Booderee National Park

The landscape in Booderee National Park is quite varied, from secluded beaches and large forests to rugged cliffs and heathland. Both are impressive in their own right, each making you feel totally cut off from the entire world in their vastness.

The tall forests are all encompassing, the low scrub gives great views across the landscape yet hide cars, people and other signs that you are anything but alone. However you are never alone: despite bushfires the National Park and Botanic Gardens are packed with over 460 native plant and 200 bird species.

Cape St George

One notable feature is the Cape St. George lighthouse at the end of Stoney Creek Road, but even this no longer rises above the landscape having been demolished to rubble years before as, remarkably, a danger to shipping. Up by the ruins of the lighthouse and its buildings you find yourself quite elevated, and can look out to sea to spot dolphins and at certain times of the year you'll see migrating whales passing by or resting in the bay with their calves.

Steamers Beach

If you're looking to stretch your legs there are plenty of bushwalking trails in Booderee National Park. One of the shortest but most rewarding is the 2.5km trek to Steamers Beach which takes you deep into the bushland through tea-tree forests, although you'll need to know what you're looking for to spot them. Although the paths has pleny of slopes and steep downward steps, the going is still fairly easy on the way in.

Unlike the famous white beaches found elsewhere in the Jervis Bay Territory, the sand at Steamers Beach are yellow, and the theory is that Steamers beach was once subjected to a Tsunami that bought in yellow sand from further out at sea. The beach sits in it's own little bay with impressively powerful waves rolling in one after the other - perfect for surfing, perfect for fishing off the rocks round the heads.