Stockton Beach

**Mad Aussie** · 08-09-2013, 06:38 AM

These photos were all taken about 50 metres from where I've been living this past month.

Stockton Beach is located north of the Hunter River in New South Wales, Australia. It is 32 km (20 mi) long and stretches from Stockton, to Anna Bay making it the longest beach on the Australian mainland. Over many years Stockton Beach has been the site of numerous shipwrecks and aircraft crash sites. In World War II it was fortified against a possible attack by Imperial Japanese forces. During that time it served as a bombing and gunnery range as well as a dumping area for unused bombs by aircraft returning from training sorties. The length of the beach, its generally hard surface and numerous items of interest along the beach make it popular with four-wheel drive (4WD) enthusiasts. Four-wheel drive vehicles are permitted to drive on Stockton Beach provided the vehicles are in possession of valid permits. The beach is also popular with fishermen and several different varieties of fish may be caught.

In some areas it is as much as 1 km (0.6 mi) wide and has sand dunes over 30 metres (98 ft) high although at the Stockton end it is at its narrowest with no dunes. Each year the dunes move north by approximately 4 m (13 ft). The sand on Stockton Beach varies from hard to soft packed and changes daily with the changing winds and weather. The dunes are the largest continuous mobile sand dunes in the Southern Hemisphere.

- taken Jul 2013, Stockton, Newcastle, NSW

Stockton Beach Sunrise by AstroVisual, on Flickr

Nobby's Head by AstroVisual, on Flickr

Stockton Beach Sunrise by AstroVisual, on Flickr

**Iguanasan** · 08-09-2013, 07:41 AM

Heck of a beach! And some lovely images of it. If I had to pick a favourite it would be number 3 from this set. I love the colour.

**Marko** · 08-09-2013, 09:37 AM

Wonderful set MA! As we speak #1 and #2 are battling it out for my fave vote - too soon to tell who will win though I hear the judge is partial to underlit clouds so #1 may have the advantage.

**Mad Aussie** · 08-09-2013, 04:38 PM

Thank you gents. I think #3 is my fav personally.

Those calm waters hold some secrets ... there's been a few Great White Shark attacks along this beach, a murder, and several shipwrecks. If I had a 4WD capable of driving on the dunes I'd go out and get photos of one wreck about half way along the beach.