For some, the day started as early as 5am as preparations got underway for a host of activities listed for Raymond Terrace.

Hungry bellies were kept happy with Raymond Terrace Lions Club members expecting to cook about 90 kilograms of sausages, equating to close to 1,500 sandwiches.

Parading dogs played up to the crowds in a dog show down by the riverside, as returning performers the Ship-O-Fools also made an appearance.

Port Stephens Mayor Bob Westbury declared the day a complete success.

"We gave away 2,000 flags, two packs of one thousand each," he said.

"It was just a bumper day."

He praised the work of all involved, and congratulated this year's Citizen of the Year recipients.

"Very deserving and nice people," he said.

Port Stephens Australia Day ambassador Susanne Gervay took the opportunity to pay homage to the day, and what being an Australia meant to her.

She was the daughter of two Hungarian refugees who came to Australia in the 1950s.

At Nelson Bay, Fly Point was awash with families as lines stretched for metres at food stalls and children took to popular pony rides.

Cr Westbury said joint operations between police and the council proved a huge success in keeping crowds behaved.