Bannisters, Port Stephens

Take a bayside perch for seafood, wildlife and wide, watery vistas.

Bannisters Port Stephens: view from Ocean Deck upper level room. Picture: supplied

Either the proprietors employ a full-time bird trainer or the timing seems too good to be true. Seconds after we open the door to our Ocean Deck upper-level room, a trio of technicolour-plumed rainbow lorikeets swoops in from the nearby trees and lands chirpily on the balcony in front of us. It’s the ideal introduction to our stay.

From our top-floor perch we take in stunning panoramic views over the gums – no koalas to be spotted today, unfortunately – to the wide blue expanse of the Karuah River and Port Stephens bay, two and a half hours north of Sydney and twice the size of its famous harbour. We’ve arrived before dinner so there’s time to saunter out to the jetty in front and bask in the late afternoon glow.

The hotel sits on Soldiers Point, a leafy finger of land jutting into the bay that was named after a garrison established there in 1820 as a base to hunt down convicts. In the late 1960s this prime position became the site of Salamander Shores hotel-motel, a classic baby boomers’ beach holiday destination, and by November last year celebrity chef Rick Stein had turned it into the sister property for his South Coast NSW operation at Mollymook after a $7 million, 18-month upgrade.

Pool at Bannisters Port Stephens. Picture: supplied

The renovation retains the laidback retro feel of the old “Sally Shores” with minimalist, coastal-style “barefoot luxury” decor throughout the 78 rooms, ranging from ground-level Paperbark Rooms with bush outlook (including family rooms and a double bedroom with shared lounge room), Ocean Deck ground and first-level rooms with dappled bush and water views, and upper-level Ocean Deck rooms overlooking the trees to the bay and the headlands beyond. Our room has everything we need – the balcony, 30sqm of space, a king-size bed, fresh white walls and Netflix on the smart TV. The hotel also has studios, luxury suites, a penthouse with rooftop terrace and a spa.

Bannisters Port Stephens luxury suite. Picture: supplied

But it’s in the eating areas where the transformation is most dramatic. The Terrace Bar offers relaxed Mediterranean and mod-Australian fare and cocktails in a light, breezy room with leafy, watery views through tall glass walls or outside by the infinity pool. The star occasion-dining venue is the impressive Rick Stein at Bannisters restaurant, with its cathedral ceiling, glass doors and windows, inviting bar and comfy leather-upholstered nooks. The menu, while pricey, is laden with delicious fresh seafood such as sashimi of Tasmanian salmon, Mooloolaba swordfish, Coffs Harbour snapper and yellowfin tuna or a black cuttlefish risotto for entrees; for mains, we loved the signature fish pie and a monster-sized whole snapper done Chinese-style.

Seafood dish at Bannisters Port Stephens. Picture: David Griffen

In the morning we return to the same leathery nook we’d occupied the night before and, against a backdrop of Stein’s books lining the wall, settle in for a long, generous buffet breakfast while contemplating how to work off the excess kilos during the day. The answer is a brisk 90-minute walk to the summit of Tomaree Head, a 20-minute drive away, to take in the glorious views over the entrance to Port Stephens to the headlands, bay and beaches, followed by a trek into the vast sandscape of Stockton Beach, the Stockton Bight dunes and Woromi Conservation Lands. The wide beach curves for 32km from Anna Bay in Port Stephens to the Hunter River while the dunes – buzzed by quad bikes, traversed by camels and 4WDs and skimmed by sandboarders – tower up to 40m high. We opt for two-legged travel and spend an invigorating few hours inhaling the salty air before heading back to the hotel for an early dinner in the Terrace Bar.

Bird show: kookaburras, Port Stephens. Picture: Antje Sonntag

Early next morning we discover the bird show isn’t over: we’re greeted by a gang of four fluffy-necked kookaburras sitting peacefully on the railing. Mercifully, they spare us their full-throated wake-up cackle.

• Perfect for: A relaxing break.

• Must do: Visit the Hunter Valley vineyards, an hour’s drive inland; nearby, Murray’s Brewery serves craft beer and pub grub. For kids, try Oakvale Wildlife Park, 20 minutes’ drive south.

• Dining: Rick Stein Restaurant; Bannisters’ new tavern, the Cheeky Dog, opens alongside the hotel on December 20 with pizzas in the bistro and bayside beer garden.

• Getting there: Port Stephens is a two-and-a-half hour drive north of Sydney; an hour north of Newcastle.

• Bottom line: From $265 per night.

bannisters.com.au