If you live in Sydney and want a little getaway, a home away from home, a coastal escape, then I have a luxurious recommendation for you! I booked in a 2 night/3 day stay in Jervis Bay at "Cloud 9", 3 hours south of Sydney, hired a Tesla, and created a mini vlog of my experience which you can watch here âşď¸
Whilst I personally didn't get to have the experience I was intending for this particular trip (more on that later), I still wanted to share my favourite tips on staying in Jervis Bay for those needing some time away. And I actually grew up in Jervis Bay, so you're receiving these tips and insights from a true local đ Whilst we're on that topic, it's pronounced "JERRRR-vis Bay" not "JAR-vis" đ
So I booked this road trip/getaway as a little reset and recharge for myself, and also hired a Tesla for that little extra touch of luxury! I'd never driven a Tesla before, or even been in one, and it was such a futuristic experience. I jumped onto evee.com.au who specialise in electric car sharing, and chose a Tesla Model Y to allow for more space with my toddler and our luggage. The whole booking process was so simple and easy, I've hired cars before when going away and it can be quite a process (which always ends up with bub a little whingy and frustrated when it takes so long to have all the paperwork signed and keys handed over) so I really loved how seamless it was with Evee. The next time I visit the Gold Coast too, I'll be using them instead of a generic car company! But will ensure I've researched charging stations đ More on that drama later...
For the trip down, if you also have little ones in tow and need a break on the way, then 2 places I highly recommend to stop in at are:
Shell Cove - The Waterfront Marina â kids beach, icecream and donuts, sushi, a lovely walk along the marina
Berry - Boongaree Rotary Nature Play Park â an incredible new park, worth the drive just on its own đ
We stopped in at Woolworths Vincentia on the way to the accommodation, which is only 5 minutes away and also has a butcher and bakers delight. It's definitely the newest and best supermarket in the area, so use that one to stock up on your bacon and eggs, meat for the BBQ, platter foods and more.
Cloud 9 - Luxury accommodation in Jervis Bay
Arriving at Cloud 9 is a surreal experience the moment you pull into the driveway. It overlooks the entire bay, and is high enough to give you the perfect view, yet still incredibly central, with shops just 5 minutes away (there's also a Coles), some of the best beaches in the area only a few minutes drive.
The property boasts the following:
Sleeps up to 6 people
3 bedrooms (one master bedroom upstairs, 2 rooms downstairs)
2 bathrooms (ensuite for master, full bathroom downstairs with stone bath)
Floating fireplace in the living room (the ambience the crackling creates is to die for)
Outdoor area with hot tub and fire pit
Balcony with stunning views of the bay, with BBQ and table
You can find full details of the property and make your own reservation here!
Review: Hiring a Tesla
Before we jump into my tips and favourite spots in the bay, here's my (totally honest) review of hiring a Tesla đ¤đđ So I hired I through Evee, which was all fine and well, but my personal experience was to hire my vehicle who's owner was actually out of the country at the time. So he just told us the location of his Tesla, for us to go pick up on our own, without any run down or explanation on how the car works. We had to figure everything out for ourselves đ I didn't even know about the auto-drive feature (one of the main points of a Tesla) until driving back home 3 days later!
So, because I knew nothing about the car, I just assumed it's an electric vehicle that you can charge at any charging point, and also that EV's are fairly common these days so there'd be a few to choose from. Nah to both đĽ˛. The car was running low by the time we arrived in Jervis Bay after our 2 hour trip (plus another 40 to pick the car up before we left) so we used the Tesla app to find the closest charging station. I'm gonna dot point the journey to save you valuable reading time đ
First location was 10 mins away and a holiday rental, but with no one there, no charging point in sight, and no answer to the phone number listed
Showed up at the second location listed, was an Air BnB that was no longer operating, also no longer had the charging station, and apparently even if they did, it wouldn't have fitted our model of car. đ
Became pretty desperate at this stage with 16% battery remaining and no charging station in sight
Found out that you can essentially "plug it into the wall", but you need a long ass extension cord (definitely didn't pre-plan for that) and it takes a long time - we're talking overnight, so that wasn't an option
Resorted to asking the instagram audience for help, a mate told me Paperbark Camp have a charging station, called them, said it's only for guests but could probably hear the stress in my voice (being stranded with a toddler isn't a vibe, particularly when you can't even run out for lunch - thank god I'd stopped at Woolies on the way down and had some leftover chops for lunch) so said to bring it out
Took it to the charger at Paperbark Camp, didn't fit đŤ
I called NRMA as someone said they can do callouts for emergency charging, they were no help at all đ
We're running dangerously low on battery life by this point after all the running around, so my friend ended up having to bite the bullet and take it out to Berry (an hour from Cloud 9) to a supercharger, wait around for another hour while it charged, then drive an hour back to us. By then is was around 4pm, I was just about done with the whole getaway because that was our only free day to get out, explore the area, finally go to my favourite beaches with my little girl (any other time I'd be down previously, I'd been to anxious to go many places so hadn't taken her to the beach yet) have a family dinner at Stone Grill, and a whole lot more. But it just is what it is, right? 𼲠I just wish I had some general idea of how short of a battery life a Tesla actually has, because we would have charged it in Berry on the way down so that she'd have enough juice for us to explore the next day. I had in my head that they were incredibly efficient and that we'd make it both down and back to Sydney with still some charge leftover!
What I loved about the Tesla:
The thing can GO (very surprised)
Itâs very intuitive and simple to drive
You donât actually really use the brake⌠When you take your foot off the accelerator, it slows down (like, intensely, not like an automatic car)
Autopilot is INSANE. Literally just sit there and it chauffeurs you đłđ¤Ż
Can turn air con on via app to cool it down before getting in
Sentry mode: when itâs parked you can access its surrounding cameras
Interior is stunning, the leather seats are so comfortable and the glass roof is an experience in itself
It softly dings at you when the light goes green, such a small thing but itâs so nice if youâre currently handing your little one snacks đ
Itâs quite simple to drive, thereâs ZERO instrument cluster which is wild but you donât actually need one, and no overwhelming buttons!
An INSANE sound system, Tesla actually had it white-labelled and is one of the best ones available in any vehicle available (interesting to look into)
What I don't love:
Charge only lasts a few hours (ya knew this one was coming đ¤Ş)
Even if you have a supercharger station close by, still have to wait an hour to charge back up
Kind of annoying having to be so attached to your phone for functions, especially to unlock the car (but thatâs the way the world is moving)
I feel the shape is becoming outdated and due for a remodel
Thereâs an interior camera, which the owner of the car can access at anytime⌠This made me incredibly uncomfortable to discover, as I had been breastfeeding Azura in the backseat whilst parked at one point, and also changed into my swimmers
Would I buy one? No, not right now. Iâd wait for them to develop further and potentially buy an electric vehicle in two years time. Would I hire one? Absolutely just to have the experience and also expand my subconscious to know itâs possible for me to own a luxury car (manifestation hack, youâre welcome), BUT Iâd better prepare myself by knowing what charging stations are available, how to charge it myself at my destination, and be given a walkthrough of how to use it and what the features are. Next time I go to the Gold Coast, Iâd love to hire one again, but maybe not Jervis Bay (they arenât up with the times yet). Thereâs probably SO many more features I missed out on as I only had the car for a few days, if thereâs anything you love about Teslaâs Iâd love to know! Let's jump back into the Jervis Bay tips and insider knowledge, pretending I did all these experiences within this trip đ¤ Thankfully my family live down there so I can visit whenever I like, and have visited all of the below places and experiences â¨
When watching the video of my experience, the beach we went to that was just down the road for my toddler to burn her energy was Greenfield. If you have time, after you park and walk to the grassed area, follow the track to the right (looking toward the beach) and it will take you for a calm scenic bushwalk, which is only about 5 minutes until you come to another fairly quiet and secluded beach - Chinamans. It's the one just next to Hyams, so that same crystal clear water and white sands, just without the tourists đ
Another beach I love, particularly for little ones, is Plantation Point, also just a 2 minute drive from Cloud 9! As Jordan has captured in this photograph, one side is the beach, usually with waves, and the other is the calm bay, with rock pools and lots of shells and rocks. If you feel adventurous, you can walk through a little bit of bush at the meeting of the two, to come out onto a small cliff that overlooks the whole bay. A stunning photo opportunity that I've used countless times. There's also recently been a park built for little ones, and there's a great path to follow to ride bikes/scooters on.
Next beach highlight is Moona Moona Creek. And let me give you full transparency, the water is not always this clear and stunning đ Sometimes the tide is high, sometimes low, sometimes clear and sometimes murky. But it's an awesome spot for kids, and a place I spent a lot of my own childhood, especially with boogie boards in the creek and down the sand dunes. Grab some hot chips from Husky or Vincentia and relax as the kids go and explore.
Huskisson is of course the heart of Jervis Bay, and the place people think of when you mention it. Just a 10 minute drive from Cloud 9, this is your hub where you can grab breaky, take the kids to the park, jump on a dolphin and whale watching cruise, hire stand up paddle boards, go to the ice creamery, do some boutique shopping, grab the best pie ever from Husky Bakery, add to your crystal collection, buy some caramel fudge, and so much more. There truly is so much to do in this small coastal town.
Things to do when in Jervis Bay
Huskisson markets - second Sunday of each month next to Huskisson Bowling Club
Horse-riding at Valhalla
Husky carnival - December/January
Explore Booderee National Park for quieter beaches (Cave Beach, Hole in the Wall etc)
Best places to eat in Jervis Bay
Salty Joe's (breaky and lunch)
5 Little Pigs (breaky and lunch)
Pasta Buoy (food, beverages)
Flamin Galah (brewery)
Jervis Bay Brewing Co (brewery, food truck)
Wildginger (3pm onwards, food + drinks)
Kanpai (Japanese dining)
Huskisson Hotel (aka Husky Pub đ)
Stone Grill (dinner, one of the only restaurants)
Gunyah Restaurant (fine dining, at Paperbark Camp)
Takeaway Chinese from The Country Club - just up the road (walking distance!) from Cloud 9
And there is your insiders knowledge on my personal experience with a 3 day stay, and a guide to the best spots to visit, places to eat, and beaches to visit in Jervis Bay đŹđ´ Enjoy your stay!