Stockton Bight contains the largest sand dune system in the southern hemisphere — a 32-kilometre stretch of coastal dunes north of Newcastle that reaches up to 30 metres high in places. The dunes move visibly from year to year, swallowing fence posts and gradually reshaping the coastline. The scale is genuinely impressive, particularly from the top of the highest dunes looking inland over the flat patchwork of wetlands and forests behind.
Access is from Stockton, across the harbour from Newcastle (a five-minute ferry from Queens Wharf, then a bus or taxi). Various operators run quad-bike and sandboarding tours; the less structured approach is to walk in from the beach access at Stockton and climb whatever you like. The dunes are best visited in the morning before the onshore wind picks up. Swimming at the adjacent ocean beach is good in calm conditions.