Located in the beautiful coastal area of Port Stephens, Moonshadow-TQC Cruises is an Australian family-owned cruise operator that has been ‘showing off’ the local area to visitors for over 40 years. Moonshadow Cruises boasts the longest history, largest fleet, and biggest boats in Port Stephens and offers a variety of cruises all year round.
Moonshadow Cruises offers Dolphin Watching Cruises, Whale Watching Cruises from May to November, History Cruises and relaxing lunch and dinner cruises. During the summer months, guests can enjoy cruising to Broughton Island. Cruises mostly operate within Port Stephens, north of Newcastle and are renowned for their expertise in navigating these waters.
Moonshadow-TQC Cruises are experts in delivering wonderful cruising experiences. Meet Nelson Bay’s resident bottlenose dolphins on a Dolphin Watching Cruise while soaking up the magnificent views. Moonshadow-TQC Cruises has a 95% success rate in sighting these friendly locals who love to swim alongside the boats.
Whale Watching Cruises run during whale migration season, from May to November. Moonshadow Cruises offers the best way to see these amazing creatures up close, as over 40,000 humpback whales pass through the local waters annually.
During the warmer months, Moonshadow-TQC Cruises runs full-day cruises to the beautiful Broughton Island National Park. The day includes guided historical tours, a picnic lunch and the opportunity for swimming, snorkelling and exploring.
Historical cruises led by local legend and historian John ‘Stinker’ Clarke visit Point Stephens Lighthouse, the Western Harbour and other historical sites and are a wonderful way to learn about the area’s interesting past.
Moonshadow–TQC Cruises is an Australian family-owned and operated business. The Annable family started Moonshadow Cruises on Boxing Day 1981 with one 18-metre sailing vessel, ‘Moonshadow’ and a goal to sail around the world. Twenty years and three larger vessels later, the world dream faded as Moonshadow Cruises continued to grow into a successful, award-winning local enterprise.
Tamboi Queen Cruises, owned and operated by the Aldrich family since 2000, also began with just one vessel and later acquired three more. The business went from strength to strength, becoming one of the most successful cruise companies in the Port Stephens area.
In 2015, both families decided to merge their businesses into one company. Moonshadow-TQC Cruises was born and exciting new cruises were developed. Since then, the company has received a host of tourism awards and in 2021 entered the Hall of Fame for dedication to sustainability and green practices.
Moonshadow-TQC Cruises is located in beautiful Port Stephens in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, a two-and-a-half-hour drive north of Sydney, just north of Newcastle. Port Stephens is known for its beautiful coastline, beaches, coastal walks, sand dunes, pristine waters and marine park. The area includes Nelson Bay, Shoal Bay and Anna Bay.
Nelson Bay is known for its resident population of bottlenose dolphins, with Port Stephens-Great Lakes Marine Park home to over 140 dolphins. These include the Indo-Pacific bottlenose, common bottlenose, and common dolphins. Dolphin spotting is a popular activity for locals and visitors alike.
Moonshadow Cruises offers lunch cruises. Like the popular Dolphin Watch Cruise with an optional buffet lunch. There’s also the Broughton Island Cruise with a picnic lunch in the summer months.
Moonshadow-TQC Cruises has an impressive seven vessels in its fleet. Their cruises run to schedule with guaranteed departures every day of the year, except Christmas Day.
Our team is always happy to help if you have any questions about us or our tours. Fill out our form and we will get back to you soon.
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We are a Green Travel Leader. This is awarded to businesses which have consistently proven their commitment to sustainable tourism management over ten years.
As a Sustianable Tourism accredited business, we are proud to offer engaging tourism experiences that follow sound sustainability practices and environmental appreciation.
Quality Tourism accredited businesses like Fun Over 50 lead the way by offering the highest industry standards of customer service, satisfaction, reliability, and ethical practices.
We are committed to operating in ways that respect and reinforce Indigenous cultural heritage and the authenticity and integrity of living cultures of Indigenous communities.
We have incorporated strategic climate change responses across all relevant levels of our planning and operations. We are working towards becoming carbon neutral.
With Advanced Ecotourism certification, we offer outstanding experiences which let you get back to nature, help conservation, and minimise environmental impact.
We are a credible, well trained, and professional business. We conduct business in compliance with Australian Consumer Law and in accordance with ATAS Charter and Code of Conduct.
The Council of Australian Tour Operators represents tour operators and wholesalers. As a full CATO member, we provide authentic and original holidays with sustainable travel.
We acknowledge the traditional owners of country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them, their cultures, and to the elders both past and present.
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