A Stunning Paradise on Australia’s South Coast

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Blinding, mesmerising white, almost like a glacier. These are the first words that came to mind as I stepped onto Hyams Beach in the Jervis Bay region, about three to four hours south of Sydney.

The afternoon sun was at its zenith, the reflection on the white sands so glaring that sunglasses are the most important beach accessory. The sand felt like talcum powder while the gleaming waters more than justified why Australia is a land of beaches.

Ask the locals or any Sydney-sider, and they will proudly tell you that there are beaches in New South Wales– some of the best in the world – and then, there’s Hyams Beach. Period.

If you have a day trip to make outside Sydney, and if you are a beach person, this is the unmissable day trip of a lifetime.

Where is Hyams Beach?

Hyams Beach is one of many beaches on Jervis Bay, 200km (3-4 hours) south of Sydney, just beyond Shoalhaven. The deepest bay in Australia and 9 times bigger than Sydney Harbour, Jervis Bay’s pristine waters form a near-perfect circle.

It is fringed with five cozy little towns – Callala Bay, Callala Beach, Huskisson, Vincentia, and lastly, the eponymous Hyam’s Beach with its enviable white sands.

Interestingly, just south of Hyams Beach is a peninsular sliver of land, called the Jervis Bay Territory (JBT). It was sliced from New South Wales and created as an ‘Internal Territory’ (controlled by the Federal Government) in 1915 to give maritime access to the landlocked capital of Canberra and the Australian Capital Territory.

You can cross over and claim to have ticked off one of Australia’s three internal territories.

The White Sands of Hyams Beach

You may hear the locals say that Hyams Beach holds a Guinness record for being the whitest beach in the world. However, Australian Geographic ran a formal study to uncover the truth and concluded that Australia’s whitest sands lie farther away to the west in Western Australia at Lucky Bay.

That shouldn’t steal the thunder of your trip because the same study assessed that Hyams Beach still has the whitest sands in all of NSW.

Records aside, it is an absolutely gorgeous beach and impressively long at 3 km, ensuring you get plenty of blinding white space all to yourself. Weekends are typically busy with Sydneysiders rushing in, but if you happen to travel on a weekday, you will have long stretches of the beach all to yourself.

The waters are stunningly blue, and you can swim, snorkel, paddleboard, kayak – or just laze around to your heart’s content. If you observe closely, you will see the nearly circular Jervis Bay ringed by cliffs and hills on all sides, with the Point Perpendicular Lighthouse standing like a sentinel atop the end of the cliffs to your northern end.

The enclosed waters of the Bay are also a perfect nursing ground for mother whales and calves. In the right season (October – November) watch out for these grand humpback cetaceans. For a closer look, take a boat trip to Huskisson to see the visiting whales and the friendly denizen dolphins.

The White Sands Walk

Amazingly, Hyams Beach is not the only white sands beach here. There are four more: Nelsons Beach, Blenheim Beach, Greenfield Beach and Chinaman’s Beach. All these beaches were created from the same stock of quartz with high silica content ensuring the same soft talcum powdery white sands.

If you are walk to take a coastal walk and swim, go for the short 30-minute White Sands Walk connecting Greenfield Beach with Hyams Beach, interspersing your steps with cool dips in the inviting blue waters.

If you get too blinded by the blanched sands, there is a steeper and greener alternative – the Scribbly Gum track that winds through tall coastal forests and woodlands.

The Twin Lighthouses of Jervis Bay

Hyams Beach is quintessential Australiana packed with the most important ingredients of summer: sun, cerulean seas and snow-white sands. A day-trip is nonetheless a very quick way of ticking this beauty (better done than dismissed).

If you do get to spend a few more days soaking in the littoral beauty, don’t miss the opportunity – you will be amply rewarded with a rejuvenating break – or even one with plenty of activities.

For the historically and architecturally inclined, there are two lighthouses to explore on both ends of Jervis Bay.

Point Perpendicular is the active one, to the northern end of the Bay and will look like a delectably cute, dainty Lego structure in white and blue. The drive to the top of the cliffs is scenic and the views are gorgeous.

For a slightly longer walk, head south to the older Cape St. George Lighthouse ruins. Constructed in 1860, it was notoriously misplaced leading to numerous accidents and its eventual decommission in 1889.

However, its polished sandstones reflecting both sun and moon continued to confuse seafaring ships, leading to its demolition by the Navy in 1922. The ruins are listed on the Commonwealth Heritage List (so is Point Perpendicular) and make for a very interesting side trip.

Keep an eye out for the local wildlife abounding in the Booderee National Park – echidnas, king parrots and wallabies are plentiful here.

Endless Activities at Hyams Beach

Jervis Bay is an aquatic paradise with no lack of activities. The entire bay is covered by the Jervis Bay Marine Park, which is full of marine life.

Snorkelling, deep-sea diving or even open-sea kayaking are great ways to look out for dolphins, seals and fairy penguins (and whales in the whaling season).

You can also kayak in the estuarine waters of embayments filled with mangroves. If you are looking for more adrenaline, then try your hand at rock climbing. Or just go back to basic rambling and take one of the many coastal walks within the Booderee National Park.

If you are an oenophile and swear by your Shirazes, head north towards Shoalhaven – a mere 30-minute drive will take you to numerous wineries, including the historic Coolangatta Estate Winery.

Other notable activities include:

• Snorkelling at the delightful Honeymoon Bay

• Wondering at large hollowed-out caves at Cave Beach

• Camping near Greenpatch Beach

• Visiting the Booderee Botanic Gardens

• Exploring maritime antiquities at the Jervis Bay Maritime Museum (home to several vessels listed on the Australian Register of Historic Vessels, including the Lady Denman Ferry, Crest, Kingfisher, and Porthole)

• Or just chilling in the coastal vibes of any of the small villages of Jervis Bay.

Whatever your plans, you will return refreshed, soothed by the white sands, and with an impressive tick off your NSW bucket list.

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Author Bio: Ayan is a professional consultant who loves traveling and has been to nearly 30 countries. He likes writing about his travel experiences, as well as scribbling poetry, short stories, and essays. 

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