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Point Stephens - NSW

Point Stephens

Cape,Headland,Point

Position

DEG: -32.74767 152.20177

DMS: 32º 44' 51.61" S 152º 12' 6.36" E

UTM: 56 H 6376404mN 425220mE

Altitude: 8.56m

Place Type

Geography - Cape,Headland,Point

Location

154.5kms NorthEast of Sydney
398.62kms NorthEast of Canberra
590.28kms South of Brisbane

Address & Contact

Lighthouse Trail
Fingal Bay NSW 2315

Phone: N/A

Email: N/A

Web: N/A

Information

‘Point Stephens’ is the location of the historic Port Stephens lighthouse that was opened in 1862 after local petitioning since the late 1830s, along with a lightkeepers residence. Also referred to as the ‘outer’ lighthouse (the Port Stephens ‘inner’ lighthouse at Nelsons Bay was later erected in 1872) was only built after the coastline surrounding the entrance to Port Stephens had already claimed 24 ships.

Point Stephens was originally connected to the mainland via a 180 metre wide, and above storm surge four-metre high vegetation-covered land bridge, until it was destroyed and washed away by the devastating Maitland Gale in 1891 becoming the intermittent sand spit visible today.

Although it has been sometimes accessible at low tide, the two-kilometre journey to the lighthouse via the spit has claimed 15 lives so it is no longer permitted and the only safe way to access the island is by checking the tides and travelling there by kayak or boat. Storms and erosion are constantly impacting and changing the spit, one day it will appear intact, and following a storm, it may be completely gone. The tumultuous, untamed waters only need someone to be attempt the crossing from knee-deep to carry one to their end on one of its fatal currents.

PlaceID	23145

Map

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TrekNotes Near This Place (1)

Stockton Beach

Nearby Places (46)

Wildflowers

Weather

Closest Weather Station

Williamtown at 02/07:30am EST

Distance from Point Stephens 34.56km W

Temperature	Feels Like	Rel. Humidity	Dew Point	Pressure	Rainfall	Wind Direction	Wind Speed	Gusts
13.4°C	12.5°C	94%	12.5°C	1030.8hPa	16.0mm	W	9km/hr 5knots	15km/hr 8knots

Closest Climatic Station

Nelson Bay (Nelson Head)

Distance from Point Stephens 5.62km NW

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Mean Max. °C	27.3	27.0	25.9	23.6	20.7	18.3	17.4	18.9	21.4	23.1	24.7	26.1
Mean Min. °C	18.6	18.8	17.4	14.9	12.0	9.9	8.8	9.6	11.7	13.7	15.7	17.4
Mean Rain mm	99.8	112.9	116.7	127.7	153.5	154.5	141.6	102.8	89.0	78.7	79.5	94.8