South of Sydney lies a coast of blinding white-sand beaches and clear turquoise water — crowned by Jervis Bay and Hyams Beach. Add Booderee National Park, the Kiama blowhole, historic Berry and the whale waters of the Sapphire Coast, and you have one of Australia's great coastal escapes.
If Sydney's beaches are famous, the South Coast's are quietly spectacular. Stretching from the Shoalhaven through Jervis Bay and down to the far Sapphire Coast, this is a run of national-park headlands, white-sand bays and small coastal towns where the water glows turquoise and the pace drops away. It's less developed and less crowded than the coast north of Sydney — and all the better for it.
Jervis Bay is the star — a vast, protected bay ringed by some of the whitest sand in the country — but there's far more, from the Kiama blowhole and historic Berry to the whales of Eden. A Cooee Tours day tour can take in the Jervis Bay highlights from Sydney, or we can build the whole coast into a relaxed multi-day NSW itinerary.
Jervis Bay & Hyams Beach: white sand, clear water and resident dolphins
Booderee National Park: beaches, bush and a botanic garden on Aboriginal-owned land
Kiama & Berry: the famous blowhole and a beautiful historic country town
The Sapphire Coast: Narooma, Montague Island and the whale waters of Eden
Jervis Bay is about 3 hours' drive south of Sydney; the South Coast unfolds further from there.
The South Coast is at the far end of New South Wales from South East Queensland, so it suits a longer NSW touring holiday rather than a quick trip.
For Jervis Bay: a long day tour from Sydney, or — better — an overnight in Huskisson
For the whole coast: 3–5 days lets you work down from Kiama to Eden at a relaxed pace
For whales: visit May–November and build in Jervis Bay and Eden cruises
Jervis Bay is the reason most people come — a huge, sheltered bay where white-sand beaches meet impossibly clear water. Huskisson is the main town, with cruises, cafes and dive shops; Hyams Beach is the most famous stretch of sand, though it's far from the only one.
The headline act — sand so white it can be dazzling in summer. Arrive early in peak season as parking is limited and the village asks visitors to come prepared.
Equally white sand with a fraction of the crowds. Murrays, inside Booderee, is a stunner backed by bushland.
Owned by the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community and jointly managed with Parks Australia. Beaches, walks, a botanic garden and superb marine life (entry fee applies).
Resident dolphins year-round from Huskisson, with whale watching added in season. The bay's calm water makes for easy cruising.
Dramatic coastline and a surf beach within Booderee — popular with walkers, photographers and campers.
Jervis Bay is a marine park with clear water, seagrass meadows and reefs — among the best easy snorkelling and diving in NSW.
Hyams Beach is a small residential village and gets very busy over summer and long weekends, with strict, limited parking. Come early, be respectful of residents, and consider the equally beautiful Greenfield, Murrays or Chinamans beaches nearby — or visit on a guided tour that handles the logistics.
Read our full Jervis Bay guide → — every beach, Booderee National Park, cruises and where to stay.
Home to the famous Kiama Blowhole, a lighthouse, coastal walks and rock pools — an easy and popular first stop south of Sydney.
A beautifully preserved historic village just inland, known for its main street of cafes, galleries, antiques and country charm.
The regional hub and river district, gateway to Jervis Bay and the surrounding beaches and wineries.
Relaxed beach towns to the south, with a famous surf beach, a working harbour and renowned coastal dining.
Crystal-clear water, the photogenic Australia Rock, and boat trips to Montague Island for seals and (in season) little penguins.
The far South Coast, where deep water brings whales close in — one of the best whale-watching destinations in NSW, celebrated each spring.
Cooee Tours can take you to Jervis Bay and the South Coast as a day trip from Sydney or as part of a longer NSW touring itinerary. Get in touch and we'll tailor it to your group and dates.
The white-sand highlights from Sydney — Hyams Beach, a Jervis Bay stop and Kiama on the way, with the option of a bay cruise.
Work down the coast from Kiama and Berry through Jervis Bay to the Sapphire Coast, with overnights and whale watching in season.
Build your own coast trip — Booderee, snorkelling, a bay cruise or a winery stop — at your own pace, for couples, families or groups.
Dolphins: resident in Jervis Bay year-round
Whales: roughly May to November along the coast, with Eden a standout in spring
The NSW South Coast is the Country of the Yuin and Dharawal peoples, who have lived along this coast and cared for its land and sea for tens of thousands of years. At Jervis Bay, Booderee National Park is owned by the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community and jointly managed with Parks Australia — one of the country's most significant examples of Aboriginal land ownership and care for Country.
Cooee Tours acknowledges the Yuin and Dharawal peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the South Coast, and the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community who own and care for Booderee. We pay respect to their Elders past and present, and travel on Country with care and respect.
Jervis Bay is about 3 hours' drive south of Sydney (around 190km), via the M1 and the Princes Highway. Huskisson is the main town on the bay. It's far enough that an overnight or two suits it best, though a long day trip from Sydney is possible.
Hyams Beach is renowned for its dazzling white sand, and for years was popularly described as the whitest in the world. That specific record is no longer recognised and is debated, but the beach is genuinely spectacular — and several nearby Jervis Bay beaches, like Greenfield and Murrays, have sand just as white with far fewer crowds.
Booderee National Park sits at the southern end of Jervis Bay and is owned by the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community and jointly managed with Parks Australia. It protects white-sand beaches, bushland, a botanic garden and rich marine life. An entry fee applies, and it's one of the highlights of the region.
Yes. Jervis Bay has resident dolphins seen on cruises year-round, and humpback whales pass on migration between roughly May and November. Further south, Eden and the Sapphire Coast are among the best whale-watching spots in NSW, with deep waters bringing whales close to shore.
Heading south you'll find Kiama (famous for its blowhole), the historic village of Berry, Nowra and the Shoalhaven, Huskisson on Jervis Bay, the coastal towns of Mollymook and Ulladulla, the Eurobodalla around Narooma and Montague Island, and Eden on the far Sapphire Coast.
Summer brings the warmest water and busiest beaches, autumn is mild and quieter with warm seas into April, winter is cool but prime for whale watching, and spring is fresh with whales returning south. Jervis Bay's dolphins are present year-round.
The South Coast is spread out, so a car or a guided tour is the practical way to explore it. A guided day tour from Sydney covers the Jervis Bay highlights without the driving, while a multi-day tour lets you take in Kiama, Berry, Jervis Bay and the Sapphire Coast at a relaxed pace.
Yes, a long day trip is possible — around three hours each way — and covers Hyams Beach and a Jervis Bay highlight or two. To do the bay and Booderee National Park justice, though, an overnight in Huskisson is well worth it, and pairs naturally with Kiama and Berry on the way.
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