Top 8 Things to Do in Jervis Bay

Jervis Bay is the place of dreams! Gorgeous white sand beaches, wild wallabies and kangaroos and plenty of greenery. It’s an easy weekend trip from Sydney, at only 3 hours south of the city. Here are my top 8 things to do in Jervis Bay.

Getting around:
You will need a car to visit the whole bay are. We hired a car from Car Next Door, which is good value (around $30 a day plus $0.33 per km) and as you pick it up on the street you can choose whichever times suit you (lots of car hire companies close at 3pm on Sundays). If you have a car you will be able to explore

If you don’t drive you can also get the train from Sydney to Bombaderry (via Kiama) and then a bus to Jervis bay. However the buses don’t go further than Hyams beach and aren’t too frequent.

Where to stay:
We stayed at the cheapest hotel we could find (Jopen Complex) which was around half an hour drive from Hyams beach. It was really good value for money but the location was a bit out of the way. If you’re visiting during a warmer season you might opt to camp.

Booking.com

8) Eat in one of the many cute cafe’s in Huskisson

The main town on Jervis Bay, Huskisson is full of cute shops and cafes (make sure you check out the cinema!). We had lunch one day at Nutmeg and another day at the Huskisson Hotel. The hotel/pub boasts a large outdoor terrace with views over the bay.

 

7) See the Kiama blowholes

Not exactly in Jervis Bay, but if you’re travelling from Sydney it’s a perfect stop off point. The main blow hole is located right near the lighthouse, we also stopped off at the little blow hole (pictured) just so we could compare!

6) Watch the sunset at the Hole in the Wall

The Hole in the Wall Beach gets its name from the sandstone rock wall with a hole in it located on the eastern end of the beach. The hole has now collapsed and formed a U shape. The wall is located within the Booderee National Park so you will need to pay a $12 per car entrance fee (see number 5 for more information).

TOP TIP – You can align the setting sun to be inside the hole in the wall around half an hour before sunset.

 

5) Go bush walking in Booderee National Park

There are plenty of bush walking trails in the Booderee National Park, with the gentle terrain and well signposted trails providing easy walking conditions. Walks range from a few hundred metres to several kilometres and there will be ample opportunity to enjoy the scenery and spot local wildlife.

The Munyunga waraga dhugan loop walk offers panoramic views over Jervis Bay and you may see sea birds, penguins, seals, dolphins or whales from the Governor Head lookout. The walk is a 5.4km loop starting from Murrays Beach car park and is clearly marked, you will need around 2.5 hours to complete it. Alternatively you could just walk the 1.1km to Governor Head from Murrays Beach car park.

Entrance to the park is $12 per car, and will give you access for 2 days (perfect for an overnight camping trip!)

 

4) See some wild wallabies and kangaroos

The Jervis Bay Area is full of wallabies and kangaroos, so this is the perfect place to come and find them! We saw lots inside the Booderee National Park, especially at Cave Beach.

*Please remember not to feed them nor get too close*

3) Watch the beach come alive at night with bioluminescent plankton

Noctiluca scintillans, are a tiny plankton which can glow when disturbed by waves or currents. You need very specific conditions to catch the bioluminescent plankton. Unfortunately when I visited in early September there wasn’t any visible however I have gathered some information to help you all have the best chance of seeing them!

1. It must be night (obviously)
2. The water must be rich in nutrient and warm
3. Warm temperatures = warm waters (i.e. spring-summer months)
4. More common during the transition seasons between winter & spring (September/October) and spring & summer (January) when the waters suddenly become significantly warmer
5. High water acidity
6. Onshore wind & the right tides
7. Look out for a pink-coloured slick on the water by day
8. The best place to catch site of the bioluminescent plankton is at St Georges Basin.

2) Spot some dolphins and humpback whales

From late May to late November you can catch site of humpback, false killer, minke, pilot and southern right whales, fur seals, little penguin, hundreds of common dolphins, their resident bottlenose dolphins. You’ll need to go on a tour out of the bay to catch site of the whales but you might be lucky enough to see dolphins from Hyam’s beach.

 

1) Chill on Hyams Beach

Stretching over 2.8km Hyams beach is rumoured to have the whitest sand in the world. The water is also crystal clear and the beach backs onto bush! It really is a piece of paradise.

TOP TIP – Parking is to the north of the beach so the southern part is mostly empty.

There is a military airfield located near Hyams beach so you cannot fly your drone from 8:30am and 11:00pm from Monday to Thursday and from 8:30am to 12:00pm  (lunchtime) on Fridays. So you can fly until a little bit after sunrise any day of the week, after lunch on Fridays and all weekend. Find out more.

We had an amazing weekend in Jervis Bay, and definitely want to return! Another great day trip from Sydney is the Figure 8 pools and Sea Cliff Bridge.

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