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Castaways 8/17 Shoal Bay Road - The crystal clear waters of Shoal Bay

Shoal Bay apartment with balcony

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Photo gallery for Castaways 8/17 Shoal Bay Road - The crystal clear waters of Shoal Bay

A beach with clear turquoise water, a pier, and boats.
A balcony with a view of the sea, a table, chairs, and a parked car.
A modern living room with a gray sectional sofa, a wooden coffee table, and a dining area with white chairs. A kitchen is visible in the background, and there is a large glass door leading to a balcony with a view of the water.
A modern kitchen with white appliances, a dining area with white chairs, and a brick wall with artwork.
A spacious balcony with a view of the sea, furnished with white chairs and a wooden table.

Reviews

8.4 out of 10
Very good

Entire apartment

4 bedrooms1 bathroomSleeps 8

Popular amenities

  • Washer
  • Free WiFi
  • Parking available

Explore the area

View in a map
Shoal Bay, NSW
  • Place, Shoal Bay Beach
    ‪2 min walk‬
  • Place, Tomaree National Park
    ‪2 min walk‬
  • Place, Zenith Beach
    ‪10 min walk‬
  • Airport, Newcastle, NSW (NTL-Williamtown)
    ‪37 min drive‬

Room options

About the area

Shoal Bay

Seaside stay .Within a 5-minute walk of the apartment, you'll find Shoal Bay Beach and Tomaree National Park. Zenith Beach and Little Island are also within half a mile (1 km).
View more Apartments in Shoal BayOpens in a new window

What's nearby

  • Shoal Bay Beach - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Tomaree National Park - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Zenith Beach - 10 min walk - 0.9 km
  • Mount Tomaree - 2 min drive - 0.8 km
  • Nelson Head Lighthouse - 5 min drive - 3.1 km

Getting around

  • Newcastle, NSW (NTL-Williamtown) - 34 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Zenith Cafe, Restaurant and Bar - ‬4 min walk
  • ‪Magnolia. - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Dolphin Watch Cafe - ‬4 min drive
  • ‪Seabreeze Bakery Cafe - ‬1 min walk
  • ‪Atmos - ‬3 min walk

About this property

Castaways 8/17 Shoal Bay Road - The crystal clear waters of Shoal Bay

Take a fun and relaxed beachside break with your family in this top-floor unit at Castaways, directly across from beautiful Shoal Bay Beach. With the sand and gentle surf at your doorstep and an easy 200m stroll to the shops, restaurants & cafes that line the foreshore, this is the perfect spot for a great family holiday. The Shoal Bay foreshore offers shaded grassed areas with picnic tables and BBQ facilities, and you can hire kayaks and stand-up paddle boards during the holiday period. When you're feeling adventurous, a 600m walk brings you to the famous Tomaree Mountain where you follow the trail up the summit for spectacular views over the pristine Port Stephens coastline. It's also just a short 3km, or 5-minute drive to Nelson Bay, where dolphin watch cruises depart daily from the marina.

Enjoy magnificent, uninterrupted water views out across the bay and the headlands from the balcony of this top floor, 4-bedroom apartment. Sit out in the delicious sunshine with the fresh ocean breeze and scent of salt in the air, and watch the boats sail by – with views this stunning, you'll never want to leave!

The open plan living area is spacious, light and airy, perfect for relaxing after a day at the beach. High ceilings with open beams, exposed brick walls and a wall of glass facing the sparkling turquoise waters provide unique character and comfort in this original-condition holiday home. The living area has a comfortable corner lounge with flat screen TV and a dining area with modern table and 8 chairs. The kitchen is equipped with microwave, oven, stovetop and a fridge/freezer.

Two of the bedrooms offer queen beds, while the 3rd is fitted with 2 single beds and the 4th bedroom has a set of bunk beds. All 4 bedrooms have freestanding wardrobes. The bathroom comes with a shower (with curtain), a vanity with a full sized mirror and a toilet.

There is also an internal laundry with washing machine and undercover off-street parking for one car, with drive in entry from the back of the units at Lillian Street.

Important Notes:
- Heaters, linen and bedmakes are provided for this property.
- There are 29 exterior stairs to this top floor unit.

Respectful Stays (The Not-So-Fine Print)
We want you to fully enjoy your time away, and we also ask that guests help us look after the home and the surrounding community. To keep things comfortable for everyone:
- This is a no-party property
- Quiet hours are between 9pm - 8am (as per council regulations)
These guidelines help ensure Port Stephens Accommodation homes stay available for future escapes (yours included) and that local neighbours remain welcoming to visitors.

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Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in the apartment: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Parking on site

Food and drink

  • Freezer
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Refrigerator
  • Stovetop

Bedrooms

  • 4 bedrooms
  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • 1 bathroom
  • Shower

Entertainment

  • TV

Outdoor areas

  • Balcony

Laundry

  • Laundry facilities
  • Washing machine

Pets

  • No pets allowed

Suitability/Accessibility

  • Smoking not allowed

Location highlights

  • In the mountains
  • Near the sea

Things to do

  • Cycling nearby
  • Fishing nearby
  • Golfing nearby
  • Hiking/biking trails nearby
  • Swimming nearby

Safety features

  • Carbon monoxide detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector)
  • Smoke detector (host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property)

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 3:00 PM

Check-out

Check-out before 10:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools

Pets

  • No pets allowed

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.

Events

No events allowed

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property
This property is managed through our partner, Vrbo. You will receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account, where you can change or cancel your reservation
Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy.
A cash deposit, credit card, or debit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in.
Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
    This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business, or profession. Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited. For guests' safety, the property includes a smoke detector in each accommodation.

Property Registration Number PID-STRA-20635

Property is also known as

Castaways Unit 8/17 Shoal Bay Road Apartment
Castaways Unit 8/17 Apartment
Castaways Unit 8/17 Shoal Bay Road
Castaways Unit 8/17
Apartment Castaways, Unit 8/17 Shoal Bay Road Shoal Bay
Shoal Bay Castaways, Unit 8/17 Shoal Bay Road Apartment
Apartment Castaways, Unit 8/17 Shoal Bay Road
Castaways, Unit 8/17 Shoal Bay Road Shoal Bay
Castaways Unit 8 17 Shoal Road
Castaways Unit 8/17 Shoal Bay Road
110_141

Frequently asked questions

How close is Castaways 8/17 Shoal Bay Road - The crystal clear waters of Shoal Bay to the airport?

This apartment is 23.5 mi (34-min drive) away from the Newcastle, NSW (NTL-Williamtown) airport, the closest popular airport to the property.

Does Castaways 8/17 Shoal Bay Road - The crystal clear waters of Shoal Bay have an airport shuttle?

Airport shuttle services are not available at this apartment.

How close is Castaways 8/17 Shoal Bay Road - The crystal clear waters of Shoal Bay to the beach?

This apartment is a short 1-minute walk from Shoal Bay Beach and 9-minute walk from Zenith Beach. Don't forget your sunscreen!

Does Castaways 8/17 Shoal Bay Road - The crystal clear waters of Shoal Bay offer free breakfast?

This apartment does not offer free breakfast.

Is there a casino at Castaways 8/17 Shoal Bay Road - The crystal clear waters of Shoal Bay?

No, there is no casino at this apartment.

What time is check-in at Castaways 8/17 Shoal Bay Road - The crystal clear waters of Shoal Bay?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

Is there free parking at Castaways 8/17 Shoal Bay Road - The crystal clear waters of Shoal Bay?

Free parking is not available at this apartment.

Does Castaways 8/17 Shoal Bay Road - The crystal clear waters of Shoal Bay have a pool?

This apartment does not have a pool.

Does Castaways 8/17 Shoal Bay Road - The crystal clear waters of Shoal Bay have a spa?

There are no spa services available at this apartment.

How close is Castaways 8/17 Shoal Bay Road - The crystal clear waters of Shoal Bay to downtown Shoal Bay?

This apartment is 0.4 mi away from Shoal Bay.

Castaways 8/17 Shoal Bay Road - The crystal clear waters of Shoal Bay Reviews

Reviews

8.4

Very good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 10 out of 20 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 4 out of 20 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 5 out of 20 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 20 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 20 reviews

9.4/10

Cleanliness

Reviews

Verified

10/10 Excellent

Paul C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great spot

Close to everything beach, food, coffee and shops, no car required just walk & bike ride
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2022
Verified

8/10 Good

Katy H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, location
Amazing views from apartment and location. Towels were provided despite being told they were not. We would come back!
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Kylie V.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fun times

View was amazing, lobation was prime spot would come back we had a great time.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2024
Archival

8/10 Good

Happy holidayer

Fabulous location

Fabulous location at a great price. Isn't fancy but is everything you need for a family weekend away at the beach. The agents were extremely helpful and always polite.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Linda M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great location . Beautiful view . Very convenient to water , shops and restaurants. Perfect

Family , swim , walks , eats at restaurants and local fish and chip shop . Perfect Beautiful view . No fuss . Leave the car parking at back of unit and walk everywhere
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

David D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, location, listing accuracy

Mr

Brilliant
Stayed 2 nights in May 2023
Verified

6/10 Okay

Glen P.

Liked: Location
Disliked: Communication, listing accuracy
No follow up response from complaints made on arrival.Pedestal fans either broken, not working and filthy.Fly screen door with no rollers.No pantry for food, so contents of cupboards were placed in the laundry to make room for food.Out of date electrical tags or out of date.No shelves in wardrobes so have to live out of you suit case. Broken electrical switch.Oven seal completely missing, twice as long to cook a meal, etcComplaints put forward to winning properties with no response thus why they have a 2 star rating.
Stayed 6 nights in Feb 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Julie M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely clean apartment with Views, Views & What a View!!!

We had a lovely stay at this apartment, for a weekend getaway with 6 ladies celebrating all of our upcoming 60th Birthdays. The apartment was everything we needed and was close walking distance to restaurants and amenities. The apartment was clean, neat and tidy and the view was just relaxing and lovely to see from the kitchen, dining and lounge areas. The 6 ladies agreed the apartment was a great choice, when we made our booking and when we stayed at apartment, it was the same in the photos.Note for future ppl wanting to stay at this apartment: Steps to the top (Aprx 24) were a bit of an issue, with 2 ladies having some health issues. (But we worked around that) Also, apartment doesn't have an air conditioner, but we were grateful to have pedestal fans in all rooms and the weather was kind to us.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Ashley B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great location and view

Great location right across from the beach. Close to shops, cafes and restaurants. View is spectacular. Very comfortable unit, bedrooms and bathroom a little dark and outdated but was expecting that from the photos. Would definitely stay again.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2021
From a partner site

8/10 Good

A guest from North Rocks, NSW

A little piece of paradise

Rating Details: The property manager was somewhat unhelpful. The vacation rental was clean. I was very happy with the location. I was satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: Perfect location, quiet, accessible and plenty of space.
From a partner site

6/10 Okay

A guest from Faulconbridge, NSW

No Linen

Rating Details: The property manager was more than helpful. The vacation rental was very clean. I was very happy with the location. I was more than satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: I booked this property and added linen 6 months before our stay because it was not included, confirmed that the linen would be there 1 week before and again on the day of key pickup. Surprise, no linen on arrival. Made a very poor start to the holiday. Hint: Just add linen to the final price and provide it automatically like other properties from same organisation. The rental was expensive anyway so another $85 would not make that much of a difference.
From a partner site

8/10 Good

Anonymous A.

Lovely Apt, Great Location

Rating Details: The property manager was adequately helpful. The vacation rental was very clean. I was very happy with the location. I was more than satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: It's the 2nd time we've stayed at the apt. The place is a little dated but has a great view and location. The keys were available 45mins late for pick-up and could have been longer if we didnt query what was happening. While generally cleaned, it wasnt immaculate with dirt on the floor.
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Lisa B.

Shoal Bay delight

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was more than satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: Even though it rained every day we still had a fabulous time, with family. We walked and explored and had such fun, can't wait to go back!
From a partner site

4/10 Poor

Krista S.

Not the best experience.

Rating Details: The property manager was somewhat unhelpful. The vacation rental was somewhat dirty. I was very happy with the location. I was very dissatisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I do not recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: The view was the best thing about this property.The property is outdated.Needs a good spring clean.Be aware they charge $75 for an early arrival or late departure. All other companies I've dealt with it is complimentary.Not to mention as soon as we arrived to pick our keys up, there were handyman waiting for our key also. They needed to come and repair the balcony. This should have been attended to before our arrival.I did send a reply with all of this stated on the departure email we received, no reply.Wouldn't use Winning Holidays again.
Verified

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, location, listing accuracy

Great location

Great location, beach front with walking distance to Shoal Bay shops/restaurants and Mt Tomaree. Living area is light and spacious to suit a family, however bedrooms and bathroom very dated. Safety was a concern with several areas including the balcony as there were large gaps that a toddler could fit through if they tried. Also the front door lock system didn’t work well as the door kept swinging open. Plenty of kitchenware to suit most cooking needs, although would recommend a few more essentials such as Tea bags, sugar, salt/pepper and dishwashing detergents and soap as basics to suit a family size.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2020
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Darren S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Awesome would stay again in a heartbeat

Awesome location awesome apartment.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2019
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Yvette M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great weekend!

So nice to get away. Us 4 girls thoroughly enjoyed every minute. Accommodation was excellent. Close to everything and a perfect view to top it off. Asking for a late check out was not a problem. Would love to stay again.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2019
From a partner site

6/10 Okay

Dec2018

Mixed response

Outstanding location and view, beautiful, well-equipped kitchen, nice dining area, living area and balcony. But remaining areas were disappointing - bedrooms, bathroom, toilet are poorly built and maintained. Would love to come back when rest is renovated.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

john s.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Stayed 2 nights in May 2025