The Steps – Port Macquarie

The Steps - Port Macquarie

By ScubaDownUnder Team · 2026-04-25

# The Steps - Port Macquarie

The Steps is a shore-entry dive site on the Port Macquarie coast, named for the access stairway leading down to the water. Despite the beginner-friendly access and shallow depth, it is one of the more interesting dives on the NSW mid-north coast for divers who slow down and look closely. The reef holds weedy seadragons in the kelp, sponge gardens on the rocks, and a wall of boulders home to large cuttlefish, all within an easy shore swim of the entry.

## Quick stats

| Detail | Info | |---|---| | Region | Port Macquarie, NSW | | Skill Level | Beginner | | Depth Range | 3-8 m | | Typical Visibility | 5-7 m | | Water Temperature | 18-24 degrees C | | Best Season | October to March | | Access | Shore entry via the steps |

## The dive plan

The standard route at The Steps goes north from the entry to the sandy line, then turns east heading out of the bay. After about forty metres along the sandy edge the kelp begins, and this is where the weedy seadragons hold position. The kelp gives way to rocks covered in sponges with a range of small reef fish, and once a diver reaches their turnaround pressure, the route loops back toward shore where it meets a wall of large boulders. The boulders are home to giant cuttlefish, and the wall leads back to the exit point at the steps.

The dive works best on slack or incoming tide. A high tide also makes the entry and exit easier, particularly when surge is up. Maximum depth is around eight metres, so air consumption rather than no-decompression limits is what ends the dive.

## The seadragons

Weedy seadragons (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) are the headline species at The Steps. They are camouflage specialists, drifting through the kelp with leaf-like appendages that disguise them against the swaying weed, and they reward patience over coverage. A diver who has not seen one before will almost certainly miss the first dozen they swim past, which is why a guided first dive is a sensible investment.

The seadragons here are reliable across the seasons but most active during the spring and summer breeding period. Males carry developing eggs on their tails for around six weeks before release, which makes them one of the more visible reproductive sequences in temperate Australian reef life. Photographers should approach slowly, keep their lights off or dimmed, and avoid pinning the animal against the kelp.

## Other marine life

The species mix at The Steps reflects the temperate waters of the mid-north coast. Beyond the seadragons, common sightings include bream, old wives, luderick, eastern blue gropers, and large numbers of giant cuttlefish along the boulder wall toward the end of the dive. Cuttlefish are particularly active in winter when they aggregate to breed, and the colour displays of competing males are one of the more dramatic sights available to divers in NSW.

The sponge gardens between the kelp and the boulders host nudibranchs in numbers and variety, which makes the site rewarding for macro photographers. Octopus are common in the rock structure. Small rays cruise the sand patches between features.

## Conditions and safety

Swell is the main constraint. The shore entry is straightforward in calm conditions but can become uncomfortable to dangerous when surf is up, and the site is best avoided on heavy swell days. Visibility is honest at five to seven metres, occasionally better in winter when the offshore current is quieter.

The beginner rating is genuine in terms of depth and current exposure. There is no real current of consequence within the dive plan, and the maximum depth keeps no-decompression limits well out of reach. What the rating does not capture is the value of local knowledge: navigation across the kelp and the boulder wall is easier with a guide on the first dive, and operators in Port Macquarie include The Steps on their training and orientation rotation.

Night diving here is popular and well established. The shore entry simplifies the logistics, the macro life is more active after dark, and the depth keeps the dive within easy limits. A guide remains useful at night for the same navigation reasons.

## Getting there and facilities

The Steps is a shore site with no on-site facilities beyond the access stairway. Port Macquarie town centre is a short drive away, with dive shops, hire gear, air fills, and parking close to the entry point. Several local operators include the site in their training rotation and offer guided dives for visitors.

Parking near the steps is limited and fills quickly on weekends. An early start is sensible, both for the parking and for the calmer water that often sits before the afternoon sea breeze picks up.

## Gear and photography notes

A standard recreational setup is fine for The Steps. The shallow depth and absent current make this one of the more forgiving sites on the coast for gear configuration, which is part of why it works so well for training and for shore-dive setups. A torch is useful even on bright days, since the seadragons and the macro life in the kelp and sponge gardens are easier to spot with a beam picking them out, and essential for the night dives that the site is well known for.

For photography, the site is a macro destination first. A dedicated macro setup with a single strobe and a snoot or a focus light gets the best results on the seadragons, the nudibranchs in the sponge gardens, and the smaller reef fish. The boulder wall toward the end of the dive opens up wider compositions for the cuttlefish, particularly during the winter breeding aggregations when colour displays and competing males make for some of the more dramatic temperate-reef photography in Australia.

A red-filtered torch is worth carrying for night dives and for photographing the seadragons, which are sensitive to bright white light. Approach slowly, keep distance, and let the animal stay in its natural orientation rather than backing it into the kelp.

## Combining with nearby sites

The Steps is a regular fixture in the Port Macquarie dive rotation and pairs naturally with the other shore and shallow-boat sites in the area, including Flynns Beach Reef and Town Beach Headland for similar shallow shore-accessible diving. The Middle Ground is the deeper offshore counterpoint, accessible by boat and offering a different species mix.

For divers building a longer trip, The Steps anchors the southern end of the mid-north coast cluster that runs up through Hat Head, South West Rocks, and Coffs Harbour. A week on the coast can take in shore dives at The Steps, offshore boat dives at the Hat Head Bommie or Fish Rock Cave, and the Solitary Islands further north. Each site has its own character, and The Steps is the consistent shore-dive option that does not depend on boat weather.

## Final notes

The Steps is not a spectacle dive in the way that an offshore site like Fish Rock Cave is. What it is, instead, is a consistently rewarding shallow shore dive with a genuinely interesting species mix. For divers building experience, photographers focused on small subjects, or anyone wanting a relaxed dive with the chance of an iconic Australian species, it sits comfortably in the regular rotation of Port Macquarie diving. The shore entry, the night-dive suitability, and the year-round access make it one of the most-dived sites in the area for good reason.

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*Planning a NSW dive trip? See our [region-by-region guide to the best places to dive in NSW](https://www.scubadownunder.com/blog/best-places-to-dive-in-nsw) for the full overview of dive sites across the state.*