tin city tours port stephens

Port Stephens Tours

Spend a day in Port Stephens, the “Dolphin Capital” of Australia with a day tour from Sydney . Adrenaline-filled day activities including dolphin watching, sandboarding , and 4WD sand tour.  

About Port Stephens Australia

A 2.5 hours drive from Sydney passing the Harbour Bridge , Port Stephens nested with pristine beaches, the biggest sand dunes in the southern hemisphere, mesmerizing lookouts , and national parks. 

Port Stephens is the house for over 140 bottleneck dolphins which is the main attraction . Apart from Bottleneck Dolphins, sighting humpback whales also an add-on to Port Stephens. This picture-perfect area houses some of the best local breweries such as Murray Craft Brewing . 

Things you can do in a Port Stephens Day Tours from Sydney

Dolphin Watching

Port Stephens 4WD

Sandboarding

Hike to Tomaree Head

Murray Beer & Wine Tasting

Irukandji Shark & Ray Encounters

Faq; port stephens tours from sydney.

It is a 2 and 36 minutes from Sydney via M1 and nearly 208 km that passes beautiful beaches along the way. 

Most travelers tend to stop overnight for Hunter Valley for a wine tasting session on a tour before heading to Port Stephens. From Hunter, it is nearly 2 hours and 115km to reach to Port Stephens. 

We have been there over many times and spotting dolphins from the shore was not an option. There are over 165 bottleneck dolphins and your best option to spot them is to book a dolphin cruise. 

Undoubtedly the Tomaree Head summit walk. It’s a great hike to the summit which allows you to see the north coast as well. However, there are many steep and unpaved sections in this hike and you need to be extra cautious, especially on wet. 

There are many activities you can plan for your kids on a day trip to Port Stephens from Sydney, starting from a visit to Oakvale wildlife park, shark and ray encounters, and the Fighter world aviation museum. 

Awesome tour to Port Stephens from Sydney! Very informative and the guide was great. I recommend it is the first thing you do when you arrive!! After you have some helpful info and bearings. Visited the top tourist spots and had a beautiful walk through the shore, last with an awesome view of the Tomaree Head.

Ricky took our group to Port Stephens and he was fantastic and very knowledgeable- and constantly had our group’s safety at the forefront.

I travelled to Sydney for just 2 days from Melbourne and was staying in a hostel close to the town hall. After landing very early in the morning, I saw a brochure for Port Stephens and Dolphin watching tours decided to go for it. The guides have a very well-thought-out route where they make sure to cover the things of most interest and give sufficient breaks to prevent heat-stroke or exhaustion.

Recommended tour. Took around 2.5 hours to reach Port Stephens from Sydney. But it was worth it to see bottlenose dolphins. The guide was very friendly and informative.

Had a great time touring the dunes from Anna Bay to Tin City and return. Our driver/ guide was terrific- very knowledgeable on the history and environment of the area and kept us entertained… sandboarding ( yes, even seniors will zip their way down the dunes), finding pippis in the sand, viewing middens and wandering around Tin City. Highly recommended tour.

The Port Stephens dunes are quite big and there is a spectacular view at the top. The drivers are very nice, after seeing that we loved the way the truck rocked when we hit a bump in the road, he ran over every bump just to make us happy. Great experience, worth every dollar.

Port Stephens Tours NSW – Sand Dunes and Adventure 

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Port Stephens Tin City Four-wheel Drive Tour in Newcastle and Port Stephens

Port stephens tin city four-wheel drive tour.

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Tin City 4WD Tour

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[email protected]   Lower Car Park – James Paterson Street Anna Bay NSW 2316

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0425 213 096 | [email protected] Lower Car Park – End of James Paterson Street Anna Bay NSW 2316

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Sit and Slide

Stand and surf, tin city safaris, private tours, we can't wait to see you on the dunes, welcome to sand dune safaris   .

EASTER TRADING HOURS: (FRIDAY 29TH MARCH TO TUESDAY 2ND APRIL)  9.30AM START. LAST SHUTTLE TO DUNES IS 4.30PM, LAST ONE BACK TO CAR PARK IS 6.30PM.

Take an adventure on the largest moving sand dunes in the Southern Hemisphere. We are located a 2.5 hour drive North of Sydney, in beautiful Port Stephens. Choose from one of our fabulous Safaris that will transport you to another world!  Take in the magnificent sand dunes from one of our unique 4WD vehicles. Our Sandboarding Adventure is our most popular activity, suitable for all ages and abilities. For something unique visit the remote outpost of Tin City on our Tin City Safari. Situated 20 minutes drive down amazing Stockton Beach, at 32km, its the longest beach in NSW! You can also organise a private charter, birthday party, corporate function or some sunset photography.

HOW ARE WE DIFFERENT? We are a small family owned and operated business, we pride ourselves on our personal service – check our reviews! The fact we are non commercial (no big tour groups) means we can offer you both sit down AND stand up boarding. We also provide a shaded picnic area with tables and chairs so you can relax and enjoy the views! Our 4WD fleet consists mainly of Toyota Landcruisers, as well as a 20 seater bus and 17 seater bus, getting you around the dunes in comfort and privacy!

Tin City Safari

Private Charters

Sandboarding-Sandsurfing

Join Sand Dune Safaris for some thrilling fun. Suitable for all ages and abilities!

Sand Dune Safaris

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Lower Car Park at the End of James Paterson Street, Anna Bay NSW 2316

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Port Stephens 4wd Tours

Port Stephens 4WD Tours have been established for over 10 years and we operate on the unique coastal landscape known as Stockton Bight. We can cater for both individual and group bookings! We have vehicle capacity for up to 100 passengers at one time. It’s like our very own Sahara Desert!! Not only do we offer a fun, exciting and safe family orientated sand boarding adventures (our most popular activity!) on top of the highest dunes, but we also offer beach and dune tours to Tin City, and educational tours for school students. Private charter options are available for interest groups, conference groups, seniors clubs, film crews and birthday parties, or simply for those who prefer a small private tour.

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02 4982 2940, 1800 045 949, [email protected], 15 port stephens drive, anna bay, nsw 2316, ready to make a booking .

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Differentville

Why Have the Same Holiday as Everyone Else?

So Cool! The Unique Tin City, Stockton Beach, NSW.

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Tin City is a fantastically quirky set of tiny shacks right in the middle of Stockton Beach near Newcastle, NSW. Why are they there? That depends who you ask…

My pockets are full of sand. My shoes are full of sand. The car is full of sand. Sand is currently prevalent in my life – but compared to the people who live in the amazing Tin City, tucked into the Stockton Sand Dunes between Newcastle and Port Stephens in NSW, Australia – I have nothing to worry about. I mean, look at it…. can you imagine, the vacuuming!

This post contains affiliate links and I get a small commission if you make a purchase. Buying from these links does not involve any extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Why Do You Need a Tour?

Why is tin city on stockton beach, sand, sand and more sand, what’s sand boarding like, how to get to tin city, stockton beach, ride camels, go quadbiking across the dunes, pet a shark, check out the planes, swim with dolphins, a quick note about swimming..

Taking a Tin City tour was the number one reason we chose to go to Newcastle on a recent short break.

Newcastle is New South Wales’ second most populated city and just a two-hour easy drive up the motorway from our house.

While the idea of going on holiday so close to home felt a bit odd, as soon as I saw the pictures of the desolate sand-strewn shacks of Tin City listed as one of the sights near Newcastle it suddenly rocked up the ‘must-see’ list… a few weeks later we were standing in a car park in Anna Bay waiting for Ana from Sand Dune Safaris to pick us up.

Because while Tin City is an open secret in the local area, and, the Stockton sand dunes that sits upon are open to drive down (if you have a 4wd) you can’t just rock up with your camera and have a wander.

You have to go on an organised tour – partly,. because these are people’s homes and therefore they probably don’t want loads of people arriving randomly when they are vacuuming and secondly, because the traditional owners of the land, the Worimi people, don’t want people making a mess of things.

Sand Dune Safaris have a license that let them show people around parts of Tin City legally and respectfully.

We were so glad we were on a tour – we learned heaps about the shacks that we’d never have known just turning up for a looksy and the tour was far more than just a Tin City tour.

More on that in a minute though as I guess that googling Tin City tours (or some other clever keyword) got you here so let’s talk a little bit about Tin City..

It’s not secret that Tin City was built on Stockton Beach as a place to home shipwreck survivors. It’s rough out on those waters.

The sea at Stockton is unforgiving – and it’s estimated over 100 ships have sunk in the waters nearby.

When this happened, the rescuers needed somewhere to put the rescued sailors and so two tin shacks were built..

During the Great Depression though, more huts were built and a tiny community grew up. At one point nearly 40 men lived on the site – many of them returned soldiers.

Today, only eleven homes are left, but there’s still a community here.

Like many things to do with Tin City though, the story behind it can be disputed by locals – check out the comments section for some of the debate.

Two of the homes are lived in full time – one of them by a gentleman called Alwyn who is in his 70s! The other by Robbie, who has the quirkiest house in the city.

The others are family holiday homes passed down through the generations. That’s the only way you can now own a Tin City shack – although apparently, fridges have been known to go on sale around these parts costing around $50,000 and, strangely they seem to come with some rooms attached!!

As I said, I’m not going to spoil anything else about the tour as Ana will tell you all about the unusual fabric the houses are built on to stop them disappearing and where they get their water from – but some things to look out for when you’re there are the beer keg chimney and the fun details in the unique house below.

It’s an amazing place – and as you stand there surrounded by sand stretching as far as the eye can see in every direction, it’s hard to imagine what living here must be like.

As someone on my TikTok page (@Differentville) asked ‘how much must you dislike people to want to move there’ – Mr Differentville, who generally doesn’t like people, was checking wifi signal and practically measuring up a plot!

The other feeling you get as you stand there, looking at the mismatched panels and ramshackle edges on the shacks is,’this looks like something out of Mad Max’ – no wonder it’s said to have been a location in the first film (but, as Adrian from the Mad Max Museum in Silverton points out in the comments below, it’s not quite true).

If you want to visit a confirmed Mad Max location hit up our other favourite odd spot in Australia, Co o ber Pedy .

We also popped along and met Adrian at his museum when we went Silverton recently. See more about that in our post on fun things to do in Broken Hill.

But it’s not just Tin City that’s interesting about this area. Every so often the illusion that you’re alone out here will be rudely shattered by a piercing rumbling whine in the air. It gets louder and lounder until eventually, a fighter jet from the nearby RAAF base Williamtown comes screaming over your head.

They regularly test flight patterns over the dunes – which used to be a bombing base back in the day – and every so often, the area gets closed off as they discover a leftover bomb or tank when the sands shift.

It really is a unique place to live!

Not only is standing in the middle of the dunes with literally sand and sky the only thing you can for 360 degrees, quite a breathtaking experience, this is also no ordinary sand which is why it gets its own heading.

Tin City is located in the middle of the Stockton Bight, the largest shifting sand mass in the Southern Hemisphere.

The dunes created by the swirling sand measure 32 km and can be up to 30 metres high in places. Every year they move a little further north – and in some areas are starting to swallow up the trees that edge the dunes.

The height of the dune and the very high silica content in the sand also makes the area good for something else. Sand boarding. And this is also part of the Tin City tour with Sand Dune Safaris.

Sand boarding sees you sitting, or, if you’re brave/stupid and availed of good balance, standing, on a white plastic board – and, then pushing yourself towards the edge of the dune.

It’s steady at first, but then, as you pick up speed all you can do is shout wheeeeeee as you hurtle to the bottom (hoping that the tip about just digging your fingers in the sand behind you to slow you down is going to work.)

I admit, I wasn’t sure at first. But once I’d got myself moving and slipped off down the hill, all I wanted to do was do it again, and again and again – although I admit climbing back up the dune to get to your starting point is not as easy as sliding down it!

Once you’ve mastered the baby slope, there are two steeper slopes to slip down if you want to. I quit while I was ahead and still shouting ‘that’s brilliant’. Mr Differentville braved the second slope (excellent but scary was the verdict) – and managed to stand up on his board. At least most of the way down the dune anyway.

Check out the video of my first attempt here…

The Tin City tour last around two and a half hours and what I’ve talked about above is only part of what the tour offers.

You’ll also learn how do the pipi twist, get a crash course in Australian birdlife, hear tall tales of life on the beach – like the guy who decided it would be a really good idea to try and drive a Maserati down it – which ended pretty much as well as you might expect.

If you’re staying in nearby Nelson Bay, Ana is also full of ideas of places to eat and check out so pick her brains.

As I said, you have to take a Tin City tour to legally visit the settlement.

These go most days in the week, if there are enough people. Times vary as they are timed with the tides to give you the best experience.

Head to the Sand Dunes Safaris website for more information and to book a tour.

If you have a car, it’s easy to reach the tour pick up point whether you stay in Newcastle, Nelson Bay or Port Stephens.

Spending the Day Around the Dunes

And there really is a lot to do up here in the area around Anna Bay where we picked up our tour, you could…

Join a caravan of beautiful humpy ones on a walk along the beautiful beach with Oakfield Ranch.

They have a ticket office at the same area as you pick up your Tin City tour and you don’t need to book to take one of the 20-minute long day time rides.

If you want to wander along the beautiful beach at sunset though on one of their Friday or Saturday tours, you will need a booking.

Here’s where to find out more.

If Ana’s dune driving wasn’t fast or bumpy enough for you, and you want to whizz across the dunes yourself you can book a Quad bike tour of the dunes.

Or, if you want to drive your own car around and have some fun, you can join a Dune Tag Along Tour which teaches you how to drive the dunes in a fun way – safely.

Have a look here to see more.

As I said, this is shark country and there are two places nearby where you can visit and interact with rescued sharks and stingrays.

Click here to book tickets to the popular Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounter in advance.

They also offer upgrades to swim with sharks and other experiences on site – or via their website.

If the jets flying over peaked your interest, then check out Fighter World on the way back to Newcastle.

If you’re staying in Newcastle, you might also want to check out our guide to other fun and unusual things to do in Newcastle and nearby .

If you’re staying longer in the area you might also want to have have a look at our post on where to swim with wild dolphins in Port Stephens.

Or, just see more about the tour here.

Why didn’t we do any of these things? Because we went on a Wednesday – and most of the other attractions tend to open closer to the weekends. The camel rides are open six days a week – but guess what day they take off?. Yes, Wednesday – well I guess it is hump day!

If you want to make a day of it in the area therefore make sure you book a day when things are open.

The beach here is beautiful – and on a hot day the sea looks super inviting.

Before you decide to dive in though, as with many Australian beaches, Stockton Beach while it looks idyllic on the shore, once you get into the water you need to watch for rips and other dangers.

It’s also shark country – the mummy sharks (doo de doo) leave their baby sharks (doo de doo) in nursery waters off Stockton Beach and, while they don’t usually feed at Stockton (apparently nearby Hawks Nest is the local canteen for Jawsalikes), if you do want to swim, do it between the flags so if you do get into any trouble someone might be able to help and if does all go all Amity out there, you’ll get warned!

Check out the full details on beach safety and the patrols here .

So there you have it – a quick guide to Tin City and the Tin City tours at Stockton Beach. So, have I tempted you to go? Let me know in the comments.

Who Writes Differentville?

My name is Helen Foster and I’m a journalist and author living in Sydney.

My travel articles have been published in titles including The Australian, Body & Soul at the Sunday Telegraph, RAC Horizons, Jetstar magazine and more.

I like the weird, the wonderful and anything that makes me jump and down with glee like I’m about three. That’s what you’ll find here.

4 thoughts on “So Cool! The Unique Tin City, Stockton Beach, NSW.”

Tin City was not used in Mad Max. The rumour that it was, started because of its similarity to the shacks at Avalon beach Victoria, where the actual shots were filmed. And for so many articles to report this with not one shred of evidence is so misleading, especially to anyone thinking they’re visiting a genuine Mad Max movie location. It is not hard to compare Tin City with what is actually the location at Avalon Beach to know it is completely different. Adrian Bennett – Mad Max Museum

Thanks for letting me know… appreciate the update. I do try and double-check things I write, but as you’re aware, there’s a lot of very reputable sites saying that it was the location (and not just newspapers or Wikipedia, I never quite trust those). I guess it’s one of those stories that’s turned into an urban myth (I know Thunderdome was filmed in part in NSW, so maybe it ended up on the cutting room floor?) but you’re far more knowledgeable than me. I only watched Thunderdome after I went to Coober Pedy and have never seen the other two! Silverton is on my must-visit list so will definitely come to the museum when I’m there.

The actual desert scenes in Beyond Thunderdome were filmed at Cronulla in Sydney – https://www.madmaxmovies.com/mad-max-beyond-thunderdome/filming-locations/kurnell-crashed-747-plane-set/index.html

As for Tin City it never existed until a land claim was submitted for Stockton Beach and the story was spread as to its looooonnnnggg history to give it heritage value to stop it from being bulldozed.

Nothing really existed at Tin City until the 1970’s as nothing can be found on any aerial photo or map prior to then.

In addition my grandmothers family lived “next door” for three generations and nobody including myself can remember any settlement on the beach prior to the 1970’s

That’s so interesting. I love all the different stories people have about the place – and the different Mad Max locations.

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4WD Tours Port Stephens

Come and experience the beauty of Stockton Sand Dunes and Tomaree National park near Port Stephens, NSW Australia. You can bring your own 4 Wheel Drive and tag along with our experienced guide or if you don’t have a 4 Wheel Drive we have passenger tours available.

4WD Tagalong Tour and 4WD Training

Enjoy this popular Port Stephens holiday activity on Stockton Sand Dunes and receive 4WD Training for free. Why go out 4WD’ing by yourself and worry about mechanical problems and expensive recovery when you can tag-along with 4WD Tag-along Tours. You can just have fun and learn the safest ways to use your 4WD off-road at the same time!

Do you want to know what your 4WD is capable of? How to prepare and handle your vehicle on the sand and how to recover your vehicle if you get stuck? An experienced guide can provide this training for free as part of our 4WD Tag-Along tour. Just bring your 4WD and we will take you safely over Stockton Sand Dunes, the largest sand dunes in the Southern hemisphere. We will teach you while you have a great day out with us.

4WD Tag- Along Tours on Stockton sand dunes at Port Stephens operate daily 7 days a week. Tours last for approximately 3 ½ hours and include sandboarding, Aboriginal sites and a visit to Tin City.

4WD Guided Passenger Tours

Don’t Have A Four Wheel Drive?

If you don’t have a 4WD Tag-Along Tours have passenger vehicles available to take you on a tour of the beautiful Stockton sand dunes or Tomaree National Park safely and hassle free. Choose a 4WD Guided Passenger Tour where you can enjoy the safety and comfort of an air-conditioned 7 seater four wheel drive.

Sand-boarding and National Park fees are included on all tours!

• Bush, Beach & Dunes Tour

Departure Times: 10am & 2pm

3 hour Tour. 4WD Tag-Along Tours are the only licenced providers of the Bush, Beach & Dunes Tour who can take you see the hidden secrets of Port Stephens that only the locals know.

Visit Tomaree National Park and see the spectacular collection of natures’ finest work. The unique landscape is alive with wildflowers and spot whales passing close to shore in the winter months. Keep your eye out for a Koala high in the trees.

Visit pristine beaches, Samurai, Little Rocky, Birubi, and the Sand Dunes. Sandboard on some of our best sand dunes and enjoy the 360- degree views.

• Sandboarding Tours

10am, 12 noon, 2pm

We have a 1 hour tour that includes driving 3 km along the beach, Pipis, driving up over the sand dunes to the very top, Sandboarding personalised tour to meet your needs. See some sand boarding photos in the gallery.

• Tin City Tours

10am,12 noon, 3.30pm, 5.30pm

On this 2 hour tour we will travel 11km into the sand dunes, show you Tin city, a 360 degree view from the very top of the sand dunes, driving up and over sand dunes, Sandboarding, lagoons, Aboriginal sights, Stop on the beach to look for pipis We will personalise the tour to meet your needs.

• Shipwreck Tours

10am, 3.30pm

3 hour tour travelling 25km into the sand dunes, Tin city, Sygna shipwreck, Stop on the beach to look for pipis, 360 degree view from the very top of the sand dunes, driving up and over sand dunes, Sandboarding, lagoons and Aboriginal sights.

• Anna Bay Post Office, Gan Gan Rd / www.4wdtour.com.au
• [email protected]
• 02 49846112 / 0411296288
• www.4wdtour.com.au

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Come and visit us! A family owned and operated business that loves to share the beauty of the Worimi Conservation Lands. Sandboarding Australia @ 4WD Tours R Us specialise in Sandboarding, Tin City Tours, Sunset Picnics and Sand Surfing. We have a tour for everyone!

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Seniors Adventure Tour

Take the tour, experience the dunes, learn, and have fun....

The windblown sand dunes of Stockton Bight comprise the largest sand mass in mainland eastern Australia. The dune mass moves landward at a rate of up to 10 metres per year.

Aboriginal ties are still inextricably connected to the land through totems, physical mediums etc. The descendants today, still live in the Port Stephens area as they continue to carry out the rights and responsibilities as traditional custodians of land.

The Worimi people are the traditional land owners of the Stockton Bight sand dunes and have left a legacy of historical sites as a testament to their ties within the area. The kinship ties promote the legacy that still lives on in the Worimi community today.

Click here for our Seniors 4WD Adventure fact sheet

A FULLY GUIDED TOUR INCLUDES:

• 11 kilometre of comfortable beach driving
•  “Tin City”, a small makeshift fishing village
• Aboriginal Middens
• Pipis along the waterline
• Enjoy morning or afternoon tea in a unique setting

SENIORS GROUP PRICE: ON APPLICATION BOOKINGS: ESSENTIAL * MINIMUM NUMBER OF 10 PER TOUR

CALL OFFICE DIRECT TO CONFIRM AVAILABILITY.

“Hi Sean, Apologies for the delay, I didn’t go on the trip myself but from the feedback I received from clients it was great fun! It was mentioned in our feedback form as one of the favourite activities for the weekend, even made the fact that we had to cancel whale watching better as both groups got to see whales! Being an Aboriginal group, the middens spot was a nice touch also. Thank you for all of your help, patients and understanding. Next time we come to Port Stephens we will definitely be contacting you again!” Amanda Hansen, Buisness Development Coordiantor for Link-Up NSW

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4WD Sand Dune Tours and Sandboarding

Enjoy 4WD tours on the largest coastal dunes in the Southern Hemisphere. The towering dunes are in the  Worimi Conservation Lands . A fun range of  tours  will take you to the dunes on the Stockton Bight.

Explore the 2,500 hectares of sand dunes that make up Stockton Bight, on a fully guided tour in purpose built 4WD vehicles. Visit "Tin City", a cluster of fishing shacks made out of corrugated iron located right in the middle of the surrounding sand dunes. 

Jump on a tour and tackle some of the largest sand dunes reaching heights of over 30 metres with slopes of up to 60 degrees. Sandboard and surf down the dunes, explore on your own quad bike or sit back and let the experienced tour guides chauffeur you across the breathtaking scenery and historical landmarks. There are various 4WD and sand-boarding tours departing daily from James Patterson Street, Anna Bay. 

Port Stephens 4WD Tours

Port Stephens 4WD Tours have been established for over 11 years. We have the largest fleet of 4WD of...

Sand Dune Safaris

Sand Dune Safaris is a small, non-commercial, family owned and operated business. We have been opera...

4WD Tag-Along & Passenger Tours

4WD Tag-Along & Passenger Tours is the best day out your family will have all year round. Tag-Along ...

4WD Tours R Us

Join Sandboarding Australia @ 4WD Tours R Us for a sandboarding tour on the spectacular sand dunes o...

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Tin City Safari

Join Sand Dune Safaris for a relaxing drive along Stockton Beach & discover the hidden outpost of "Tin City", emerging out of the dunes like a mirage! Beginning in the 1890's as two tin huts for shipwreck survivors, it then grew to over 36 huts during the 1930's. Eleven huts are still standing! A popular setting for film/photo shoots and photography enthusiasts. Learn the fascinating story behind Tin City, as well as the dunes and WW2 military history.

On the way back down the beach you will stop and hunt for pipis, before driving into the magnificent dunes for some awesome sandboarding thrills!

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Offer multiple options for booking - web, email, phone

Welcomes and assists people who have challenges with learning, communication, understanding and behaviour. (includes people with autism, intellectual disability, Down syndrome, acquired brain injury (ABI), dyslexia and dementia)

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Can we book a private tour to Tin City/Sand Dunes...

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Can we book a private tour to Tin City/Sand Dunes and how much would this cost. We are 5 Adults and 2 children 3 and 4 years of age.

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