7 Best Activities to Try and Places to Visit in Jervis Bay
Jervis Bay is literally a “choose your own adventure” holiday destination. It offers something for both the intrepid explorers and the quiet researcher types. Which of these appeals to you the most?
Whale spotting
For an activity that’s a nice balance between a field trip and exploratory adventure, try going for a whale spotting session. Head on to Point Perpendicular Lighthouse. Unfortunately, the lighthouse itself has been decommissioned, so you can’t climb the steps to the top.
However, there is a lookout nearby. It will position you at 90 metres above sea level. From there, you will have an excellent vantage point for observing the pods of whales as they migrate south. Keep in mind, though, that the Point Perpendicular lookout is open only on holidays and weekends.
Booderee botanic gardens
If you’re not much for outlandish adventures, consider a tidy botanical expedition instead. arrange for local Jervis Bay accommodation and go on a day trip to the green world. The gardens in Booderee National Park are the only Abooriginal-owned botanical gardens in all of Australia.
The walk around the park is a roughly four kilometres loop and you can listen to the dedicated garden podcast along the way. The botanical gardens are a unique opportunity to learn about plants native to Australia, their medicinal applications, and even the little environmental signals that announce what food can be foraged each season.
Kayaking
The Jervis Bay waterway is a favourite location for many kayakers too. Stop by Jervis Bay Kayak and Paddlesports and rent out a sea kayak for the day. The JBKP is conveniently located right across the road from a beach, so you don’t have to transport your rental far before you can launch.
Cruise around the bay and see if you can make it to all of the sixteen white sand beaches. Make it a challenge to yourself to explore them all. Maybe bring a shell from each as a cool souvenir series. Several species of whales and dolphins migrate from the Antarctic to Australian waters every year, so you can also bring a pair of binoculars and go wildlife spotting in your kayak.
The Maritime Museum
The Jervis Bay Maritime Museum and Gallery is located in Huskisson, Wandi Wandian Country. It features a beautiful mangrove boardwalk that’s around 1.4 kilometres long. Along that path you can spot interesting critters like crabs and native bird species.
The museum and gallery itself displays an enviable collection of paintings, drawings, photographs, navigational instruments, and nautical equipment. Visitors can also see several historic vessels, such as the Lady Denman ferry, the Crest fishing launch, the post-World War II boat Kingfisher, and others.
Off-bay snorkelling
No Jervis Bay vacation is complete without a visit to the Marine Park. You can rent equipment (or bring your own) and go on a snorkelling adventure in the local waterways. The area is rife with marine creatures and unique terrain types below the surface.
In the water, you can encounter fur seals, giant cuttlefish, and black short-tail stingrays. Go a little more offshore and you can explore rocky reefs, sand flats, and kelp beds.
Cave Beach
Cave Beach is a highlight of Booderee National Park. Its management is a joint effort of Parks Australia and the Wreck Bay Community. It is a highly popular surfing spot, so if you were hoping to ride some waves on your vacation, this is definitely the place.
Its name comes from the particular shapes of the surrounding rock. The formations are naturally shaped into caves. They are surrounded by teatress and bushland, and present a great camping area. If you get tired of the crowd, you can visit Bherwerre Beach instead. It is within walking distance from Cave Beach and likewise an excellent place for surfing.
Brewery tour
Australia is experiencing a growth spurt in the craft beer trade. If a local pub happens to be located near a brewery, they will unfailingly have the artisan drinks on their menu. When you get tired from all the exploring and adventuring, sit down at the pub of your choice and try a unique ale or lager.
If you’d like, you can even make this into a separate activity. Go on a pub crawl! You can plan your own route between the breweries in the area and explore the concoction of each. A fair few of them, e.g. the Jervis Bay Brewing Company, will also have a selection of craft drinks you can take home.
In addition to all of this, you can go for a movie at the historic Huskisson Pictures, spot the Bowen Island fairy penguins from Murray Beach, or explore the wilderness along the White Sands Walk, between the Greenfield Beach picnic area and Hyams Beach.