8 Wonderful Things To Do In Jervis Bay, New South Wales

With the world’s whitest sand on some of the best beaches in Australia, chilled towns and untamed bushland, Jervis Bay is one of the most beautiful places in New South Wales. This is my guide to the most wonderful things to do in Jervis Bay to help plan your visit.

Prior to starting my wife and I’s failed attempt at the lap of Australia, we spent a few months road tripping around New South Wales; from the pristine coastline south of Sydney to farming country to remote national parks. One of our favourite spots came just a few days into our drive south from Sydney at the absolutely stunning Jervis Bay.

You’ll find Jervis Bay around 180km south of Sydney past the Royal National Park and Kiama on the Shoalhaven Coast. The bay is well known for the most incredible white sand beaches in Australia but there’s also quiet national parks, small beach towns and plenty of wildlife to spot both on-land and out at sea.

The thing that I found most surprising about Jervis Bay was its size. For some reason, perhaps being used to little bays on Greek islands, I was expecting Jervis Bay to be small, much smaller than I found it to be. I clearly couldn’t judge the size from Google Maps, having pictured long walks on the beach around the ENTIRE bay. How wrong was I! The bay is actually 102km²! If you wanted to drive from Point Perpendicular Lighthouse on the bay’s north entrance to Murrays Beach on the south, it would take around an hour (65km).

Now that you’re here, hopefully you’ll be planning a trip to Jervis Bay soon whether you’re heading for a weekend break from the city or passing by on your Australian road trip. To help you, I’ve pulled together my thoughts on the best things to do in Jervis Bay!

THINGS TO DO IN JERVIS BAY

HYAMS BEACH

Forget Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays, the beach with the whitest sand in the world is right here in Jervis Bay; Hyams Beach. Without doubt, one of the best things to do in Jervis Bay is to simply enjoy this beautiful 2.8km beach which has to be one of the best beaches in the whole of Australia.

The sand is whiter than white and, as you walk across it, will squeak beneath your feet! That apparently is due to the pure white quartz sand being well-rounded and shaped in spheres according to Scientific American magazine. Once you’ve gotten over just how unique the sand is, just take a moment to soak in the views across the crystal clear waters.

If you’re visiting in Summer, expect this beach to be very busy during the day (best to visit at sunrise or sunset) and note that there will be limited parking. We somehow managed to squeeze the campervan into the tiniest of spots on the side of the road only to be immediately told by a parking warden that we were facing the wrong way!

After dark, if you’re lucky, Hyams Beach is one of the best places in the world to spot the bioluminescence plankton phenomenon when the gentle lapping waves glow a bright neon blue. I was not so lucky unfortunately but it was worth a try!

WHITE SANDS WALK

Along with Hyams Beach, there are many other incredible white sand beaches in Jervis Bay and, completing the beautiful coastal ‘White Sands Walk’, will allow you to experience some of my favourites!

The short 2.5km trail begins at Greenfield Beach before winding along the coast through green forest and across Chinamans Beach to Hyams Beach. We found that Chinamans Beach was far quieter than the start attraction and would easily recommend spending a few hours there instead; the sand is practically identical and just as stunning don’t worry!

BOODEREE NATIONAL PARK

On the southern rim of Jervis Bay, is the lush and remote Booderee National Park with more incredible beaches, botanic gardens, the Cape St George Lighthouse and bush camp spots at Green Patch campsite. Interestingly, Booderee National Park is actually part of the Jervis Bay Territory and not New South Wales; formed to provide the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) access to the sea!

Our favourite spot in Booderee National Park was Caves Beach where we spent a chilled January morning celebrating Emma’s birthday. The main attraction at Caves Beach is, you guessed it, a beautiful cave that frames the beach perfectly. We also loved Governor Head Lookout with views across to Bowen Island at the southern entrance to the bay and Green Patch Beach with crystal clear waters and hundreds of parrots, rosellas and rainbow lorikeets!

Entry into the national park costs $13 per vehicle for 2 days access and, if you’re looking for a camp site, make sure you book in advance with fees being around $25 per night.

HUSKISSON

Huskisson is the main town in Jervis Bay so you can sure that, if you’re heading to Jervis Bay on a day trip or for longer, you will come into Huskisson at some point; for supplies, for a wander or most likely a few drinks and a meal. Whilst recent reviews are mixed, we had a lovely meal at the Huskisson Hotel (you can’t go wrong with a chicken parmigiana) which offers great views across the bay and a veranda for when the heavens decide to open (like it did for us!).

Other top things to do in Huskisson are to catch a movie at the charming Huskisson Pictures and to grab a cold beer at Jervis Bay Brewing Co.

JERVIS BAY MARITIME MUSEUM

Whilst in Huskisson, you should visit the Jervis Bay Maritime Museum if you fancy learning a little about historic vessels and see local maritime artefacts. One of the last surviving wooden ferries that operated in Sydney Harbour, the Lady Denman, can be seen at the museum which interestingly was built in Huskisson when the area was known for its shipbuilding rather than as a tourism destination.

Adults – $12.50
Children (under 16) – Free when accompanied by an adult

Website

MOONA MOONA PARK

We visited Moona Moona Park on a recommendation from a local in Huskisson. Just outside of town is this beautiful parkland with a little inlet perfect for kids to splash about in and, if you like an adrenaline hit, many were jumping off the bridge into the creek below (though please do so at your own risk!). The creek is tidal so just be careful and make sure you supervise the little ones! After spending a few nights in a free camp on the A1, we headed here first thing to get a great (free) parking spot overlooking the inlet, the beach and Jervis Bay beyond. I still have such fond memories of peaceful cups of tea and endless games of Yahtzee in the campervan here.

WILD KANGAROOS

One of Australia’s most famous marsupials, you’ll have a good chance of spotting wild kangaroos all across Jervis Bay. When we visited, we stayed at the Bushy Tail Caravan Park in Wrights Beach where kangaroos wandered the site as though it belonged to them! It made for an interesting morning cup of tea!

Caves Beach in Booderee National Park is also a great place to spot kangaroos!

SPOT WHALES, SEALS & DOLPHINS

Jervis Bay’s clean waters are a protected marine park with over 210 reef fish species as well as sharks, rays, birds and reptiles. Jervis Bay is one of the best spots on the New South Wales coast to see dolphins and seals as well as humpback whales during their annual migration between May and November. Whilst the majority of whales pass by the entrance to the bay, some will actually come right in! We unfortunately didn’t visit at the right time (we were there in January) so we didn’t see any whales!

That wraps up my guide to the most wonderful things to do in Jervis Bay; it’s definitely an absolute must-visit when in New South Wales. If you have any comments at all or would like more information, please let me know in the comments below!

WHERE NEXT?

Ok, let’s be honest, it’s taken me long enough to find the time to publish guides covering my time in Australia. Now though, the majority of them are linked below, so wherever you’re heading you’re likely to find what you need below!

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