Paradise Found

Jervis Bay & The Shoalhaven

Whale watching season runs from May through until November with dolphin tours operating every day.

Although the region is surrounded by pristine beaches including Seven Mile Beach and National Park, the area is also known for incredible produce and wineries.

The region boasts twenty wineries and eleven cellar doors that would satisfy even the most discerning wine drinker. 

For those looking to enjoy more local fare, the Jervis Bay Maritime Museum holds a monthly market (on the first Saturday of each month) on the grounds surrounding the complex.

For the more energetic, the Nowra Triathlon Event is being held on April 24th.
 
Nowra is an easy drive from Sydney and Wollongong, with the bike leg heading out along the picturesque flat country and returning to run across the river over Nowra’s famous bridge.

Nowra

In the heart of the Shoalhaven district, the historic town of Nowra on the New South Wales South Coast two hours south of Sydney sits on the banks of the meandering Shoalhaven River.

Boosted by tourism, manufacturing and an Australian Naval Base, Nowra is the gateway town to the white sands and aqua waters of Jervis Bay, the lush rolling green hills of Kangaroo Valley and the heritage town of Berry. 

Folk here are laid back, and the city tempo moves to a slower beat in time with the river. Nowra is home to around thirty-five thousand residents who take to the waters in various sea craft to fish, canoe and play on down days. Tourists to the region can take a two or three hour Shoalhaven River Cruise to explore the area.

If you’re feeling peckish, the town has some stand outs for long client lunches or dinners. The relaxed setting of Wharf Road Restaurant has made culinary waves as far away as Sydney with a coveted Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide Hat thanks to chef/owner David Campbell’s take on local organic cuisine. Perched on the river side in a restored Harbour Master’s residence, the menu boasts sustainable produce and the restaurant features a Himalayan salt brick cool-room for dry ageing and a South American style parrilla barbeque.

Try the Trevi Fountain for Italian cuisine from local celebrity chef Adam Gallo or the butterfactory for modern Australian seasonal produce. The acclaimed butterfactory sits in a heritage building on a two acre property and is open for lunch and dinner.

Find yourself with some spare time between meetings? Then check out the Fleet Air Museum for a dose of aviation history or head to Hyam’s Beach in Jervis Bay, know for the whitest chalkiest sand in Australia or take a trip into nearby Berry for old world bakeries including the Sourdough Bakery and Café.

Active travellers have plenty to choose from for an early morning exercise jaunt with walking tracks galore. Ben’s Walk is a 5.5 kilometre sojourn that takes in the Shoalhaven Showground, river views and mountain scenery and comes complete with swimming holes at Platform Rock and Big Rock and a suspension bridge over Nowra Creek. 

If you like your walking tracks with some hills then The Grotto at North Nowra has your name on it. The entrance is steep from the cliff tops down to the Shoalhaven River.  You’ll be surprised with a 1920s style farm site on mown grass and an old orchard where you can catch your breathe for the ascent back up.

If you prefer your exercise with water, then drop into Nowra Waterdragons for some dragon boat training or grab a kayak from Anglers Rest at Greenpoint for some river kayaking. 

visit shoalhaven.nsw.gov.au