Birubi Beach dog beach

Birubi Beach is the dog beach at Anna Bay, the northern end of the 32-kilometre Stockton Bight sand system in Port Stephens. The draw is simple: a wide, flat ocean beach with genuine off-leash hours rather than a token strip, backed by the huge dunes the area is known for. It sits at the end of Ocean Avenue, with the surf lifesaving club and a large car park at the entrance.

Leash status

From May to September, dogs are off-leash around the clock. From October to April, the rules tighten: off-leash runs only from 5pm to 9am, and dogs must be on leash between 9am and 5pm. Whatever the season, dogs must stay at least 100 metres clear of any flagged, patrolled surf lifesaving area, and Port Stephens Council enforces this with fines starting at $330. Check the signage at the Ocean Avenue entrance on the day, because patrol zones move with the flags.

Water and terrain

The beach is wide white sand with real surf, so it suits confident swimmers more than timid paddlers; the calmer bay-water alternative is Bagnalls Beach at Nelson Bay. Low tide exposes a broad hard-packed running strip that is close to ideal for off-leash fetch. High tide narrows the sand considerably and squeezes everyone closer to the patrolled zone buffer, so recall matters more at high tide, especially in summer when the on-leash clock runs through the middle of the day. The dunes behind the beach are Worimi Conservation Lands: keep dogs out of rehabilitation zones, and note 4WD access onto the sand needs a permit.

Getting there and parking

From Nelson Bay, follow Nelson Bay Road into Anna Bay, then Gan Gan Road, left onto James Paterson Street and onto Ocean Avenue to the car park at the end. Parking is free and large, with direct beach access. Public toilets sit near the entrance. Buses from Nelson Bay stop in the Anna Bay town centre, leaving a walk down to the sand.

Worth knowing

There is no dog-specific wash-down or water station, so bring your own water and a bowl, plus bags because bins are not guaranteed along the beach. The cafes and kiosks at the Birubi Beach precinct cluster near the car park, and some welcome dogs at the outdoor tables, but the sand itself is the main event. Wind is a factor here; the dunes funnel an onshore breeze most afternoons.

When to go

In summer, go early: before 9am the dog is off-leash, the beach is quiet and the tide is usually low. In the cooler months you have the whole day, though mornings still beat the wind. School holidays bring crowds to the patrolled end, which shrinks the practical dog space.

While you're out there

The Anna Bay On-Lead Dog Exercise Area covers the on-leash hours in town, and Bagnalls Beach Off-Lead Dog Exercise Area at Nelson Bay offers calm, shallow water about fifteen minutes away if the surf is up.

Max: low tide here is the biggest fetch runway I have ever had, but I earned a $330 almost-lesson by drifting too close to the flags.

Check the season and the tide before you go, and keep counting paces from the flags. More sand is in other dog beaches in NSW and the Anna Bay guide.