Recently Shoalhaven Tourism invited us to participate in a famil (that’s fancy talk for a visit) to Jervis Bay. Jervis Bay has lately been number one on my wish list of places to visit in Australia. Although it’s only three hours south of us but I’ve never been- but it always looks stunning.

We were invited to spend the weekend in Jervis Bay and experience some of the highlights that make the area special. The region is known for its dolphin and whale watching cruises so the first thing we did after we arrived was set sail on a dolphin cruise. Tully was beside herself with excitement- she was talking about this for the whole week before.

Dolphin Cruise

The cruise left from Huskisson- it is beautiful there. I can’t believe there are all these places I’ve never seen. We headed out with Dolphin Watch Cruises to an offshore reef where the dolphins are usually found and there they were! There was a pod of four dolphins that swam right next to the boat for ages. We could see them right up close.

After our cruise we explored Huskisson- I found this beautiful spot just around the lookout. Check out that water! Special shoutout to the lovely people (and food) at the Husky Bakery. It was fantastic!

Hyams Beach

Afterwards we headed to the place I’ve always wanted to visit- Hyams Beach. People head to tropical islands to see water that we have three hours south from us. Hyams Beach has the whitest sand in the world and the water is that aquamarine colour you dream over when you look at travel photos. It’s just as spectacular as the pictures you see- it’s definitely worth a visit.

Lunch was at the Hyams Beach Cafe, it’s the only shop in Hyams Beach and also serves as the general store. It was lovely- the food was good and it has the whole beach house vibe going. I grew up in Whale Beach in the 1980’s and it really felt just the same- we only had one shop that operated as a cafe and general store as well. I love that the whole feel of the Shoalhaven is like the Northern Beaches of Sydney 30 years ago before it got so built up and busy. I want to move south now!

Shoalhaven Zoo

On Sunday we explored the Shoalhaven Zoo. Now, I have a very real love for any of these regional, family-run wildlife parks, theme parks, and tourist attractions. I grew up travelling around to various places in Australia and most of the regional areas and small coastal towns had some sort of tourist attraction- and we visited them all. Fantasy Glades in Port Macquarie was my all time favourite but special shout outs to The Big Banana, Timbertown, Waratah Park and The Dog on the Tuckerbox. So  I was pretty excited to visit Shoalhaven Zoo. They have a mix of native animals, farm animals and the big ticket animals like crocodiles and lions.

It’s the perfect size zoo for small children, with a great range of animals. Tully was especially taken with the farmyard, where she got to see newborn baby rabbits and cuddle a small, fluffy bunny. She could have stayed there all day.

My favourite was the Marmoset show- they are my favourites and next time I want to do the Marmoset experience- where you can go into the cage with them. The crocodile show was also really interesting. The Shoalhaven Zoo has the only outdoor breeding pair of crocodiles south of Queensland.

Overall Jervis Bay and the whole Shoalhaven region is amazing and we will definitely back, and this time for longer. I’m already planning our next adventure!

To plan yours visit www.shoalhaven.com.au/surf