Welcome to Port Stephens

1. We are Local. We live in this area and know the land like it’s the back of our hand with 1000’s of safe ascents.
2. We know our History! The historical aspect of Fort Tomaree during the Second World War can be placed into a broader picture with our WW2 and in particular Pacific War knowledge.
3. Qualified & Trained. We are a professionally qualified outdoor recreation and tour guiding business.
4. Safety. We are trained in first aid and well seasoned practising our skills in remote bushwalking environments. We carry a comprehensive first aid kit in the unlikely event you need a running repair.
5. Communications. We carry communications on each tour to ensure we know what is happening locally with weather, fires and storms.
6. Emergency. We have comprehensive risk assessments of our tours and carry Safe Operating Procedures to ensure we are prepared for every situation we may encounter.
7. Friendly & Fun. We enjoy what we do and love sharing this beautiful mountain and history with you.
8. Memories. We are here to help make your memories, taking pictures of your group, assisting you reach the summit and providing a fun informative service.

Shane & Tina are avid outdoor bushwalking enthusiast and lead our MT Tomaree tours.

Between them they have 1000’s of ascents up to the summit of Tomaree and they both are widely experienced in adventure walks within Australia and internationally to such locations as the Kokoda Trail, Everest Base Camp, MT Wilhelm and MT Kilimanjaro just to name a few places they have hiked.

There knowledge of the pacific war during the World War 2 era is their specialty and will be able to provide a hobble telescope view of the happenings of Fort Tomaree and the Japanese conquest of South East Aisa during 1941 – 1945.

Shane & Tina are both trained in first aid and members of the Surf Life Saving Club at Birubi beach. Shane is also a qualified life guard.

Their delightful personalities and high standards will ensure you enjoy your guided MT Tomaree tour.

Tour Inclusions: water bottle 600ml, completion Certificate, tour commentary of the historical sites, national park fees, public liability insurance and qualified tour guide. A tour duration of up to 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Tour Inclusions: water bottle 600ml, headlamp, completion Certificate, tour commentary of the historical sites, national park fees, public liability insurance and qualified tour guide. A tour duration of up to 1 hour and 40 minutes

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Tour Inclusions: water bottle 600ml, tasting plate of chesses, dips, breads, crackers, orange juice and cold meats, headlamp, completion Certificate, tour commentary of the historical sites, national park fees, public liability insurance and qualified tour guide. A tour duration of up to 1 hour and 50 minutes.

Sturdy walking shoes are an absolute must. You do not require hiking boots however a comfortable set of sports shoes will be sufficient. Thongs are not recommended as they tend to break or catch on objects meaning an uncomfortable walk back to the base of the Mountain.

We do suggest you bring layers of clothing as you can remove or add these items to suit the ever changing environment on the Mountain.

It may be advisable to bring a raincoat if weather looks ominous.

A camera or a mobile phone to take photographs on it considered an essential item these day to ensure you have a great selfie to upload to Facebook. Photographic proof you reached the summit!

Binoculars are an optional item and can be advantageous during whale migration season.

Sunglasses are another optional item as we spend 3/4 of our walk under the canopy of the Mountain’s forest foliage.

Bags are not required unless you intend to bring more items than you can carry in one hand and your pockets.

We supply a 600ml bottle of water (please dispose of this correctly we carry rubbish bags) for your tour however if you feel that you may consume more than this amount in a 1-2 hour period than it is advisable to bring a small additional bottle. In our experience if you are sufficiently hydrated at the beginning of the tour than 600ml is adequate.

Mt Tomaree is a 161m Mountain that begins just above sea level and over the distance of 1 KLM you will ascend to the summit of this Mountain once known as Fort Tomaree.

The guided tours takes place over formed tracks and while it is steep in some sections a sensible pace and duration of tour means the vast majority of general public can take on this tour and complete the walk.

A moderate level of exertion is required and you should always walk at your own pace to reach the summit. Once at the summit you will be rewarded with 360 degree views of Port Stephens.

The descent is taken at the same slow pace to ensure we do not impact our joints or trip on the uneven surfaces of the formed tracks.

If you have a preexisting heart, lung or other issues that could effect you safely summiting you should reassess the need to climb this mountain.

Whilst not being excessively hard to climb please ask us if you are unsure of your suitability for this tour.

The Kokoda Trail, Everest Base Camp & Kilimanjaro are amazing adventures but prior to the trip you can feel a little under prepared for your journey and wish to seek a little advice. The below videos are intended to take away some of the confusion so that you are better prepared.

First Aid Kits & what they should contain.

When trekking in Remote area’s you should always be mindful of what items you may require to treat any aliments that may occur as if you are on the Kokoda trail or Kilimanjaro you will not be able to purchase any such items. Everest Base Camp treks (and Nepal lodge trekking in general) you can buy some supplies but these are mainly limited to the large Sherpa villages so it is best to carry the right things with you.

If you suffer from heyfever, sinus, reflux or any such medical condition you should bring medication to treat this, plan for the worst case scenario and be prepared.

Some items that are worth your consideration include but are not limited to;

Anti-inflammatory tablets and gel (as prescribed by your doctor, remember voltaren and the like take up to 48 hours to relive symptoms so a fast acting tablet such as ibuprofen is great to start with), antibiotics for treating diarrhoea (as prescribed by your doctor), gastro stop, antibacterial gel, betadine liquid (Betadine can also treat your water for purification as a emergency back up if required), blister packs, one roll of broad elasticated bandage, roll of strapping tape, antihistamines, anti sickness tablets, painkillers such as Panadol Forte/Aspirin tablets/capsules, Codral cold and flu tablets, sunscreen, pawpaw cream along with one pack of a general use antibiotics.

Items you should carry in your day pack

This video details the items you should carry in your day pack as overloading your self will bring excess strain on your self.

Packing and sorting your gear will always be a personal preference however there are many such items you should carry that will be required throughout the day and avoid constantly digging through your main pack for in search of the particular item you require.

Sorting and packing your gear for trekking

The following video explains how to separate your gear into different packs of various sizes and colours.

I personally try to use one colour dry bag for each category I separate the items into, allowing the item you are looking for to be easily identified.

You should try to group things into to medications, toiletries, clothing, sleeping gear, general use items, spare batteries, dirty or wet clothing, first aid kit and snacks in to several separate bags for identification.

Avoid using one large dry bag as this means the entire contents will need removal to find the item you are looking for as well when you pack your bag it will need to be inside the backpack to fit the gear in correctly. Trust me I have been through all of these issue in the past.

Cold climate trek gear for Everest Base Camp and MT Kilimanjaro explained

This video will walk you through the items you require to trek in cold climates at altitude.

Simply using ski field clothing will not suffice and will be very uncomfortable whilst trekking, you will require items to keep you warm and safe. Being cold at altitude can lead to altitude sickness such as AMS, HACE and HAPE.

Layers is still the best clothing configuration for these treks and surprisingly enough you will require lightweight items that breath, high altitude trekking be quite warm during the day one minute to freezing cold blistering winds the next, so you will need to be able to regulate your core temperature according.