The Gems Of Jervis Bay

There are plenty of people who claim that their beach has the world’s whitest sand, but Hyams Beach at Jervis Bay really is such a place. While the locals seem quite proud of it - even getting it in the Guinness Book of Records - there are many people and places who dispute the title: desirable destinations like Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsunday Islands, Lake Birrabeen on Fraser Island, Siesta Beach in Florida, Liepaja in the Baltics, and Chaweng Beach in Thailand.

The winner of the latest round of the debate is Lucky Bay in Cape Le Grande National Park in Western Australia, which recently won a worldwide competition.

But gazing over Hyams Beach recently, I wondered, ‘Who cares?’ This place is great anyway, and if there is whiter sand somewhere else, then let them have it. Jervis Bay has more to offer than just white sand.

About a three-hour drive south of Sydney, the bay also claims to have the highest sea cliffs and the best diving in New South Wales.

Access to the bay for most visitors is through Huskisson on the southern side of Currambene Creek, which separates Huskisson from Callala Beach.

Huskisson is your typical seaside village. Although there are plenty of fibro holiday shacks, the town is making way for upmarket developments as city dwellers target the place for retirement and weekend getaways.

Accommodation ranges from caravan parks along the shore and luxury apartments, which are popping up everywhere. Summer vacancies are priced at a premium, though, so it would be a good idea to plan your trip for the off season. Huskisson has all the facilities you need for a short trip away with a boat. We found a caravan park on the beach, a bakery for our morning coffee and some takeaway lunch, and a pub near the water for a relaxing meal and a quiet drink at the end of the day.

CREEK CRUISING
Our two-day tour of Jervis Bay began with an easy launch from the Wollamia Regional Boat Ramp, about 1km from the centre of town along Wollamia Road. The ramp is well maintained, with plenty of room for trailers and a well-designed wharf.

The ramp gives access to the ocean as well as the upper reaches of Currambene Creek, which has navigable water upstream for about 7km. Estuary fishing is said to be excellent and there is a 4kt limit for the whole length of the creek.

Our steady trip down the creek took us past idyllic spots on both shores. Boats of all sorts are nestled in snug coves and the creek has the atmosphere of an old seafaring haven, even though the commercial fishing boats have given way to recreational and charter boats.

Commercial fishing came to an end when the NSW government established a marine park in the region in 1998.

Our guide for the trip, long time local Scott Stevens, who runs the Jervis Bay franchise of Boab Boat Hire, was full of praise for the establishment of the park. Scott said that fishing had improved markedly since the closure of commercial fishing, which included scallop dredging.

The mouth of the creek is in the middle of town, so there will always be plenty of observers as you progress through the channel across the bar. It can be tricky on low tide so check conditions and watch for the channel markers and leads on your return. Once across the bar you will encounter a reef that is well exposed at low tide and marked with cardinal markers – a good time to consult your cardinal marker sticker on the dash.

We decided on a clockwise tour of the bay for our first day out, so we headed along Callala Beach to Callala Bay where we found a safe anchorage with lots of moored boats and a wide boat ramp. There is plenty of room to launch and a long jetty from which the family can climb aboard.

LONGING FOR THE BEACH
Long Beach was our next destination. Keep it to yourself, but this beach is a paradise. It has the simple feel of the Australian bush, miles from everyone. The sand slopes gently into the bay, making it a great family spot for swimming and picnicking. Summer sees families waterskiing here, but it’s called Long Beach for a reason, so there should be plenty of room for everyone.

Honeymoon Bay is just around the corner. It has an idyllic camping area and car access from the northern side of the bay. You drive through Beecroft Weapons Range, so check to see if it is open if you plan a trip in. There is a boat ramp across the beach here suitable for smaller vessels. A four-wheel-drive would make access easier.

South of Honeymoon Bay the shoreline gives way to rocky cliffs that gradually become higher at Point Perpendicular, which soars to about 135m.

Along the way the red cliffs open up into mysterious coves and narrow beaches. Many of the outcrops and features take their names from the area’s naval history. The docks are reminiscent of a huge dry dock. The inner and outer tubes are the remains of torpedo tubes set up during World War II to protect the bay from invasion.

These cliffs are amazing, weathered and beautiful. The area around the tubes is known for land-based marlin and tuna fishing and it is said that fishos set up base there with their families, even bringing blow-up pools for the kids.

We tried our luck fishing the area round Long Nose Point, which was named by Capt Cook on his voyage past it in 1770. Although an old trawler rusts away on the rocks here, no ghosts of fishing past helped us with a bight.

Point Perpendicular is the north-eastern end of the bay and the sea here can become turbulent, with the ocean slamming against the towering land.

The view north is of a series of spectacular, lofty headlands.

Although the trip across the bay is only a few kilometres, it’s like visiting a completely different place. None of the jagged cliffs - the southern shore features gentle, forested outcrops and picturesque beaches and coves.

Bowen Island guards the southern edge of the bay. The island is a sanctuary for little penguins so landing is prohibited. Murrays Beach has a superb boat ramp with a wharf and breakwall. There is ideal camping at Green Patch in the Booderee National Park. Further into the bay, the old naval training college HMAS Creswell occupies a spectacular headland and a well-protected docking facility.

The triangle between Bowen Island and Creswell is designated commonwealth water and the land is part of the Australian Capital Territory.

On the run back to Huskisson, you discover the white sand of Hyams Beach.

INVITING SCENERY
A tour of Jervis Bay uncovers some truly spectacular scenery. No question, the crystal waters provide some remarkable diving spots. Judging by the catches we saw being cleaned at the boat ramps, the fishing in the bay is worthwhile and the locations are in themselves worth the trip.

The legendary ‘Banks’, within a short trip out of the heads, is an inviting destination for offshore fishermen. The lure of gamefish so close to shore brings back dedicated anglers year after year.

Given the bay is only a few hours from Sydney, the variety of wildlife is remarkable. It is home to more than 50 bottlenose dolphins, seals, penguins, and around 170 species of birds.

The locals seem to have come to terms with the seemingly complicated maze of different zones in the waterways and shoreline, but it would be a good idea to get a good map to see you through.

Because competition for facilities in Jervis Bay is fierce in peak summer periods, head there any other time to find your own piece of boating paradise.

BOAB BOAT HIRE
When you drive around Australia with the family, there is a lot of time to think. Anthony Gelfius was on the road a few years ago in his four-wheel-drive, the trailer, and the obligatory tinnie on the roof. He managed to get the tinnie in the water a few times, but found the effort to be a bit of a chore.

It was while he was driving along one of those endless stretches of Western Australian highway that the concept of Boab Boat Hire came into being.

When he got back to Wollongong on the NSW south coast, he put his plan into action.
His idea was to have boats for hire in various locations throughout the country so travellers did not have to tow their own boat hundreds of kilometres. He wanted the boats to be offshore-capable and trailerable.

His biggest hurdle in realising his dream was acquiring licences to appease all the various government departments involved. Every state seemed to have a different interpretation of what was required. Nearly two years was put into getting the operation underway and the first outlet was set up in Wollongong, servicing the south coast and Sydney.

Along the way, three purpose-designed boats were developed for the hire fleet.

“I wanted boats that were strong, safe and comfortable at rest,” Anthony said.

His Amara range of boats are built on the NSW south coast and include a 4.8m barra boat, a 5.5m bowrider, and the biggest 6m boat you have ever seen. All boats are 5mm below the waterline with 4mm sides. Such was the reaction to the big boat that a government department ordered one after seeing it at the 2006 Sydney Boat Show.

Anthony has now set out to establish a network of franchises.

Our trip to Jervis Bay was courtesy of Scott Stevens from the Jervis Bay outlet.

Other locations are Broom and Sydney, with one soon to come in Brisbane. The boats can be collected and towed, or the company can arrange transport to your destination.

For more information on Boab Boat Hire, visit www.boabboathire.com.au.