If you haven't already got the hint from the title of this blog, I love the ocean. As much as I would love to live in or close to the city, the South Coast of NSW is home to some of the best beaches and ocean views, and I am so grateful that I'm starting off my life in Australia here. If you come to Australia for the beach experience please don't think Bondi is the best there is. Don't get me wrong - I love Bondi and the whole atmosphere of it. But it isn't what I would consider a real beach. I'm here to give you the inside scoop on where the real beaches are. My aspirations definitely include living in Sydney, but the South Coast is home for now.. and hopefully one day I'll have a holiday home down here. A girl can dream, okay? The fact that even now I can say that I have "local" beaches is still crazy to me. Beaches have always been a holiday destination to me but now they're apart of my daily life. I still get excited when I see the ocean, and I literally see the ocean every single day.
I'll start of with my favourite area, Jervis Bay. My Aunt might kill me for revealing our secret little spot in Jervis Bay, so I'll just address the entire area in general. Jervis Bay is home to the most beautiful white sand and glistening blue ocean. Since it is in a bay there is rarely any wind so you don't have to worry about being covered in sand. Also, the waves are quite calm for the most part so it's easy to just have a relaxing dip in the water without getting tossed and tumbled. There are tons of beaches throughout Jervis Bay - the most popular being Hyams Beach. During the holidays it does seem a bit like Bondi with all of the people. You just have to make sure you get in early to claim your spot. But, any other time of year the beach is empty.
Some other beaches in Jervis Bay are Caves Beach, Blenheim Beach, Greenfields Beach, and Steamers Beach. Some of these are part of the National Park so they do require payment upon entry but it really is worth it. I haven't been to Caves or Steamers in years (they are part of the National Park) but I do remember them being some of the most beautiful beaches. If you are looking for a beach to just relax with a little slice of paradise, definitely look into Jervis Bay. You won't be disappointed.
Next up is Kiama. Kiama in general is just a really cute town on the coast. I feel like if you lived there you would walk down to the main road in the mornings for breakfast, everyone would know your exact order, and then you would head down for a walk along the boardwalk. I have never actually been to the beach in Kiama, but the environment itself is the epitome of beach town. If you want to spend a day in a town and not just on the beach - Kiama is the place for you. There are tons of shops, restaurants, cafes, and then plenty of ocean views to fulfill your beach quota. I love exploring new areas so when I first step foot in Kiama I was in my element. There's tons of coastline to walk along, and the Kiama blowhole which is the main tourist attraction in the area.
If you're looking for somewhere to have a nice walk, or even run, along the beach you should definitely check out Gerroa, or better known as seven mile beach. I have never personally walked the full seven miles but I have walked my fair share of the beach. Seven Mile isn't the best lay down to relax beach - that's what Jervis Bay is for. This is more of a "let's go for a morning walk" sort of beach. I mean you totally can spend the day there and relax but the waves are a bit harsher and it can get quite windy. But there are still amazing views. If you go to the Kingsford Smith lookout at the entry of Gerroa you get one of my favourite views on the south coast. It's the view that has me thanking God for the amazing life that I live.
Finally, there is Werri Beach in Gerringong. If you want to go for a surf, or simply just watch people surfing (or check out hot surfer guys) then Werri beach is the place for you. It's another nice beach for a walk, as well as some rock pools to explore, and a lot of space to just sit and relax. The wind, like Gerroa, can be quite harsh sometimes so just make sure you figure out what direction the wind is blowing before deciding to head to Werri. Even so, Gerringong is another cute beach town with shops, restaurants, cafes, and amazing ocean views so if the wind blows you off the beach you have something else to do.
As I said, I can't believe all of these beaches are so close to home. Honestly if you live in Australia or are visiting Australia, head to the South Coast of NSW. You will not be disappointed. There are tons of small towns along the way to stop in and check out - some more exciting than others. But it really does show the culture of Australia outside of the big cities. I love the South Coast. It truly is one of the most beautiful places in the world - and extremely Instagram worthy.
About the Author
Hi, I'm Tess. I am about to embark on a new journey, and I hope you'll come along with me.
1 comments
Cool I am coming.
ReplyDelete