Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some frequently asked questions we receive from our visitors to our Beachside Holiday Parks, if you have a question that isn’t answered below, feel free to call our Reservations Centre on (02) 4988 0990 from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, 7 Days a Week, All times are Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST). You will find all of our best rates on our website. Please click here to View our Rates.
How close are you to Nelson Bay?
Halifax Holiday Park is 2 minutes by car.
Shoal Bay Holiday Park is 5 minutes by car.
Fingal Bay Holiday Park is 10 minutes by car.
Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary is 10 minutes by car.
Thou walla Sunset Retreat is 15 minutes by car.
Do you have a pool?
Fingal Bay Holiday Park has a huge resort style pool.
Thou walla Sunset Retreat has a wonderful classic sized pool.
Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary has a huge pool located in a natural bushland setting.
Halifax and Shoal Bay Holiday Parks do not have pools at this current stage.
How close are you to the beach?
Halifax Holiday Park is situated directly between the calm waters of Shoal Bay Beach and Little Beach.
Fingal Bay Holiday Park is across the road from beautiful Fingal Bay Beach. (This is a patrolled beach between September and April).
Shoal Bay Holiday Park is across the road from the pristine waters of Shoal Bay Beach.
Thou walla Sunset Retreat is situated within a short walk of Sunset Beach, a calm water beach at Soldiers Point.
Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary is only 5 minutes away from the nearest public access beach, One Mile Beach. Please note Samurai beach is currently only accessible by 4wd.
Do you allow dogs*?
YES - Shoal Bay Holiday Park, Fingal Bay Holiday Park and Halifax Holiday Park are dog friendly with a few restrictions in place to preserve the balance for all visitors. Dogs are only permitted at the park when you are staying in your own tent or van. *Note: You must check with Park Management BEFORE bringing your dog into the park.
Important note: Please note Thou walla Sunset Retreat & the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary do not allow dogs or pets at any time.
Click here for more information.Do you supply linen?
Yes, all Port Stephens Holiday Parks supply pillows, towels and linen free of charge. Only exception, of course, is your own tent or van.
Do kids go FREE*?
At all Port Stephens Holiday Parks we include up to 3 kids in our advertised rates for Cabins and Villas (using existing bedding) before we charge for extras, also our kids rates start from 5 years right up to 17 years but they must have an adult staying with them.
*Note: Tent and van site rates are for 2 adults only, kids are extra. Not valid at Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary.
Bikes and Scooter rules
Only Push bikes and Scooters (Non Electric) are permitted anytime in the grounds of a Port Stephens Beachside Holiday Park. Helmets MUST be worn at all times when riding a Push bike or Scooter. All activities must cease when street lights are activated. Normal road rules apply in park grounds. Park Management is not responsible for any accident, injury caused whilst riding in the park and will maintain compliance of this policy at all times.
Not allowed: Electric Bikes, Skateboards & Scooters, rollerblades and hover boards or any other motorised/non-motorised device used to ride on.
Are fires permitted?
In accordance with the NSW rural fire service, fires are not permitted at the park.
Do you have a playground?
Halifax Holiday Park has a playground onsite
Shoal Bay Holiday Park has a playground onsite
Fingal Bay Holiday Park has a playground onsite
Does the amenities block have a security code?
We value security across our parks and encourage guests to secure all belongings when using our parks amenities and facilities.
Do you have a dump point?
Yes we do. Please see reception for locations.
Do you have to pay for showers?
No, hot water comes complimentary when you stay with us!
Do you have a restaurant or cafe onsite?
Whilst we do not have any restaurants or cafes onsite, there are a number of good Restaurants in Nelson Bay, Soldiers Point and One Mile Beach so please check with our friendly staff who will be more than happy to provide information about local places to eat.
Note: Halifax Holiday Park does have a privately run kiosk adjacent to the park.
Do you have BBQ's?
Yes there are FREE BBQ areas in all our parks.
Do you have camp kitchens?
Yes our parks have great camp kitchen facilities except for Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary.
Is there internet access at the parks?
WiFi is available across our holiday parks at Shoal Bay, Halifax and Fingal Bay. Signal strength can be limited at times.
Please check at Reception for further details on accessing WiFi in these holiday parks.
Due to limitations of local telecommunication services there is limited WiFi available at Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary and Thou walla Sunset Retreat.
What if we won't be there before reception closes?
Please contact reception to organise a late arrival procedure. All fees must be paid prior to arrival.
What time is check in?
12pm for sites and 2pm for cabins/villas.
What time is check out?
Check out is at 10am.
Do you see whales in Port Stephens?
Humpback Whales travel thousands of kilometers from early May to Late November, between their winter breeding ground to their summer feeding ground along the East Coast of Australia. We are lucky enough to witness one of the longest whale migrations in the world off the coast of NSW. Humpback Whales are the most popular species with about 20,000 animals passing Port Stephens each year.
From about May, Humpback Whales begin passing by on their Northern Migration coming from Antarctic waters in the south. By early August these whales have moved onto their breeding grounds up north around the equator. On this northern Migration you can see a lot of breaching whales and active males showing their dominance to impress females for mating.
By September the first whales are on their way south again. you can often see whales going both ways at this time of year. By mid to late August right up to the beginning of December the whales are now all swimming south and you can start to see mothers with their newborn calves.
