Australia’s Whitest Sand: Jervis Bay, NSW

G’day readers and welcome to an Aussie instalment of Kaptain Kenny.

As some of you already know, I’m an Australian. (I’m also an Irish citizen who has been living in Germany for nearly 6 years but that’s irrelevant.) Being an Australian means I have a LOT of inside knowledge on the must-see places in Australia.

So I have compiled a possible trip for you to do either starting in Sydney or ending in Sydney. I’ve made sure to include my personal ‘beachy’ favourite: Jervis Bay in New South Wales.

SYDNEY:

Like 99% of tourists who come to Australia for the first time, Sydney will be a definite stop. Like many cities in Australia, the central business district (CBD) of Sydney tends to be rather boring and overpriced. To really enjoy Sydney, you’ll have to venture out into the inner-city suburbs. Try Newtown, Redfern and Paddington for a start. But don’t forget to visit the harbour side areas too.

Do not visit Australia without having a foodie breakfast or brunch at a cafe. That’s the best time of day in Australia – ‘brekky’ as we call it. All cafes will be open and will offer lots of delicious things. For coffee, order a flat white.

BERRY:

Heading south from Sydney towards Jervis Bay, you might like to stop in some of NSW’s cute and quaint towns. Berry is one of those stops and it’s in an area called the Shoalhaven, which happens to be home to a lot of really worthwhile places. (My grandfather lives here which is one of the reasons I’m privy to some of this information.)

“Berry is a rustic yet sophisticated village surrounded by rich dairy country and is home to some great food and markets. Enjoy the fresh produce and award-winning restaurants that have built a reputation for outstanding cuisine.”

Visit NSW

Mountain Ridge Estate Winery:

Do you like drinking wine? If so, this region of NSW also has a LOT of beautiful wineries, perfect for a little stop en-route to your paradise beach. We visited two of these wineries over one day and bought a lot of the local product too.

Mountain Ridge Wines and the Broughton on the Ridge Restaurant are located 8km east of historical Berry perched up on a ridge of Coolangatta Mountain, with majestic views to Coolangatta, Berry, Saddleback and Cambewarra Mountains – set on a 75 acre working farm.

http://mountainridgewines.com.au/about/

During your road trip, don’t forget stop and marvel at Australia’s special landscape, flora and fauna. It has some of the most unique plants and animals that you’ll find anywhere in the world. I’ve always been fascinated by the tree below. It’s called a ‘paperbark’ tree. And it’s trunk sheds layers of paper-like bark. When I was a little girl, we used to rip pieces off and write notes to each other. This tree is directly out the front of my grandfather’s house.

Jervis Bay:

You’ve arrived! Jervis Bay is a bay area in New South Wales with a couple of different beaches on either side. The most famous is Hyams Beach as it’s said to have Australia’s whitest sand. We walked from Huskisson Beach to Hyams Beach and it took us about 1.5 hours by foot. The walk is spectacular – you’ll head through native Australian beach-bush and you’ll see the clearest, bluest water ever!

ABOUT JERVIS BAY

Jervis Bay is a diverse and beautiful landscape filled with quiet beaches, towering cliffs and lush national parklands.

Jervis Bay’s white sandy shores and clear waters make it a popular destination for holidaymakers. Beaches such as Hyams and Seven Mile Beach are great for swimming, kayaking, fishing, stand up paddle boarding, boating and surfing. Follow the idyllic White Sands Walk past secluded bays and inlets and perhaps even spot a colourful rosella or native lorikeet along the way.

Visit NSW

 

Wharf Road Restaurant and Bar:

Are you looking for a foodie option in the vicinity? I can’t speak highly enough of this riverside restaurant in Nowra. We ate some absolutely delicious food here and I’d highly recommend booking a table if you’re a fan of good food and wine. Here’s a small excerpt from their menu just to wet your appetitite….

Linguini, mussels, clams, yellow chilli, lemon, sour dough
Hot smoked blue eye trevalla, white bean puree, broad beans, parsnip chips, anchovy crumb
Dry aged alpaca, sweet potato and miso, warrigal greens
Pasture feed local wagyu beef, roasted beetroot, smoked carrot puree
Zucchini flowers, spiced ricotta, preserved lemon risotto, quinoa crunch

http://wharfrd.com.au/

Jamberoo: 

Either on your down to Jervis Bay from Sydney or on your back back up north, you might like to visit a cute, Australian village. Jamberoo is perfect for a lunch stop and there’s one place you can do it – the Jamberoo pub! On a tour of this area, my grandpa took us here for a cider and some fish and chips. The pub has been there since 1857 so by modern Australia standards, that’s quite a long time.

http://jamberoopub.com/

“The beautiful village of Jamberoo is nestled around 11km inland from the NSW South Coast township of Kiama. Surrounded by undulating green pastures, forests and the Jamberoo escarpment, the picturesque town has retained much of its historic character.”

Visit NSW

If you are leaving Sydney and heading south or coming back up north towards the airport, do NOT forget to drive through the Royal National Park. That has to be one of the most stunning and natural drives I’ve done in Australia so far. The National Park is full of wild Australian trees and winding roads and upon leaving, you’ll get to the top of the mountain and be treated to this view!

Yes Australia’s weather is usually like this. This wasn’t a ‘lucky weather’ day. Sitting here in cold, wet Germany in November makes me look back at these pictures wondering why I never realised how good our weather was.

Thank you New South Wales, you’ve been a dream!

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