Jervis Bay – 12/24/2012
Dec 25th, 2012 by admin
We’ve been traveling in Australia for over a week now and we haven’t seen a live kangaroo in the wild yet. Dead kangaroos on the road? Yes, plenty – too many. But a live one? Not a one.
We leave Berry and head down to Jervis bay to the Bonderee National Park which is supposed to be a great place to see wild life and has a number of the best beaches in Australia. Looks like the place to go.
The ride is the usual for the Princes Highway. Nice, fast moving (100kph/62 mph) stretches between town with 40 to 60 kph roads. The sky is overcast but looks like it’ll eventually clear so we motor along enjoying the forests.
One of the more unique things that we’ve seen on the highways or Queensland and now New South Wales are the speed cameras. The cameras aren’t particularly notable but the warning signs are. As you approach an area that has a speed camera, you’ll first see a sign telling you that they use speed cameras in NSW. Then you go any ½ kilometer and you see another sign telling you that there’s a speed camera ahead and the the maximum sped is, say, 10 kph. Then the next sign tells you the you’ll get “demerits” (like our points) against your license and you could lose your license. Then finally the 4th and last sign tells you that the camera is just ahead.
That’s right 4 warnings before you finally get to the speed camera. After all the warnings they really shouldn’t call it a “speed” camera. The should probably call it a “you’re-too-dumb-to-have-a-license” camera. I have no idea how the get any one for speeding with the way they warn people about the cameras. Maybe that’s the point: everyone does slow down before the cameras. Maybe the idea is like the American penchant for putting unoccupied police cars along the highway to slow down traffic.
Soon we’re in Jervis Bay and enter the park. The park entrance is still a few kilometers from the beaches. We drive down the roads a few kilometers and park in a lot near the beach. We take our gear and head for Caves Beach. After about a kilometer, we get to the beach. And the placid aqua green water. And the white sand stretching about a mile in a gentle curve. Just stunningly beautiful.
We walk on the beach for a bit and then head back to the car. The sun is trying to break through the clouds but the overcast persists. As we get back to the car park we see some people just into the bush pointing at something. It’s a mother kangaroo and her older joey, old enough to be out of her pouch full time but still staying close to mom. We get some pictures and Barbara gets with about 5 feet. But no closer. She’s a bit nervous because she has the joey but she stays with us as long as Barbara doesn’t try to get closer. Wild kangaroos? Check.
We leave the ‘roos, get in the car and head off to the other side of the park to another beach, Steamers Beach. We stop for lunch at a small pie/toastie/burger stand and while we eat the sun comes out. The clouds disappear, the wind picks up and the temps go up as well.
As is apparently common, the parking area for the beach is a few kilometers away from the beach. We have our bathing suits and the plan is to see some wildlife on the hike to the beach. Now it’s gotten quite warm and the hike through the forest is very beautiful.
We come to the turn off for the beach (without seeing any wildlife) and the road heads down hill. They also have a habit of putting the car parks at the top of a headland and having long steep hikes to the beach. Here we go again. Down the road. Then down the path. Then down the stairs. It going to be a bummer coming back but, when we turn a corner on the stairs and the bay and beach come into view, we forget about the hike back.
The beach is straight out of a tourist brochure and almost empty. By now the temps are right up there so a swim is in order. Can’t come to Oz and not swim on one of these beautiful beaches. Drop the gear and head for the water.
The sand seems a bit cold and when a wave breaks and the water rushes up the beach and over our feet, it takes our breath away. It’s so damned cold, it’s hard to believe. We’re stunned we had both thought that the water would be warm. It isn’t. I’d be surprised if it’s much over 50°F. Then we realize that though we haven’t seen many people on the beaches, we seen even fewer in the water. Now we know why. I finally dive in but I’m back out in a few minutes. Enough of that.
We stay on the beach for a while but then start the bummer hike/climb back up to the car. The stairs really are as steep as they felt on the way down but soon enough we get to road and hike easily back to the car.
Along the way, we’re looking for more wildlife and just as we get near a towering gum tree and suddenly the dark back of a large roo jumps away through the bush. I guess that counts as a sighting, though fleeting. Back to the car and back to the Princes Highway toward Bateman’s Bay.
Barbara finds one more beach along the way, Pebbly Beach, and we pull off the highway and head to the crpark. Unlike all the other beaches we’ve gone to, this car park is at beach level and within sight of the beach. We head down to the beach and walk along watching a couple of fishermen cast their lines in the breaking surf.
It’s pretty but it’s getting late and we still have another 50 kilometers to go to the hotel so we head back to the car. Along the walkway, we spot some lorikeets foraging on the ground. Their colors are so brilliant I have to spend the next 20 minutes taking pictures.
But we have to go and we’re back in the car and on the road to Bateman’s. We get into town and start looking for the hotel which we have a bit of trouble finding. And as we circle the small town center we see that most of the restaurants are closed. It’s Christmas Eve and almost everything is already closed.
Except, of course, the obligatory Chinese restaurant which is open and ready to serve. We go in have some drinks and dinner. Then to the hotel. Older but quite nice. Right on the Clyde dinner.
Another great day. What a country. What a trip.
Obi-wan
One Response to “Jervis Bay – 12/24/2012”
Merry Christmas!