Located in the Booti Booti National Park New South Wales, Shelly Beach is a beautiful sandy beach accessed via a 650m walk from Boomerang Crescent.
After parking on Boomerang Crescent, we walked 10 minutes to the beach along the well maintained bush track. This takes you through coastal rain forest filled with gum trees and ferns. We even got to see two lace monitor lizards, each around 1.5m long as they crossed the track.
At the beach it’s important to remember that the left hand (south-west) side is a clothes optional beach. A sign at the track’s end reminds you of this.
Although we visited during school holidays, not many people were there and it was very relaxing. The walk to the beach may put people off, but the almost deserted beach makes it worthwhile.
So if you don’t mind the 10-minute 650m walk, it’s a great place to visit.
Trail to the beachLace MonitorBeautiful sandy beach and Booti Booti National ParkLooking over Elizabeth BayRocky end of beach
Based at Bobs Farm near Port Stephens, the Shark and Ray Rescue Centre is dedicated to the rehabilitation and rehousing of sharks and rays. An association with local Professional Fishermen allows injured sharks, rays, and other marine creatures caught as a by-catch to be saved.
Getting There
Interior of the Centre
Housed undercover, the centre operates in all weathers, so is great to visit on a rainy day when other activities in Port Stephens close. With only a 40-minute drive from Newcastle, or 20 minutes from Port Stephens it’s easy to get to. Parking is on site with plenty of room available.
What to See When You Arrive
On arrival, a staff member takes you around the centre, so that you are familiar with what’s on display and how to interact with them.
We chose to walk around the tanks and enclosures to view the displays, but for a small fee you can also get in the tanks and feed the sharks. Several people were doing this, mostly young families. They seemed to be having a great time in the water and the sharks they were with were not dangerous.
Leopard SharkPort Jackson SharkPort Jackson SharkFiddler RayFiddler RayShovelnose RayStingrayStingray
Birds
The Centre has expanded its operations to include other animals in need, including birds. We were pleased to be able to enter the parrot aviary where a staff member explained about them. Even better, they perched on our shoulders and arms, which was something we were not expecting to do when we arrived.
Eclectus parrot
Chestnut Fronted Macaw
Other Displays
Housed in large enclosures and several glass cages, the centre has a collection of lizards on display.
A butterfly house has now opened giving visitors the opportunity to see them up close. Our visit did not match its open times, so we will have to go back to see it.
At times, octopus and other marine creatures may be housed here. This is variable, depending on the need to rehabilitate the.
This was a fun and interesting place to visit. A great way to see sharks and rays up close, something you don’t often get to do. The experience with the parrots was also great as was seeing the lizards. It’s wonderful that someone is helping rehabilitate injured marine life and rehousing them.
To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.
Established in 1973 and dedicated to the to rescue, rehabilitation and release of wild koalas, the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital also helps visitor learn about this unique Australian animal.
Located in the NSW mid-north town of Port Macquarie, the hospital is a favourite destination for tourists. On arrival, we were pleased to see that a mobile coffee van was set up near the carpark. After a long drive to get here, this was a great way to start our visit. After a relaxing coffee on some chairs under shady trees, we started our visit.
Entry is free, but donations are welcome, which are used to keep the hospital running. The first exhibit is actually another of Port Macquarie’s attractions, one of the Hello Koala statues. Scattered around town at different businesses there are around 80 of these colourful statues.
The Koalas
Near the statue an information board with photos of koalas under care details the threats they face. The main one is habitat loss – something that is totally preventable, but something our state Government seems reluctant to address. Koalas at the hospital suffer from a range of injuries, from road accidents, dog attacks and bush fires.
The koala enclosures hold animals undergoing rehabilitation. Each enclosure has a description of the koala, the injury they sustained and how they are progressing. As koalas sleep a lot (due to the low food value of the leaves they eat – not the intoxicating effects of the gum leaves – that’s an urban myth) they were hard to see, cuddled up into little furry balls in the trees. We managed to spot them all, but most were too far away or obscured to take photos of.
The last place to visit is a small museum. This details koala evolution and their place in the Australian environment. Several stuffed exhibits allow visitors to see what they look like up close.
The Future
Funding has been secured for a first of its kind wild breeding program. The aim is to breed and release 30 joeys each year, offsetting the current population decline. Also involved in the project are Taronga Zoo, the Australian Museum Research Institute and the University of Sydney.
What Did We Think?
If you are visiting Port Macquarie, this is a must-see destination. Not only do you see koalas, but you also learn about their endangered status and what is being done to save them.
Koala StatueInformation BoardEducational areaSleeping koalaInformation boardKoala display in the museumKoala display in the museumSkeleton of a koala compared to other animals
To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.
