WHAT makes Port Stephens different from other coastal communities is the raw beauty.

Climb up Tomaree or visit the Gan Gan Lookout on Lilly Hill in Nelson Bay and you will soon realise what I mean.

The beaches and colour of the water along with the conical shapes of Stephens Peak and other headlands are but a few of the attractions.

Of great interest to me is the chain of islands and rocky outcrops off the coast.

Maybe it is the Robinson Crusoe in me, but I am really fascinated by islands.

Fingal Island is the most southerly and the one that I have visited on the most occasions.

The fishing and exploring options are endless and the history of the lighthouse, which dates back to 1862, reflects the lifestyle of the early pioneers.

Moving north Boondelbah and Cabbage Tree Islands are only kilometres apart yet have a very different personality.

The vegetation of Cabbage Tree Island consists mostly of subtropical rainforest.

The two prominent gullies on the western face are dominated by the Cabbage Tree Palm.

These distinctive palms give the island its name.

Cabbage Tree Island is the only forested offshore island in New South Wales coastal waters and the rain forest it supports is the most southerly offshore rainforest in Australia.

The most spectacular of the island’s inhabitants are the birds.

More than 100 species have been recorded on and around this small outcrop of land.

Most notable among these is the rare Gould’s Petrel.

This enigmatic seabird comes ashore only to breed and does so on Cabbage Tree Island.

Further north again is Broughton Island which has a history all of its own.

By John ‘Stinker’ CLARKE