Kiama to Jervis Bay road trip: Distance, time & best stops

The best stops on a Kiama to Jervis Bay road trip include Gerringong, Berry and Nowra. By car, the distance from Kiama to Jervis Bay is 79km, with a driving time of 1h8m.

Planning a Kiama to Jervis Bay road trip

A Kiama to Jervis Bay road trip connects two of the most attractive spots on the New South Wales South Coast.

Kiama is home to extraordinary basalt columns and a famous blowhole. For the best Kiama accommodation, head this way.

Jervis Bay is arguably Australia’s best kept secret, and it offers dolphin cruises, sea kayaking tours and whale-watching along with those remarkable beaches. For Jervis Bay accommodation deals, hunt here.

This guide should help you plan a great Kiama to Jervis Bay road trip itinerary. Click on the links to the town and city names for more detailed information on potential stops.

Kiama to Jervis Bay distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Kiama to Jervis Bay is 79km. Get lucky with the traffic and there’s a Kiama to Jervis Bay driving time of around one hour and 8 minutes.

This assumes you’re going to Huskisson, the main town on Jervis Bay. Timings are slightly different for other spots on the bay, such as Vincentia, Callala Beach and Currarong.

In Kiama, the Bombo Headland has incredible basalt columns and the ocean crashes through a hole in the rocks at the Kiama Blowhole. You can also go swimming at Kendalls Beach or the Blowhole Point Ocean Pool.

Kiama accommodation options include the usefully central Nova Kiama, the more luxurious Sebel Harbourside Kiama and the much cheaper Surf Beach Holiday Park.

Kiama to Jervis Bay drive: Gerringong and Berry

Just south of Kiama, Gerringong is another potential overnight stop. Catching the surf at Werri Beach is the main draw, but you can also go wine-tasting at Crooked River Wines.

Where to stay in Gerringong, NSW?

The best Gerringong accommodation options are:

For two pools and a restaurant: Mercure Gerringong Resort.
For a holiday park that the kids will love: Werri Beach Holiday Park.
For overall quality: Park Ridge Retreat.

The next two worthwhile stops on the Kiama to Jervis Bay road trip are Berry and Nowra. Berry is chintzy, touristy town where the shops major on arts, crafts and fudge.

You can stay at the charming Berry Village Boutique Motel and the garden-surrounded Mt Hay Retreat.

Kiama to Jervis Bay road trip: Nowra and Jervis Bay

Nowra, meanwhile, is the administrative centre of the Shoalhaven region. Things to do in Nowra include seeing the animals at the Shoalhaven Zoo and Adventure World, kayaking along the Shoalhaven River and tasting spirits at the Tara Distillery.

Best Nowra accommodation options

The best places to stay in Nowra are:

For solid quality, cheap rates and an outdoor pool: Parkhaven.
For business-friendly apartments: Quest Nowra.
For something plusher, with a big pool and 18 hole golf course: Springs Shoalhaven Nowra.

The turn off is at Falls Creek, just south of Nowra.

Jervis Bay is famous for its white sand beaches, such as Blenheim Beach and Greenfield Beach in Vincentia. Hyams Beach is the most famous, however – and justifiably.

Blenheim Beach in Vincentia, Jervis Bay. Photo courtesy of Destination NSW.

Things to do in Jervis Bay include dolphin-watching cruises and whale-watching cruises from Huskisson, plus venturing into the little-known Jervis Bay Territory.

You should book Jervis Bay accommodation early, as it tends to fill up well in advance.

6 Jervis Bay experiences worth booking now

See the dolphins and lounge above the water on a dolphin cruise with boom netting.
Explore the beaches, spotting wildlife on the way, with a sea kayaking tour.
Watch sunset on the beach, then explore the heavens with an astrophysicist on an evening stargazing experience.
Admire the migrating humpbacks on a whale-watching cruise.
Try cycling on the sand on a Culburra Beach fat-biking tour.
Discover the lesser-visited hideaways on a hidden secrets cruise.