving us towards a restricted zone and the pilot have no choice but to cut short our ride for safety purpose.

That's us when we landed! And, yes, when a hot air balloon lands, it lands on the side which Darren had pre-empt us before we board the ride.

Us with our pilot, Darren and his land assistant! From the way they interact, you can see that they are a real dynamic duo who worked together for a long while.

The lunch that was included in the Hot Air Balloon package.

Similarly, the certificate and the wine are part of the package.

As we had to cut short the hot air balloon ride, Darren felt guilty and brought us on a ride in his super cool tricycle/scooter(?) back to our accommodation. It was real cool when he zooms around Hunter Valley, feeling the air rushing pass you and enjoying the scenery. It definitely makes the hot package worth more than what we paid! 

Off we go to Port Stephen!

Port Stephens is a large natural harbour in the Hunter Region of New South Wales around two and a half hours north of Sydney.

With 26 golden sandy beaches, a bay that is more than twice the size of Sydney Harbour, and a mountainous, rainforest-fringed peninsula, the Port Stephens region has three main areas: the Tomaree Peninsula, Tilligerry Peninsula and the Golden Bight, all surrounding the spectacular Port Stephens Bay.

Gan Gan Lookout

Address: Lily Hill Rd, Nelson Bay NSW 2315, Australia

The Rotary Club of Nelson Bay, Port Stephens Council, and the State Government have recently upgraded the site to ensure that the Lookout reclaims its status as an iconic tourist attraction for Port Stephens. Improvements include wheelchair accessibility and additional features such as the introduction of a viewing platform to the south, which has added a completely new dimension to this tourist attraction, opening up viewing to Stockton Beach, Newcastle and beyond. 

The 160m-high Lookout, which is a key gateway to Port Stephens, now provides enhanced and expansive views of Port Stephens, as far north as Hawks Nest and south to Norah Head.

The lookout has been added with plaques that detail the history of both the lookout and Port Stephens as a whole, which helps add some extra context to the area for first-timers.

A totally unblocked view of the whole of Port Stephens!

Port Stephens Visitor Information Centre

Address: 60 Victoria Parade, Nelson Bay NSW 2315, Australia

Phone:+61 1800 808 900

Pop-by Port Stephens Visitor Information Centre to gather range of information on local attractions and upcoming events. Maps and brochures are also available, together with a selection of souvenirs and other merchandise.

d'Albora Marinas Nelson Bay

Address: Teramby Rd, Nelson Bay NSW 2013, Australia

Phone:+61 2 4984 1333

Right beside the Visitor Centre is the d'Albora Marinas Nelson Bay. d’Albora Marinas Nelson Bay is situated in the idyllic blue waters of Port Stephens, offering visitors a collection of shops, restaurants, dolphin and whale watch cruises, charter boats, water adventure activities, and an annual events.

Rows and rows of yachts anchored right in d'Albora Marinas Nelson Bay.

Looked around for a lunch spot and noticed the Bay Harbour Cafe at the end of the road along d'Albora Marinas Nelson Bay. 

The view at the outdoor patio is really breathtaking! The calming endless ocean with the gentle sea breeze makes up the average food.

Nelson Bay Bed & Breakfast

Address: 81 Stockton St, Nelson Bay NSW 2315, Australia

Phone:+61 2 4984 3655

Surrounded by natural bushland, this modest, adults-only guesthouse is owned by a couple who lives in the building, right in front of the guesthouse. This way, any assistance is right beside you, yet providing the comfort of your own. The 3 airy rooms feature free Wi-Fi and TVs, plus minifridges, and tea and coffeemaking facilities. All have furnished patios/balconies, 2 with hot tubs.

Continental breakfast is provided, and cooked breakfast is available for an extra cost. Other amenities include a lounge with a fireplace and a DVD library, plus a guest laundry, a garden and an outdoor kitchen with a BBQ. Parking is free.

We booked both the rooms that have the hot tubs and we definitely don't regret that!

Trish, the owner of the guesthouse, is really friendly and welcoming to us! She even introduced a couple of food locations, though we only get to try one of it. Activities of our second day at Port Stephens were booked through her, and she helped us confirmed the location and time.  

We decided to come back up to Gan Gan Lookout for the sunset instead of the usual spots such as Soldier's Point or Tomaree Head.  It's real cool to be up here for the sunset as there were no one else and we do not have to hike up (which you need to do so before you can reach Tomaree Head) or drive a long way to Soldier's Point.

Enjoy the sunset pictures as follows:

It's just so breathtaking! Having the sunset together with the wide view of the whole of Port Stephens. I highly recommend to visit Gan Gan Lookout during the sunset period!

Wharf Restaurant 

Address: 1 Teramby Rd, Nelson Bay NSW 2315, Australia 

Phone:+61 2 4981 0020 

Anyway, after the sunset, we head off to Wharf Restaurant which was one of the recommendations by Trish, and it definitely not a disappointment! Fresh seafood at its best! 

And off we head back to our guesthouse to enjoy the hot tub with a glass of wine!