White sands, calm beaches, camping, beautiful nature, challenging (and not so challenging) hiking and even some modern ruins. Jervis Bay is a town like few before it, under-visited and surprisingly important to our history as a nation.
If you ask any person from Newcastle to name some of the places along the northern NSW coast they would have no trouble rattling off probably anywhere between 5 and 10. But ask them about the south coast and you might get 1 or 2.
Interestingly, Newcastle is fairly equidistant to the state border in both directions but for some reason if we want to go on holidays we tend to avoid Sydney as much as possible and just head north.
When I came to this realisation of a somewhat subconscious bias towards the north, I decided it was time for it to end. So I booked our little family a weekend down in Jervis Bay over the Australia Day long weekend. It’s a beautiful spot, unfortunately we didn’t have the best weather, but there’s still a plethora or things to do at any time of year.
Day 1
We left pretty early on the Saturday morning and the drive to and through Sydney was pretty standard. But once we left the M7 things started to get really interesting. We were only 3 hours from home and we could have been anywhere. We were driving through little, hilly backroads until we actually reached a place called Kangaroo Valley. It felt like an hour of small streets and regular turns. No highway here.
Kangaroo Valley is a quiet township of just over 800 people in the Shoalhaven region that consists of a few cafes, a general store, some small retailers and a few B&Bs. Very unassuming, but perfect for the passerby to stop and refuel. We had a pie at the bakery and looked through some very old books and records at the antique book store. Some were published in the 1800s. Incredible!
From Kangaroo Valley Jervis Bay was a short 45 minute drive away. One we were comfortably checked in to our motel in Huskisson we began to explore the area on foot, which led us through the main street of Huskisson, past the Voyager Memorial Park and along the beaches. There is an amazing walking track that stretches for kilometres. It’s very busy, packed with many walkers and cyclists alike.
As Kynie and Bear were getting tired we turned back, and while they had a nap I went for a ride back along the same track to see how far it went. I made it past Vincentia and took the road way back for a change of scenery.
We didn’t need anything fancy for dinner so we just opted for Club Huskisson but you know what, I had one of the best schnitzels you could ask for, it was a behemoth. I recommend.
Day 2
Since it wasn’t exactly “sitting-on-the-beach” weather, we decided that it was definitely “hike around the beach” weather. So we drove to Greenfield Beach and set off. Since it wasn’t overly hot it was a beautiful day for a walk. We passed many beaches, walked through bush filled with native Australian trees and plants and ended up at the famous Hyams Beach. Famed for having some of the whitest sand in Australia. (Though I’ve been to Whitehaven Beach and I’d argue that’s whiter).
I won’t lie, with such heavy cloud cover I was a little disappointed that the colours weren’t as vibrant as I’d been promised by the internet, but the sand was just as soft and the atmosphere just as lively. Though note we visited during the school holidays and the beach was as packed as you would expect it to be near the entrance. But if you walked even just 5 minutes down the beach it was easy enough to find your own little spot of paradise.
We walked back largely the same way as we came, but I took a detour up the Scribbly Gum Track, a short loop that leave the main track and goes a bit deeper and a bit steeper into the bush. It was more of the same but the brush was much denser with a LOT more ferns.
After refueling with lunch, and since it was still not “sitting on the beach” weather, we headed out to Booderee National Park. We bought a 24 hour pass for $11 and started exploring. The national park is filled with walking tracks, camping grounds, and of course, more beaches.
We started at the Ruined lighthouse, which gave an insight into the politics and history of the region as the lighthouse was built. However, it was built in a poor area, so it was eventually abandoned for a better spot up the coast. Being perched on a coastal hill though it offered some pretty spectacular views of the coastline.
We were still eager to see some beaches, since they are supposed to be some of the best in the country, so we ended up at Murray’s Beach, at the south end of Jervis Bay and Booderee National Park. The beach is just a short 5 minute walk from the car park.
Murray’s Beach is at the Southern End of the Bay and is a safe spot for swimming with families or even snorkelling if you came prepared. Adjacent to Murray’s Beach is Bowen Island, home to over 10,000 fairy penguins. The best time to see them is at dusk as they return from a big day of fishing.
Day 3
Since our National Parks pass was a 48 hour pass we used it again and headed back into Booderee National ParkOn our last day in the Jervis Bay area.
We started at Green Patch, which seemed like a very large camping ground right on the beach and nestled in national park forest.
The first thing you notice is how tame the birds are. They are everywhere and if you have a decent lens on your camera you’ll have a ball trying to get some great photos of them. I know I did!
Oh and one other thing, please, please, PLEASE, don’t feed the birds. There are signs everywhere because it messes with their diet, and yet I saw at least 3 groups of people doing. Not cool.
If you keep your eyes peeled you might even spy some kangaroos. Again, please don’t feed them, keep your distance and just take photos.
There’s a lovely walk from Green Patch out to Bristol Beach, which is very secluded, but if you want to stay for while, make sure to come at low tide!
The Scottish Rocks was another sight that you need to see at low tide. It’s supposed to be pretty cool but we mistimed it and all we saw was beach, sand, water, and a few rock pieces that happened to breach the water level. At least it was a nice walk (15 mins) out through bushland to see it. I won’t bother including a photo because it just looks like water.
Lastly we walked through the Booderee National Park Botanic Gardens, a great collection of Australian flora and fauna in the one spot, all labeled. We had a pram and had no trouble navigating the paved pathways boardwalks throughout 90% of the park. It was such a beautiful place to walk around, especially if you love the colour green. It’s such a perfect setting and you really do feel like you could get lost amongst the trees, moss-covered walkways and nature.
But don’t worry, it’s very easy to navigate and the maps and paths are well marked.
This was our last stop in Jervis Bay before we headed home. However the story is not over yet. On the way out we stopped at Fitzroy Falls, which is near Kangaroo Valley. The viewing platform is a mere 5 minute walk from the carpark. The falls look like they are just a few metres away drop 822 metres down into the valley floor. It’s really an incredible sight.
If we had more time it would have been great to do a hike as there are quite a few in the area which give very different vantage points of the falls. But with a 6 month old you have to make choices like getting back on the road.
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Great read. I understand the struggle of traveling with a baby. Babies tend to have their own ideas for scheduling a day. :)
Wonderful spot for a family weekend! Murray’s beach looks amazing and I would love to hike through the national parks.