Jervis Bay was originally earmarked as Canberra’s port with the bay’s southern peninsula administered from Canberra as a separate territory to New South Wales. It is now mostly made up of a military base, an Aboriginal community and a national park and it is relatively untouched considering its close proximity to Canberra and Sydney, which are both only three hours away. It is the smallest of Australia’s mainland states and territories and has a population of less than 800 permanent residents.
The main attraction here is Booderee National Park, which is known for its wildlife and pristine beaches. Admission to the national park is $11 per car or $3.50 if you arrive by bus.
Green Patch is one of the more popular spots in the national park. Kangaroos and colourful rainbow lorikeets frequent this lovely beach. Further east is Murrays Beach, another beautiful beach that is a popular swimming spot.
Accommodation
Although many people stay in Huskisson and Vincentia in the NSW part of Jervis Bay, some people choose to camp in the Booderee National Park. The park has camping areas at Cave Beach and Green Patch; with another area at Bristol Point that is reserved for large groups.
It can be difficult getting a campsite during the peak NSW Christmas/summer school holiday period when demand outstrips supply to the point where you need to enter a ballot to secure a campsite. You must apply for the ballot by August to be in the running for a camping site in December/January. Fortunately, access to a camp site is not so difficult outside of the peak period.
The camping fee is $11–22 for the site plus $5–11 per person.
