Explore Kingsley Beach and it’s stunning coastal landscape

The southern parts of Port Stephens are lined with a rocky coastline and hidden bays. While some parts aren’t easily accessible, Kingsley Beach is one of the easiest to get to although it is not overly well known!

Where is Kingsley Beach located?

Kingsley Beach is in the Port Stephens region in the small coastal town of Boat Harbour, which is about a 15 minute drive from the main area of Nelson Bay.

Boat Harbour itself is one of the more secluded and quieter areas of Port Stephens, so it comes as no surprise that a lot of people haven’t heard of Kingsley Beach!

The beach itself is located just of Kingsley Drive and has it’s own small car park area. Just near the access path, there are some signs you’re able to read with maps and information about the area.

The access path leading down to the beach has a number of stairs, followed by a suspended walkway over some native plants.

The suspended walkway leads down to a small platform with a wooden bench seat. A very convenient spot to sit and remove shoes before heading down onto the sand! The area beyond the platform is a wooden walkway down onto the sand.

(At the time, underneath this had been washed out and eroded, which made it tricky to walk down without getting your feet caught in it.)

What are the main features and attractions?

The beach itself is hidden away from the more popular areas of Port Stephens making it a really private and secluded part of the Bay. It’s a great spot to visit to avoid the holiday crowds.

The surrounding area is largely untouched, making it the perfect spot to sit and relax in nature while take in the stunning rugged landscape and ocean.

During the time we visited, we noticed that there is some stairs being constructed at the southern end of the beach, leading over the headland towards Little Kingsley Beach.

Previously, the only way to access that area was through a bush trail via Fishermans Bay. This staircase will make the area much easier to access and should provide some beautiful views from up the top.

We look forward to exploring this further once it’s opened to the public in the near future.

What amenities and facilities are available?

Amenities and facilities are limited at Kingsley Beach, however there are some nearby.

There are public toilets, barbeque facilities and picnic tables available at both ends of Boat Harbour Beach. There is also a small playground on the northern end of the bay.

Nearby accommodations or camping options

Accomodation and camping options in Boat Harbour itself is limited, with most hotels being located in the busier parts of Nelson Bay and surrounding areas. The most commonly available accomodation in the area is private beach homes or airbnb’s.

The closest camping option would be in Anna Bay at Birubi Beach Holiday Park or some of the other nearby caravan parks.

There are an abundance of hotels, motels, airbnb’s and beach homes available in nearby towns in the area.

Nearby areas worth exploring

There are a number of other nearby attractions worth exploring if time permits.

• Depending on the time of year, just around the corner from Kingsley Beach is Boat Harbour Whale Watch Lookout, which provides stunning up close views of whales migrating during the cooler months.
  
• Boat Harbour Beach is also worth checking out, especially if you have young children. With it’s small waves and relatively shallow water, it’s a great spot for kids to have a splash and swim without the stress of them being knocked over by large waves.
  
• North of Boat Harbour Beach is a new coastal walking trail over the headlands through Tomaree National Park to Morna Point. We are yet to explore this, but could see other people walking across some of the bridges along the track from the southern side of Boat Harbour Beach and can’t wait to check it out.

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Whale watching near Nelson Bay, Port Stephens

With plenty of rocky headlands, Boat Harbour offers some of Port Stephen’s best land based views of whales migrating each year. So much so, that a whale watching area has been constructed off one of the headlands for locals and tourists to enjoy up close views to these stunning creatures as they pass by the Port Stephen’s coastline.

This headland gets you up close to the whale watching action, without needing a boat or venturing out on whale watching cruises.

Boat Harbour

Boat Harbour is a small coastal suburb located around 15 minutes from Nelson Bay in Port Stephens. The area is somewhat of a local secret compared to some of the more popular locations around the bay, such as Shoal Bay or Fingal Bay.

The suburb features rocky headlands and a small bay with calm, shallow waters which is a popular spot for swimming, fishing and snorkelling in the summertime.

During whale season it is one of the best land-based whale watching spots.

Whale season in Nelson Bay

Port Stephens whale watching season runs between May and November each year as they make their way up and down the Eastern Coast of Australia during their annual migration.

In the winter months the whales migrate north to warmer waters. During this time they are often closer to the land and easier to see.

As they migrate back down south towards the end of whale season, they are usually further out to sea and harder to see from land.

The most common whale species seen migrating along the Port Stephens coast are the Humpback Whale and the Southern Right Whale.

Getting to the Boat Harbour Whale Watch Lookout

Finding the whale watch lookout is really easy. As you head into Boat Harbour down Blanch Drive, you follow that road straight down into Noamunga Street, where you will find a gravel car park leading up to the headland and whale-watching platform.

Accessing the whale watching platform

From the car park on Noamunga Street, there is a gravel path to the top of the headland. Along the path there are a number of areas where you’re able to stop and watch the passing whales from different angles.

There is one area that has small concrete stools where you’re able to sit and look out towards the southern headland. Another area towards the end of the headland has two log seats. Whales aside, the area provides some stunning views of the Port Stephens coast.

You’re able to walk over to the furthest point of the headland across the rocks. The walk up is quite uneven and a little steep in the last part, so children may need some assistance. From there you’ll be able to get as close as possible to the passing whales.

While we were there, the whales were around 100-150 metres away from us.

During the time we were there, the sea was relatively calm so accessing different areas of the rocks was somewhat safe.

While you are positioned high up if you’re remaining on the headland, I’d still urge visitors to please exercise caution when heading anywhere near the ocean on rocks.

A lifesaving ring is located on the rock platform in the unlikely event anyone is swept off the rocks.

When is the best time of day for whale watching?

You are able to see whales during whale season at any time of the day, however we have found the best time to see them is earlier in the morning when the ocean is calmer and they are easier to spot in the softer light.

We chose to visit during the morning, arriving around 11:00am and we spotted around 20 whales during the time we were watching – although they were tricky to photograph!

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Kingsley Beach: Discover Boat Harbour’s Hidden Beach

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