Jervis Bay: home to the best beaches in NSW

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Last Updated on 23 May 2025

I’ve been looking for an excuse to test out my new camera, so Cal and I broke out the tent and our trusty gas cooker, and road tripped 90min down the south coast for some camping fun in Jervis Bay, an area widely regarded as having some of the best beaches in Australia. My favourite is Hyams beach, which we visited a few weeks ago, but we opt for some variety this time and search for campsites on our trusty WikiCamps app.

For just $31, we pitch our tent and enjoy a gorgeous weekend at Green Patch in Booderee National Park. The beach has that fine white silicone sand that makes it feel like you’re walking in a bucket of flour, the water is so blue it seems fake, and the sun is out in full force. Cal even has his sun shelter to protect his fragile white skin from burns, so we are both in paradise. Jervis Bay never disappoints!

(Now, I know anyone from Canberra will want to contest this post title, since technically Booderee National Park lies within Australian Capital Territory, but I only just realised that the other day because everyone in NSW wholeheartedly claims Jervis Bay as their own. And never mind that it’s over 2 hours away from Canberra and completely surrounded by NSW..)

We are joined at our campsite by the cutest little wallabies and colourful birds, which I spend a good hour trying to stealthily photograph before figuring out they really aren’t afraid of people at all and I can get right next to them. Unfortunately, we do leave the Doritos out overnight and get a way less cute nighttime visit from a family of possums and a very agitated wombat (they shriek when they are stressed, it’s terrifying, YouTube it).

On our drive home, we stop for nibbles in Kiama and visit Cathedral Rocks, which Australian Traveller has recently named #9 best view in Australia. That’s a tall order, but it certainly is beautiful. I’d like to come back sometime and explore around the other side of the rocks!