The Stockton sand dunes
Rising up to 30 metres and running 32 km along the coast, the Stockton Bight sand dunes are a landscape like nowhere else in Australia — a shifting desert of golden sand meeting the sea. They lie on the Worimi Conservation Lands, Aboriginal-owned and co-managed Country, and the best way to experience them is on a tour: sandboarding, quad biking, a 4WD adventure or a camel ride along the beach. Here's how to plan it.
Sandboarding, quads, 4WD & camels
From Anna Bay, take your pick. Sandboarding sends you sliding down the steep faces (boards supplied on tours). Quad-bike tours with the Worimi-owned Sand Dune Adventures add Aboriginal cultural storytelling to the ride. 4WD tag-along tours roam deeper into the bight to the shacks of Tin City. And camel rides with Oakfield Ranch amble along Birubi Beach — a gentle favourite with families. Guided trips supply the gear and the local knowledge.
The Worimi Conservation Lands
The dunes are far more than a playground. They form part of the Worimi Conservation Lands — around 4,200 hectares of Aboriginal-owned land, rich in middens and cultural sites, co-managed by the Worimi people with NSW National Parks. Taking a tour with the Worimi-owned Sand Dune Adventures is a wonderful way to experience the landscape through the eyes of its Traditional Owners, and to support Aboriginal-led tourism.
Self-drive & permits
Experienced 4WD drivers can access the beach themselves, but a Worimi/NPWS vehicle permit is required (about $33 for three days, purchased online), and vehicles must stay on the waterfront — free-range dune driving is limited to a designated RV area at the Stockton end. Check tides and conditions, and never drive where you shouldn't: this is protected cultural land. For most visitors, a guided tour is the easier and more rewarding choice.
The sand dunes: your questions
The Stockton Bight sand dunes are the largest moving coastal sand dunes in the Southern Hemisphere — up to about 30 metres high and stretching some 32 km of coast from Stockton to Anna Bay. They sit on the Worimi Conservation Lands, Aboriginal-owned land co-managed with NSW National Parks, and are a spectacular place to sandboard, ride a camel or take a 4WD tour.
The main visitor access is at Anna Bay / Birubi Point, at the northern end of the dunes, about 20 minutes from Nelson Bay. This is where most tours depart and where you'll find the camel rides on Birubi Beach. The historic shacks of Tin City lie further along the bight.
Plenty: sandboarding down the slopes, 4WD tag-along tours, quad-bike cultural tours with the Aboriginal-owned Sand Dune Adventures, and camel rides along the beach with Oakfield Ranch. Guided tours supply the gear and know the terrain — the easiest and safest way to experience the dunes.
Yes, but you need a permit. Self-drive access to the Worimi Conservation Lands beach requires a NPWS/Worimi vehicle permit (around $33 for 3 days, bought online), and vehicles must stay on the waterfront — recreational dune driving is only allowed in a designated RV area at the southern end. Many visitors find a guided 4WD tour the simpler, safer option, especially first-timers.
Tours are run by several local operators. Sand Dune Adventures — owned and operated by the Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council — offers quad-bike tours with a cultural focus and is one of Australia's largest Aboriginal-owned tourism businesses. Oakfield Ranch runs the camel rides (weekends and school holidays), and other operators offer 4WD and sandboarding. We can book the experience that suits you.