Stockton, just north of Newcastle, is located 179
km north of Sydney via the Sydney-Newcastle
freeway. It is only 2 km (only five minutes by
ferry) from the Newcastle CBD but, by road, it is
20 km via Mayfield, Kooragan and the Tourle
and Nelson Bay bridges.
Stockton is a peninsula, with the Hunter River at
the south and south-west and the Pacific Ocean
at the east. On the eastern side are sand dunes
and surfing beaches, with numerous
shipwrecks at its north, while on the western
side there are marshes, where many migratory
birds can be spotted.
Despite being technically an inner-city suburb
of Newcastle, Stockton has a country town
atmosphere because of its isolation. It has its
own shops, churches, two clubhouses, three
pubs, a swimming pool, and a caravan park.
Stockton Beach is 32 km long, stretching from
Stockton in the South to Anna Bay at its north-
eastern end.