3 of the best – off-leash dog beaches
Jervis Bay has a great selection of dog-friendly beaches that offer handy amenities for the humans, too.
Whether your Fido loves to frolic in the foam, or your pooch prefers pawing potholes in the sand, an off-leash dog beach gives them the freedom to play, explore and make a few new friends.
Jervis Bay has some of the best dog beaches in NSW. Here’s three highly recommended.
Off-leash hours on these dog beaches are 4pm-8am in summer (daylight savings time), 3pm-10am in winter.
Nelsons Beach 1.2km, between Plantation Point and Blenheim Beach
Our fave is Nelsons Beach, because of its long stretch of pristine sand, and stunning views out across the Bay. Most access points are also down some stairs so it’s fairly contained for young pups and those dogs who like to run but might not have much road sense.
We’ve seen pods of dolphins cruising along parallel to the shore and feasting on bait fish. There’s often a Navy ship or two practising manoeuvres across the Bay, and at certain times of the year the local sailing club hosts colourful Regattas with brightly-coloured sails dotting the sea.
In whale migration season it’s possible to see these majestic creatures enjoying a stopover on their journey. There’s a good viewing platform on the boardwalk above the beach, and a few picnic tables too.
The view takes in the lighthouse at Point Perpendicular as well as Bowen Island, home to thousands of fairy penguins (and off-limits to humans).
In the Plantation Point park you’ll find public amenities, a kids’ playground, outdoor gym and some electric bbqs and picnic tables that are very well maintained and usually very clean.
Huskisson Beach 700m between Nowra Street and Tapalla Avenue
Near the Holiday Haven White Sands caravan park
This one is a family favourite, a great place for kids and their pets to play together. This beach is quite a bit shorter than some of the other options, so it’s not the first choice for pets and people who want to top up their step counters.
The calm, clear water and white sands are close to the ‘town centre’ of Husky, and there’s a fair amount of parking nearby too.
Behind the beach is part of the popular Round-the-Bay walking track that offers big picnic tables, electric bbqs, kids’ playground equipment, showers to wash off the sand, and public amenities (ie, toilets!).
Culburra Beach 2.6km Park Row to Tilbury Cove
This is the beach for long walks and plenty of exercise, with its light golden sand curving along the “surf” side of the coast a little to the north of Jervis Bay.
As with the other beaches, dogs are allowed all day on-leash.
Other options around Shoalhaven
There are beaches and parks aplenty that welcome the family pet, all around the Shoalhaven. Pick one that suits you from this online resource of around 20 locations – it also tells you about where dogs are prohibited (such as within kids’ playgrounds and wildlife protection areas).
