The Jervis Bay region is a highlight
reel of natural wonders and
Huskisson is the perfect launchpad.
WEEKENDS | Huskisson
Eastern grey kangaroos, brushtail possums, king parrots
and crimson rosellas are among the regular visitors while
the notoriously shy sugar glider has also been known to
pop by. Tents are set in the thick of beautiful casuarinas,
spotted gums and, of course, paperbarks; it’s a restful locale
that has helped weary city slickers unwind for two decades.
Yet, just a few minutes’ drive towards the coast is the
relative bustle of Huskisson. When Paperbark Camp
moved in, that bustle comprised “a few shops and a picture
theatre,” recalls Irena. Now, Owen Street, Huskisson’s
main drag, is packed with eateries and retail stores.
The growth is in response to serious demand. With a
population of less than 800, ‘Husky’ remains a small
coastal town, but it overflows with tourists in the height
of summer. Most visit for a piece of Jervis Bay, the marine
paradise that extends from Culburra in the north to
Sussex Inlet in the south and east to Point Perpendicular.
Home to Booderee National Park, Jervis Bay National Park
and Jervis Bay Marine Park, the region is a highlight reel of
natural wonders and Huskisson is the perfect launchpad.
“There’s a real mosaic of things going on in Jervis Bay,”
says wildlife ecologist Darren O’Connell, who runs Into
the Wild Tours. “Variety being the spice of life, it’s gota bit to offer everybody, particularlyfromthenatural
resource point of view. It really iswhatwewouldcall
a biodiversity hotspot.”
A major drawcard is the Bay’s100-or-soresident
bottlenose dolphins. Daily toursareavailableandwill
all but guarantee a dolphin encounter,butyourchances
are also pretty good from any shorelinevantagepoint–
they’re a sociable bunch.
Between May and November,dolphinssharethe
spotlight with humpbacks and, toalesserextent,
southern right whales as they migratesouth.Furseals,
little penguins, and grey nurse andPortJacksonsharks
are also happy residents of this diverseecosystem.
Marine life loves Jervis Bay foritsdeep,sheltered,
well-flushed waters. A drownedrivervalley,theBay
experiences very little run-off fromtheland,which
explains the powder-fine white sandandclearturquoise
waters that characterise the region’sbeaches.
For Russ Newman, this backdropisalsotheoffice.
An instructor with JB Surf School,Russhasbeenholed
up waterside since he moved fromDeniliquinin1988,
when he was seven. “We just jumpedinthewaterand
haven’t got out since,” he says, “snorkelling,^1FROM TOP: The
deep, sheltered waters
of Jervis Bay are a
haven for marine life;
With its luxurious tents,
Paperbark Camp was
modelled on African
safari-style lodgings;
A local bright-eyed
and bushy-tailed
swamp wallaby.PHOTOGRAPHY: ELISE HASSEY (WALLABY, PAPERBARK CAMP)