The beautiful white sands of Jervis Bay

Jervis Bay (plus Currarong, Callala Beach, Callala Bay, Myola, Vincentia and Hyams Beach)
An area of brilliant white sands and pleasant bushwalking.
Located about 170 km from Sydney, Jervis Bay is both an inlet and the basis of the uniquely beautiful Booderee National Park which is a popular holiday destination.

The Bay itself is approximately15km long and 10km wide. It is a spacious natural harbour sheltered by headlands of forest and heathland which jut out leaving a relatively narrow entrance. With a depth of 27 metres it is thought to be the deepest sheltered harbour in Australia. The waters are remarkably beautiful and range in hue from aquamarine to a deep blue.

The fauna and the flora are diverse. There is eucalypt forest, woodland, swamps, dunes, mangrove, rainforest relics, coastal scrub, grassland and a heathland rich in wildflowers.

There are lakes and estuaries, historic sites, high sandy ridges, a coastline of coves, majestic cliffs up to 135 metres, and beaches noted for their length and the remarkable whiteness of their sands.

There are many middens and rock shelters which indicate that Aborigines have been living in the area for at least 20 000 years. Given that the Bay is thought to have been formed only 11 000 years ago, after the last ice age, it is likely that the Aborigines have been there from the beginning.

It is a comment on the continuity of Aboriginal settlement that one community still lives in a protected area near Wreck Bay on the southern peninsula and the Jerringa people still live in an unprotected area on the northern peninsula.

The archaeological evidence indicates that the original inhabitants moved regularly from place to place within the area. They tended to camp in the open on headlands or along the beaches, though sometimes in more secluded rock shelters.

A few eucalypt trees in the area still bear ancient scars from those occasions when bark was stripped for shelters and canoes. Their diet consisted of shellfish, fish from the estuaries and small marsupials, penguins and mutton birds from excursions to Bowen Island. Tools for cutting, chopping, scraping, sewing and killing were made of Captain Cook sighted the Bay in April 1770 while sailing north along the coast. In his diary he wrote of a 'point of land which I had discovered on St George's Day, and which therefore I called Cape George' [Cape St George].

While in the vicinity Cook noted 'smoke in several places near the beach'. Arriving at the Bay he recorded that it 'promised shelter from the north east winds, but as the wind was with us, it was not in my power to look into it without beating up, which would have cost me more time than I was willing to spare'. He named the northern point of the bay 'Long Nose', the whole resembling a face in profile.

The bay became 'Jervis Bay' in August 1791 when Lieutenant Richard Bowen, named it Port Jervis after naval officer and, later, admiral of the British fleet, Sir John Jervis under whom Bowen had served.

Whalers from Twofold Bay began to frequent Jervis Bay in the 1790s using it for anchorage. In 1801 naturalist and explorer George Caley arrived aboard Lieutenant James Grant's Lady Nelson and between them they made favorable reports of the flora, fauna and safety of the harbour.

Governor Macquarie landed on Bowen Island in 1811 and subsequently recommended a settlement at the Bay. In 1818, he sent explorers Charles Throsby and Hamilton Hume to seek a route from the southern tablelands to Jervis Bay. Throsby completed the journey. In 1819 the surveyor-general John Oxley sailed to the Bay. He reported that there was not 'the smallest inducement for the foundation of a Settlement on its shores, being ... for the most part Barren and generally deficient in Water'.

The first land grants were issued in 1827. It was the cedar in the area that provided the initial industry though dairying soon developed. When wool prices soared at the outset of the 1840s Governor Gipps sent 70 convicts to cut a track that has become known as The Wool Road from Braidwood to the Bay so that wool could be shipped to Sydney. As a result there was great optimism about the future of the district, and the settlement of Huskisson was established on the western shore of the Bay in 1840. A hotel, wharf and wool store were soon erected at South Huskisson and wool shipments were made to Sydney and London. Coastal steamers and whaling ships were regular visitors.

The combination of projecting headlands, steep cliffs, rocky shoreline, currents and strong easterly winds proved a hazard to sailing vessels. Cape St George Lighthouse was constructed in 1860. However it was erected at the wrong spot, several kilometres north of Cape St George. As a result it was imperceptible to ships coming from the south and, ironically, proved a navigational hazard by day. Consequently, Point Perpendicular Lighthouse was built at the southern tip of the northern peninsula in 1899 and the earlier structure was used as target practice by the Navy. The ruins of the base, part of the tower and the outbuildings remain.

There have been a number of shipwrecks around Jervis Bay over the years. The first to be recorded was the 20-ton sloop Nancy in 1805, at the cost of one life. In 1876 40 men died when the steamer Dandenong went down. In 1927 the wreck of the SS Merimbula marked the end of passenger services by sea along the south coast. Most dramatically of all, in 1964, the HMAS Melbourne collided with the HMAS Voyager in 1964 during a naval exercise and 82 men were killed.

After Federation occurred in 1901 plans were set in motion to create a city (ultimately Canberra) within an independent territory (the ACT) wherein the new Federal Government could sit. The subsequent Seat of Government Act (1908) declared that access to the sea was imperative. Thus 7400 hectares of land at the southern end of Jervis Bay were officially handed over from the NSW to the Commonwealth Government to be developed as a port and naval base. Work began in 1913 and, in 1915, the Royal Australian Naval College opened at Captain Point under Federal administration as HMAS Creswell. The Royal Australian Naval College no longer exists as it was absorbed into the Australian Defence Force Academy but some officer training still occurs at Jervis Bay. A majority of the original buildings remain.

Adventurer Sir Francis Chichester, who later became the first person to sail around the world single-handed, landed his aeroplane in Jervis Bay in 1931 at the end of what was the first east-west flight over the Tasman Sea from New Zealand to Australia.

The Wreck Bay area was designated a reserve in 1928 but, by the time it was gazetted in 1952, the extent of the reserve had shrunk considerably. In 1971 two-thirds of the Territory (4470 hectares) was declared a natural reserve. Five years later the whole was classified by the National Trust of Australia in recognition of its conservation, scenic, scientific, historical and recreational value. Cape St George Lighthouse, Bowen Island and HMAS Creswell have been included on the Register of the National Estate.

Today the National Park attracts nearly a million visitors a year. In December 1995 it was handed over to the Wreck Bay Aboriginal community as part of the reconciliation process. The agreement saw the land leased back to the Federal Government for 99 years in return for a share of the income the park generates and a majority presence on the management board. The current occupants are all descended from or related to the original inhabitants. Many of the sites are of great significance to them, especially the Reserve Cemetery, fishing spots at Summercloud Bay and Mary Bay, as well as traditional lookouts, meeting places and camping areas. As part of the process the name of the reserve has been changed from Jervis Bay National Park to Booderee National Park

If you want to fully explore the entire coastline around the Bay it is important to realise that the land which surrounds it is actually cut by Currambene Creek which reaches the shores of Jervis Bay just north of Huskisson.

Access to the southern section is via Jervis Bay Road, 10 km south of Nowra. To go from Huskisson to Myola - the next beach north - you have to either swim across the creek or drive back to the Highway and head north, taking Currarong Road through Currambene State Forest, or return to Nowra and take the sealed road east and then turn south.

Things to see:  

Rocky outcrop at the end of Nelsons Beach, Vincentia

Vincentia
4 km south of Huskisson and just east off Jervis Bay Road is the small resort town of Vincentia. It was originally South Huskisson but was renamed in 1952 after John Jervis, after whom Jervis Bay was named, who was also the Earl of St Vincent. Vincentia is a typical holiday town. There are the usual modern facilities, long beaches and the waters are good for fishing, windsurfing, sailing and diving.

The first left off Elizabeth Drive is Holden St which will take you out to the Bay and a concrete boat ramp. If you continue along Elizabeth Drive, Plantation Point Parade branches off to the left and leads to a natural ramp for catamarans and skiffs. At the western end of the small township, in Murray St, is a nine-hole golf course with excellent views over the Bay and south to Pigeon House Mountain.

Blenheim Beach

Hyams Beach
Hyams Beach is a quiet village which claims to have the whitest sand in the world. The town was named after Michael Hyam who received a grant of 41 acres of waterfront land there in 1859. There is a concrete boat ramp off Cyrus St into the Bay. Hyams Beach is also a recommended diving spot, at least at high tide. From the boat ramp swim out due east for 100 metres. There are a number of shallow reefs in 8-10 metres of water and a variety of temperate marine life. The site is not suitable during easterly swells or north-easterly winds.

Booderee National Park
Booderee National Park Visitors Centre is open from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. every day in the off-season and from 8.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. from the commencement of the Christmas school holidays to the end of the Easter weekend. Bookings for camping can be made here and should be done so four months in advance, tel: (02) 4443 0977. The centre has pamphlets about the Park, its walking tracks and other information.The nature trails are signposted and, in the peak season, walks are conducted by rangers and illustrated with a slide show at Green Patch. They will also take prospective divers to the appropriate locations about the Bay.

No spears, spear guns, dogs or other domestic animals are permitted, fires can only be lit in specified barbecue areas and driving of all vehicles is only permitted on designated roads. The cost of entry is $5 per car per week.

The reserve boasts a diversity of fauna. There are great gliders high in the tree canopy, tiny feathertail gliders (featured on the old one-cent coin), sugar gliders with their distinctive yapping call, ringtail, brushtail and pygmy possums, eastern grey kangaroos, red-necked and swamp wallabies, echidnae, dunnarts, bandicoots, bush and swamp rats, bats (responsible for the clicks and squeaks often observed by visitors) tortoises, lizards, red-bellied black snakes, death adders, diamond pythons, and plenty of frogs.

Amongst the 170 species of birds are crimson rosellas, king parrots, kookaburras, satin bowerbirds, pied currawongs, magpies, wattlebirds, cockatoos, honeyeaters, spinebills, gulls, terns, the high-diving Australian gannet, curlews, dotterels, greenshanks, shearwaters, and the little penguins that burrow and breed on Bowen Island.

The reserve is also a haven for several endangered species - the white-bellied sea eagle, the ground parrot and the eastern bristlebird.

HMAS Creswell

HMAS Creswell
Soon after leaving the information centre you will see, to your left, the naval college, HMAS Creswell. Access is restricted. Visits of 20 minutes are permitted on weekends and most public holidays. It is advisable to ring the gate to confirm the opening hours on the day of a prospective visit as there can be variations (02 4429 7985).

On the grounds is the Royal Australian Naval College Historical Collection, containing artefacts relating to the college and the Jervis Bay area and an extensive collection of model sailing ships. It can be seen on the last Sunday of each month; otherwise it is by appointment only (phone 02 4429 7845).

The main buildings around the quadrangle - the Clock Tower, the Dining Hall, the College Hospital (now the sailor's mess) and the marvellous two-storey timber Commandant's House - have all been listed for preservation by the National Trust. The predominant architectural values expressed in the highly geometrical layout and design of the college are, not surprisingly, formality, symmetry and simplicity. All of the original buildings are of weatherboard cladding with red tiled roofs. Incorporating touches of Georgian and classical design they are impressive examples of Australian colonial architecture.

Iluka
Iluka is located in a bush setting. It has picnic, barbeque and toilet facilities, with drinking water and access to a safe swimming and fishing beach.

Green Patch
Green Patch has a popular and beautiful camping ground that accomodates caravans as well as tents. There are picnic tables, good barbecue facilities, toilets, hot showers but no power, an excellent sheltered beach and, best of all, hundreds of tame rosellas. The birdlife here is prolific, the flora is diverse, there are dolphins and penguins to be seen in the Bay and kangaroos about the campsite. The maximum permissable stay is three weeks.

Bristol Point
Bristol Point campground is a little further along Jervis Bay Road. It has large campsites, hot water and barbecues but no power nor caravan sites. There are several walking trails around the Green Patch and Bristol campgrounds, such as that which follows fern-lined Telegraph Creek south through woodland and low heathland rich in wildflowers and birdlife. The Rock Platform nature trail takes you out to Bristol Point for a wander along the rocky shore.

Murrays Beach
Beyond Green Patch, along Jervis Bay Road, several short walking trails lead to Scottish Rocks and the Hole in the Wall. At its end is Murrays Beach, recognised as a highlight of the reserve. From the large carpark you walk to the shore, only to find a boat ramp and a small beach with rocky outcrops. If you are disappointed don't worry. This is not Murrays Beach. That lies a short 1.4 kilometre walk away around a rocky point and it is as beautiful as everyone suggests. A walking trail will take you on to Governor Head with its sandstone cliffs towering 90-120 metres above the waves. The trail continues south, as coastal scrub gives way to heathland, down to the end of Stony Creek Road then back north again to Murrays Beach. The cliffs here, with their coloured sandstone layers, extend all the way down the eastern coast of the peninsula and around to St George Head on the southern side of the promontory.

Both Green Patch and Murrays Beach boat ramp are recommended locations for diving. Snorkelling spots are abundant. There are shallow and deep-water rock reefs, sand zones, seagrass meadows, silty sand-flats, platforms and caves to explore.

Bowen Island
Bowen Island, opposite Governors Head, is 51 hectares of heath, woodland and tussock shrubland. The gnarled nature of the Island's banksia are of particular interest. The area is populated with shearwaters, little penguins and their burrows. There are sites of archaeological importance including shell and bone middens and rock shelters. On the north of the island are World War II gun emplacement sites facing out to sea, mountings for heavy guns, lookout posts and underground complexes for barracks and magazine stores.

Australian National Botanic Gardens Annexe
If you turn to the right into Cave Beach Road just over a kilometre past the visitor's centre, it will take you past Lake Windermere to the Australian National Botanic Gardens Annexe, an area of approximately 80 hectares characterized by sandstone outcrops, swamplands and wet gullies.

The Annexe was established in 1951 to 'cultivate a local, regional and national collection of frost tender species which will not grow in the main Gardens in Canberra.' The result is an extensive collection of native plants spread over 80 hectares. The site is open from 8-4 on weekdays, 10-5 on Sundays, public holidays and every Saturday between Christmas and Easter. There are nature walks, toilets and picnic areas.

Cave Beach and Bherwerre Beach
Continue down to the end of Cave Beach Road (it is unsealed beyond the gardens) to the carpark. A trail will take you the 300 m through coastal scrub to the beautifully-situated Cave Beach campsite where swamphens can often be seen scavenging for food. It offers toilets, picnic facilities, barbecues and cold showers. From here you can either continue south to the beach, ideal for fishing and swimming, or head west through some rainforest to Bherwerre Beach where there are views to the south, and west to the mangroves and swamps on the shoreline of St Georges Basin. The dune vegetation at Bherwerre Beach is threatened by an introduced species, the Bitou-bush, which was intended as a stabiliser after grazing damage threatened the spread of the dunes inland. Both Cave and Bherwerre are recommended surfing locations.

If you want a longer walk there is a fire trail which heads south-west from the road through tall blackbutt forest, coastal tea-tree and revegetated dunes down to Bherwerre Beach (1.9 km). There is a 200-m detour that heads east from the fire trail to Ryans Swamp, full of egrets, ibises, swamphens and herons when flooded.

Wreck Bay
To the east is Wreck Bay where there are a series of sandy bays with sheltered beaches. The area is accessible via Wreck Bay Road which heads south from Jervis Bay Road 2 km east of the Cave Beach Road turnoff. There is a path which turns off to the left before the 87-hectare Aboriginal settlement and then heads south again towards secluded Summercloud Bay, a pretty little cove with a ramp, toilets, picnic tables, barbecues, drinking water and beautiful beaches set against a backdrop of Blackbutt forest.

The rock platform is popular with snorkellers. Both Summercloud and Shelleys Point to the east are popular surfing spots.

The cliffline around to Governer Head commences here. The peninsula features a number of secluded sandy coves nestled in rock platforms, surrounded by dense eucalypt forest. The track south to St George Head passes through forest, woodland, coastal scrub and patches of rainforest with detours heading out to Shelleys Point, Whiting Beach, Blacks Harbour, Kittys Beach, Kittys Point and Corangamite on the coast.

If you follow the trail to its southernmost point there are spectacular ocean cliff views at the Head (4.1 km or 1.5 hours walk from the carpark). From there you can return north the way you came or head north-east to Brooks Lookout where there are great views of Steamers Head. Its 135-metre cliffs are thought to be the tallest on the NSW coast.

Alternatively, if you turn left off Wreck Bay Road into Stony Creek Road (unsealed) about 2.5 km south of Jervis Bay Road you will come to a branch road after about 1.3 km which will take you south to the Steamers Beach carpark. From here you can walk through the forest (2.3 km) down to what is a magnificent, isolated beach flanked by high cliffs and backed by steep sand dunes covered with tea-tree. Around Steamers Head is a heathland populated with a profusion of wildflowers in spring and summer.

If you return to Stony Creek Road it will take you out to the eastern coastline of the peninsula and on south to Stony Creek itself. A branch road leads to Cape St George Lighthouse on a cliff-top amidst heathland. About 700 m east of the branch road is the start of a walking track which passes through heath and flowers north to Governor Head.

Barry's Bush Tucker Tours
Barry's Bush Tucker Tours offers a view of the natural landscape and its fruits through Aboriginal eyes. There are bushtucker and bush medicine walks, spotlight walks and campfire talks about aboriginal lore and history (02 4442 1168 or 015-898171).

Callala Bay and Myola
Callala Bay, Callala Beach and Myola are small townships which lie to the north of Currambene Creek. The word 'Callala' is thought to derive either from 'kallala' (meaning 'fish') or from one of Alexander Berry's convicts, Patrick Smith, who lived in the area and was born at Calala in Ireland. This area features beaches perfect for swimming, sailing, snorkelling or just lazing about. There are concrete boat ramps at both Myola (Beach St, facing into the Creek) and Callala Bay. Elders Real Estate at Shop 6, Emmett St, Callala Bay doubles as a supplementary tourist centre (02 4446 5799). Callala Cat Charters at 67 Watts Rd, Callala Beach, offer catamaran cruises on Jervis Bay (018-671461).

Currarong
Currarong, in Crookhaven Bight at the northernmost point of the Beecroft Peninsula, has a beautiful beach. There is also safe swimming for children at Currarong Creek. The fishing is reputedly excellent and there are two boat ramps: a concrete one on Warrain Crescent and a natural ramp across the sand into the ocean on Yalwal St. The general store is another supplementary tourist centre (02 4448 3192).

The Beecroft Peninsula is a beautiful and historic area with a diverse array of native flowers and wildlife. Bushwalking, fishing and camping are available at Honeymoon Bay on the western perimeter of the promontory, though on weekends and school holidays only. Unfortunately the peninsula is also used as a weapons range and so is subject to closure at short notice, making visits more problematic. However, it is well worth the effort. Telephone the Rangers Office about public access and camping (02 4448 3411 or 02 4448 3177).

There is a popular lookout with spectacular views at the Point Perpendicular lighthouse where there are steep, sheer, 90-metre cliffs. There are also two walking tracks on the headland. The Wreck Walk (1 hour) takes you to the remains of the SS Merimbula , wrecked at Beecroft Head in March, 1927. The peninsula contains 125

	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Greystone House Bed & Breakfast 62 Emmett St Callala Bay Jervis Bay NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4446 6123 Facsimile: (02) 4446 6123 Rating: ****
	Paperbark Camp 571 Woollamia Rd Woollamia Jervis Bay NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 6066 Facsimile: (02) 4441 6066
	Apartments
	Callala Beach View Apartments 62 Emmett St Callala Beach Jervis Bay NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 9620 1251 Facsimile: (02) 9620 1247 Rating: ***
	Kullindi Holiday Apartments Ellmoos Rd Jervis Bay NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 2897 Rating: **
	Cottages & Cabins
	Hayms Beach Seaside Cottages 53-55 Cyrus St Hyams Beach Jervis Bay NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 7838, 0412 029 096
	Hyams Beach Cottages 53 - 55 Cyrus St Hyams Beach Jervis Bay NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 7838 Facsimile: (02) 4441 6129 Rating: ***
	Jervis Bay Getaways 81 The Wool Rd Worrowing Heights Jervis Bay NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4443 8912 Facsimile: (02) 4443 7422
	Lake Huts 104 Sanctuary Point Rd Sanctuary Point Jervis Bay NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4443 8912 Facsimile: (02) 4443 7422
	Moona Beach Bungalows 1 Elizabeth Dve Vincentia Jervis Bay NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4443 8912 Facsimile: (02) 4443 7422
	Parma Beach House Frederick St & Calder Cl Vincentia Jervis Bay NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4447 8098 Rating: ****1/2
	Parma Farm Cottages 269 Parma Rd Falls Creek Jervis Bay NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4447 8098 Rating: ****
	Sea Shakes 6 Caulfield Parade Old Erowal Bay Jervis Bay NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4443 8912 Facsimile: (02) 4443 7422
	Secret Garden Cottage 13 Waldergrave St Vincentia Jervis Bay NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4443 8912 Facsimile: (02) 4443 7422
	Worrowing Houses 81 The Wool Rd Worrowing Heights Jervis Bay NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4443 8912 Facsimile: (02) 4443 7422 Rating: ****
	Worrowing Houses 81 The Wool Rd Worrowing Heights Jervis Bay NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4443 8912 Facsimile: (02) 4443 7422 Rating: ****
	Caravan Parks
	Bristol Point Camping Area (limited facilities) Jervis Bay National Park Jervis Bay NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4443 0977
	Cave Beach Camping Area Jervis Bay National Park Jervis Bay NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4443 0977 Facsimile: (02) 4443 8302