Top tips for a weekend drive to Jervis Bay

Close to: Sydney. 194km to Jervis Bay Village or 202km from Canberra.
Day or Weekend: At least the weekend: it’s the quintessential Aussie beach holiday. Couples will love the absolute waterfront Sail on in Boatshed; or for the ultimate in bush glamping try Paperbark Camp. Campers should opt for Booderee National Park
Hidden Gem: Hyams Beach Store & Cafe at Hyams Beach for coffee and interesting light feeds.

If you’ve been stuck behind a desk dreaming about jumping in the car, driving to an impossibly white sandy beach beside clear blue water and doing pretty much nothing, that destination might be closer than you think, even if you’re not in far-north Queensland.

The bay is on the upper part of the NSW south coast and features a string of lazy seaside villages strung around its rim. While the main attractions are the beaches, there’s also plenty of restaurants, national parks, snorkelling, diving - and much more - to make your holiday experience as relaxing or action-packed as desired.

To get there from Sydney, you can go the short way down the coast along the Princes Highway, or take a slight detour and go inland to explore the Southern Highlands and Bowral. For a fabulous short detour just north of Wollongong, make sure you drive across the iconic overwater Sea Cliff Bridge.

From Canberra, it’s an interesting drive via Tarago and over the mountains on the Braidwood Road.

For amazing ocean frontage, it’s hard to beat Hyams Beach, which has been listed in the Guinness Book of Records as having the world’s whitest sand. Because it’s on the bay, the water is calm and crystal clear, making it perfect for safe family swimming and the local pod of dolphins usually drop in to join the fun.

Many other beaches are only a short drive away, including those on the ocean for surfers. Snorkelers can try the protected Plantation Point or Murrays beaches, while scuba divers have about 30 sites to choose from. If you want to learn scuba, and then start with some easy locations, companies such as Dive Jervis Bay have beginners’ courses and you can then head to The Docks..

If you’d rather be on the water rather than in or under it, try one of the excellent Dolphin Watch Cruises which regularly sail out of Huskisson to either track down some of Flipper’s friends or, between May and November, head further out to watch the mighty humpback whales on their annual migration.

Into fishing? There are plenty of choices. To start with, hire a boat or join an organized fishing charter and head for St Georges Basin for whiting and flathead, or further out into the bay or ocean for some of the bigger fellas.

Local seafood comes ready-plated of course, at the pubs, cafes and restaurants, many of which are located in Huskisson, the area’s largest town.  For Thai-based, with a uniquely Australian-Asian twist, try Wild Ginger, or for good Aussie pub-grub it’s the Huskisson Hotel which throbs with life all day.

The Waterhouse also works well for cocktails and Asian-style eats, Faro Bianco has some cracking wood-fired pizzas and other Italian fare, while The Gunyah has a beguiling menu of beautifully presented local produce within the extraordinary Paperbark Camp glamping retreat.

Sun, sand, water, wildlife and drive-worthy food – Jervis Bay has it all and if you’ve never had the chance to explore the wonderful south coast of NSW, it’s a great place to start.

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