Your list of things to do in Jervis Bay is pretty exciting, you’ll see some of the whitest sand and clearest water in the world. Jervis Bay is paradise for anyone who likes a beach holiday, snorkeling or kayaking. Its beautiful coastline, walks, wildlife and national parks make it the perfect holiday destination.
Featured Image: Honeymoon Bay © Jordan Robins
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Getting to Jervis Bay
Jervis Bay is about 3 hours from Sydney in the Shoalhaven region of the New South Wales South Coast. From Sydney, make sure you travel along the spectacular Grand Pacific Drive and Sea Cliff Bridge between Sydney and Wollongong.
Beyond Wollongong you’ll also drive through picturesque Shell Harbour, Kiama and Nowra so even though it is a short drive, you could take the best part of a day to get to Jervis Bay if you see all the sights along the way.
- Kangaroo Valley to Jervis Bay – 70 minutes
- Bowral to Jervis Bay – 1 hour 45 minutes
- Goulburn to Jervis Bay – 2 hours 15 minutes
- Canberra to Jervis Bay – 3 hours
- Albury to Jervis Bay – 5 hours 45 minutes
Jervis Bay FAQs
How long do you need in Jervis Bay?
Jervis Bay covers a deceptively large area and has a lot of attractions so allow a minimum of 3 days to look around. Jervis Bay can be broken into 3 areas, and you could easily spend a day in each:
Beecroft Peninsula attractions (north) – Abrahams Bosom Reserve, Gosang’s Tunnel, Point Perpendicular Lighthouse, Honeymoon Bay, Cabbage Tree Beach and the Outer Tubes – a great fishing spot.
The Royal Australian Navy Manages much of the Beecroft Peninsula and the area is sometimes closed for live weapon firing. Check access here.
Huskisson attractions (central) – Hyams Beach, departure point for whale and dolphin cruises, Jervis Bay Maritime Museum, Mangrove Boardwalk, the Round the Bay and White Sands Walks along some of Jervis Bay’s best beaches and the Huskisson Ocean Pool.
Booderee National Park attractions (south) – Murrays Beach and snorkelling, Booderee Botanic Gardens, Governor Head and Ocean Cave Lookouts, Cape St George Lighthouse, Cave Beach.
Beecroft Peninsula Access
One of the quirks of Jervis Bay is that the Northern section – the Beecroft Peninsula is managed by the Royal Australian Navy. Believe it or not, the area is used for live weapons training and when this takes place there is no public access to Beecroft Peninsula. So, before you try to get into Honeymoon Bay, Point Perpendicular Lighthouse or the campgrounds, you will need to check if the peninsula is open.
Do you need a National Park Pass for Jervis Bay?
You do need a National Park Pass for entry to Booderee National Park. These can be purchased online through Parks Australia or at the entry station on your way into the park. It’s worth getting a park pass. Murrays Beach, Cave Beach and the Booderee Botanic Gardens are some of the best things to see in Jervis Bay.
Best Beach in Jervis Bay
Hyam Beach is the most famous Beach in Jervis Bay. It is said to have the whitest sand in Australia and on a sunny day it is stunning – and busy. There are plenty of other gorgeous beaches in Jervis Bay. Also check out Murrays Beach, Cave Beach, Moona Moona Beach, Blenheim Beach and Honymoon Bay to name just a few!
Towns near Jervis Bay
Jervis Bay is a good base for exploring the Shoalhaven region. Besides Huskisson, which is at the heart of Jervis Bay, you can also visit nearby Berrara Beach, Mollymook, Ulladulla and Nowra on the coast and Kangaroo Valley and Berry in the southern highlands.
Things to do in Jervis Bay
Even on a cloudy day the water in Jervis Bay is crystal clear and calls out to you to get in and enjoy it. Our favourite things to do in Jervis Bay were a Sea Kayak tour around the bay, snorkelling at Murrays Beach and crawling through Gosang’s Tunnel. There is a wide range of attractions around Jervis Bay which make a great place to visit.
Jervis Bay Beaches
If you visit the Shoalhaven, you will likely come across the Shoalhaven’s 100 beach challenge. It is fair to say the region is spoilt when it comes to beautiful beaches and turquoise water. If seeing every beach on the list is your goal, you’ll make a good sized dent in it when you visit Jervis Bay. Here are some of the best to get your started:
Hyams Beach
With sand so white it holds a world record, Hyams Beach is the Jewel in Jervis Bay’s crown. It is stunning, but it is also very busy.
Huskisson Beach
A beautiful family friendly beach with every amenity you could want close at hand. Perfect for kayaking and stand up paddle boarding.
Chinamans & Greenfield Beach
Both are on the White Sands Walk and are just next door to Hyams Beach. If Hyams is too busy and you want some white sand, these are great nearby options.
Murrays Beach
Located in Booderee National Park, this is also a popular spot but there is lots of car parking and plenty of sand to go around. The snorkelling here is first rate and the walk to Governor Head is worth doing. It’s a beautiful beach surrounded by eucalypt forests.
Iluka & Green Patch Beach
In Booderee National Park, this long white beach is much quieter than those around Huskisson and no less stunning. Great spot for all your water activities and a good dolphin spotting part of the bay too.
Cave Beach
Another in Booderee National Park. It is a 10 minute walk to the beach, but the short stroll keeps most people away. The result is a pristine beach and as a bonus you get to explore the sea caves along the coastline.
Honeymoon Bay
On the Beecroft Peninsula, this is a simply stunning spot. Kayak, snorkel, swim or just take in the Insta-worthy setting. There is a campground nearby.
Bindijine Beach
Another option on the Beecroft Peninsula and is just up the road from Honymoon Bay, it can be a bit quieter here than Honeymoon.
But wait, there’s more! This only scratches the surface of Jervis Bay’s beaches, there isn’t a bad one amongst them. Whether you want to swim, snorkel, kayak or fish, there is a beach for you. Others to check out include Callala Bay, Shark Net Beach and Cabbage Tree Beach.
Jervis Bay Lighthouses
Cape St George Lighthouse
This is the original lighthouse at Jervis Bay. The Point Perpendicular Lighthouse replaced it when they found the Cape St George Lighthouse wasn’t built in the best location. The ruins are In Booderee National Park, so you’ll need a park pass to see it. And the drive out on Old Lighthouse road had a few potholes for our visit so keep an eye out for them.
You can take the Ruined Lighthouse Walking track around the site. It has some great views and remains of the lighthouse and buildings are interesting to see. It’s a beautiful setting, as you look along the coast keep an eye out for white bellied sea eagles. For a different view of the ruins go to nearby Moes Rock. It is a short walk through thick bush to the rocks.
Point Perpendicular Lighthouse and Lookout
Built in 1899, this intact lighthouse is the replacement for the above mentioned Cape St George Lighthouse. Here, instead of needing a pass to Booderee National Park, you will need to check the Beecroft Peninsula is open. There is an Australian Navy firing range on the peninsula and when there are exercises going on, you can’t get to the lighthouse.
The lighthouse sits 100m above sea level, so the views are fantastic. You can do some whale watching here in winter, also keep an eye out for seals, sea eagles and amazing sunrises. From the lighthouse carpark there is a walking track to the Outer Tubes, a popular rock fishing spot. It’s a 30 minute walk to the rocks.
Things to do in Huskisson
Huskisson Sea Pool
If there is a lap pool in Australia with better views, we’d like to see it! Located in Voyager Park, the Huskisson Sea Pool is a 5 Lane, 48m lap pool. If you struggle for motivation when you swim don’t come here, you’ll likely be too easily distracted by the views to bother doing more than one lap. Entry is free. As you think about doing your laps, you’ll get views over the bay and Myola Spit. At high tide you might get a wave lapping at the pools edge or feel a little sea spray on your face.
Huskisson Pictures
As beautiful as Jervis Bay is, not every day is going to be beach weather. When it is an inside day check out Huskisson Pictures. Built in 1913 the hall has had a variety of uses including a church, a school and a library. It started showing films in the 1950s. Even though the inside is modern, the exterior still has plenty of old world charm. If the weather turns against you, it’s the perfect spot to spend an afternoon.
Jervis Bay Tourism Centre
The Tourism Centre in Huskisson is a bit of a one stop shop for things to do in Jervis Bay. It has the visitor centre, maritime museum and Mangrove Boardwalk (read below for more details on these), and a fish feeding pond. It’s a lovely setting that also features a couple of gardens.
The Wirreecoo Wildflower Garden was re-imagined after the 2001 fires. The Mound garden design that resulted features many local plant species and attracts many birds. The Keith Moore Habitat Garden has accessibility as a major theme. It has an open design and lots of local plants. You can’t miss it as you make your way to the fishpond or mangrove boardwalk.
Jervis Bay Maritime Museum
The museum celebrates the rich maritime history of Jervis Bay and the New South Wales south coast. It is on the same site as the Jervis Bay Tourism Centre. The museum has four sections – Historic Vessels, Jervis Bay History, Surveyors Gallery, Science and the Sea.
The museum features everything from models, photos, and maps to complete boats. The flagship of the museum is the Lady Denman Ferry. Built in Jervis Bay in 1911, it cruised Sydney harbour for 67 years before returning home upon her retirement. There is a small admission fee to the museum, kids under 16 free. Anyone with a bit of seawater in their veins will love it.
Jervis Bay Mangrove Boardwalk
Mangroves are a fascinating coastal environment, and this generous boardwalk is a great way to appreciate it. The 1.4km walk starts behind the Tourism Centre and goes out over the mud flats along Currambene Creek. We were there at low tide and saw crabs scuttling around everywhere, lots of birds and new mangroves. There is no charge for this activity. The walk out to the boardwalk takes you past the Pond – a tidal fish reserve. You can’t fish there but you can feed them, food is available at the visitor centre.
JB Brewing Company
When the sun has gone down, you’ve cleaned the sand out from between your toes, and you’re looking for a place to have relaxing drink, JB Brewing is a great spot. Whether you like a pilsner, pale ale or stout, they have you covered. There is a fun, friendly relaxed vibe with a great beer garden that has a backyard BBQ feel to it. There is a regular roster of food vans where you can grab something delicious to eat. For beer connoisseurs, there are taproom tours available on Saturdays and Sundays.
Read More : Have you tried snorkelling in a Mangrove?
Jervis Bay Walks
Abrahams Bosom Reserve
Abrahams Bosom is in Currarong rather than Jervis Bay, but it is still on the Beecroft Peninsula, so it makes our Jervis Bay List. The odd name has its origins from the safe harbour the bay offered early sailors. Today, the reserve is the starting point for several walks that take you through coastal scrub and bushland to sea cliffs and beaches.
There is a lot of bird life, look out for the endangered bristlebird, and from the sea cliffs you can spot whales, seals and dolphins. There are a few walks to choose from including the 9km Coomies circuit or the shorter Wreck Point (2.5km) walk to the ruins of the SS Merimbula. There’s also the Lobster Bay (3km) and Mermaid Inlet (5km) tracks.
Gosang’s Tunnel
This is still in Abrahams Bosom Reserve, but it is so cool it gets its own heading. It is not sign posted from the main carpark. You will need to follow the Coomies Walk for around 20 minutes until you see a sign taking you off the Coomies Track.
Keep following the signs until you see a hole in the rock wall. It is about one metre high and a couple of metres across and 20 metres long. You will have to kneel, crouch or waddle your way through but the bit of discomfort is worth it. At the other end you pop out on a ledge overlooking the sea. It is an incredible view. This is a really unusual spot and well worth the crawl through the tunnel for the view from the sea cliffs.
Governor Head Walk
If you find yourself at Murray Beach in Booderee National Park, make sure you do the easy 3km return walk to Governor Head. You can start the walk from the carpark or from the far end of Murrays Beach. We started from the beach after arriving there on a sea kayak tour.
The walk takes you up off the beach and along a ridge through the forest from where you get great views of the beach as you walk along. The walk finishes at a Governor Head Lookout where you get awesome views of the ocean entering the bay and smashing into Bowen Island. The size of the waves was amazing.
For a longer walk, you can do the 6km Murrays loop trail that takes you beyond Governor Head Lookout to Ocean Cave Lookout – also known as Devil’s Elbow and back to the car park.
White Sands Walks
Jervis Bay is known for its white sandy beaches and on this walk you see why. Starting at either Greenfield Beach picnic area or, for a longer walk Plantation Point, the White Sands Walk takes you along some of the best beaches in Jervis Bay. Starting at Plantation Point in Vincentia you’ll walk by Nelson Beach and Blenheim Beach then from Greenfields you’ll go onto Chinamans Beach then Hyams Beach. Depending on where you start, the walk will take 1.5 – 2.5 hours.
Round the Bay Walk
The Round the Bay walk is a longer option covering 11km of coastline from Callala Bay to Plantation Point. If you start at Huskisson, you’ll walk past Shark Net and Huskisson Beach. Further along is White Sands Park with its perfect picnic lawns and popular climbing playground. Your feet get a little rest when you take a ferry ride across Currambene Creek.
Jervis Bay Cruises & Kayaking
Go on a Dolphin Cruise
Depending on the website you read, Jervis Bay is home to between 60 and 120 Indo Pacific bottlenose dolphins. Dolphin spotting cruises leave from Huskisson and boast a high dolphin spotting rate. Jervis Bay is an amazing marine environment and even if dolphins elude you, seals, stingrays and sea eagles might still come your way. But hey, even if you spot nothing, cruising around the bay, taking in the sights, doing a bit of boom netting is still a lot of fun.
- Jervis Bay Dolphin Cruise – Explore the Marine Park & spot playful bottlenosed dolphins at play
Whale Watching Cruises
Jervis Bay is a great place to do some whale watching. The best time to see whales is in June and July when they are migrating north and September and October when they are making the return journey south along Australia’s east coast. On the return journey you can often see females with their calves breaching and relaxing in the waters inside the bay. No matter when you go out, you will still get fantastic views of the beaches and sea cliffs around Jervis Bay.
- Jervis Bay Whale Watching Cruise – 2-hour whale watching cruise in search of humpback whales during the annual migration. Keep an eye out for dolphins, seabirds and turtles
Sea Kayaking
With its beautiful beaches and crystal clear water, one of the best ways to explore Jervis Bay is in a kayak. We spent a morning with the team from Sea Kayak Jervis Bay paddling around the coast. The conditions will determine where you launch from and what you see. Our tour started at Iluka Beach, went past Green Patch, the Scottish Rocks, Hole in the Wall and we had lunch at Murrays Beach before returning to Iluka Beach. It was a brilliant tour.
Read More: Our Jervis Sea Kayak Adventure Tour
- Book your own Sea Kayaking Tour and explore the most beautiful beaches in Jervis Bay
Snorkelling at Jervis Bay
Jervis Bay Marine Park is a great snorkelling destination. The rocky points and beaches are teeming with marine life and with such clear water it is a snorkeller’s paradise. Some of the best snorkelling spots include Blenheim Beach, Green Patch, Murrays Beach, Honeymoon Bay and Shark Net Beach. But really, snorkel around any rocky outcrops near any of the beaches and you will spot something!
Our time on the south coast of New South Wales was marred by a period of sustained wind and ocean swells. Even so, the water in Jervis Bay was so good, even when conditions aren’t ideal visibility is still amazing. We did a drift snorkel from Murrays Beach to the Murray Beach boat ramp. We saw giant smooth rays, blue gropers, eagle rays, huge schools of fish and dozens of colourful fish – it was like being on a coral reef. If you visit Jervis Bay, definitely pack your facemask and fins.
Booderee National Park
Booderee is co-managed by the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council and Parks Australia. Once known as Jervis Bay National Park, Booderee is a great area for lovely beaches, boating, fishing and wildlife spotting. Look out for everything from whales to eagles and penguins. Fees apply to enter the park; pay online or at the entrance to the park. Day and annual passes are available.
The park has several walks including Steamers Beach circuit (11.5km), Cave Beach walk (4.5km), and the Munyunga waraga dhugan loop walk at Murrays Beach. This 5.4 km loop explores the areas natural and cultural history through a series of signboards along the path. Camping in Booderee is available at Green Patch, Bristol Point and Cave Beach (check availability).
Read More : Best National Parks in NSW
Booderee Botanic Gardens
Located in the National Park, the Booderee Botanic Gardens are the only aboriginal owned botanic gardens in Australia. You will need a park pass to get to the gardens which are open every day of the year from 8.00am. Give yourself plenty of time to have a look around. There are several short walking trails through the gardens. The Lake trail around Lake McKenzie, the Forest Walk and the Heath and Woodland trail are all less than 1.5km long and take you through a range of habitats.
As well as the walks, there are several feature areas around the garden. Rainforest Gully, Waratah Lawn and Casuarina Lawn are all lovely spots. We liked how well labelled all the plants were. It was nice knowing what you were looking at! You can arrange guided tours of the gardens on their website.
Jervis Bay Accomodation
Jervis Bay Camping
Depending on what ‘camping’ means to you, there are a few accommodation options in Jervis Bay. National Park camping is available in Booderee National Park at Green Patch Beach, Bristol Point and Cave Beach. On the Beecroft Peninsula side of the Jervis Bay, there is a lovely campground at Honeymoon Bay. Bookings are essential for all sites.
If your idea of camping is something a little more luxurious, try Paperbark Camp near Currambene Creek 4km inland from Huskisson. The raised canvas tents have an African safari vibe. They are set in a eucalypt and paperbark forest and are a unique accommodation option in Jervis Bay.
If caravan Parks are your scene there are several to choose from. There’s Holiday Haven White Sands in Huskisson, Jervis Bay Holiday Park and Holiday Haven Currarong. Nearby are Palm Beach Caravan Park in Sanctuary Point and Surfside Cudmirrah Beach near Sussex Inlet.
You will need to buy a park pass to enter Booderee National Park. Pre-purchasing your pass online or you can purchase one from the entry station on your way into the park. A 2 day vehicle pass is $13.00. Camping fees apply at Booderee. Choose between Green Patch, Cave Beach, or Bristol Point – fees and facilities vary between campground.
Jervis Bay Holiday Park
Sea Loft at Hyams Beach
Places to Stay in Jervis Bay
- Sandy Toes Beach House – 3br Holiday House, 2 min to Beach, Undercover Pergola with BBQ
- Jervis Bay Holiday Park – Basic Cabins, 2 br, 4 br, Glamping Tents & Waterfront Apartments
- Bush & Bay Cottage – 3br Holiday House, backs onto Jervis Bay National Park, Kangaroos
- The Jetty House – Myola – 4br, kitchen, linen, balcony with lake views
- 24 Hyam Road Hyams Beach – 4br Holiday Home, 3min walk to Hyams Beach, deck, BBQ
- Huskisson Bayside Resort – Studio Room, 3min from Shark Net Beach, pool, BBQ
- Sea Loft at Hyams Beach – 3br, 2 min walk from Hyams Beach, patio, self contained
Jervis Bay Day Tours
- Jervis Bay Dolphin Cruise – Explore the Marine Park & spot playful bottlenosed dolphins
- Book your own Sea Kayaking Tour and explore the most beautiful beaches in Jervis Bay
- Fishermans Paradise Eco Walk – 90 min guided walk with stories of the 20219 bushfires and recovery
- Jervis Bay Hidden Secrets Cruise – 2-hour scenic cruise along the white sandy beaches, turquoise waters and impressive sandstone cliffs
- Jervis Bay Whale Watching Cruise – 2-hour whale watching cruise in search of humpback whales during the annual migration. Keep an eye out for dolphins, seabirds and turtles
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