Have you slipped into a weekend rut without realizing it?

Are you so busy that you don’t manage to take time out?

Would you like to find out how to escape from the daily grind?

Discover how to make the most out of your weekend getaway to Jervis Bay, a hidden paradise that’s right on Sydney’s doorstep.

Veronica Marie Meyer

Have you ever noticed how weekends, always seem to disappear so quickly?

Those two glorious days, when finally you get to choose how you want to spend your time, seem to just slip through your fingers and, next thing you know, the weekend has vanished into thin air.

We’ve all been there – one minute, you’r immersed in that favourite Friday night feeling of leaving the boss, customers and all the worries of your working week on hold for a day or two as you savour your sense of precious freedom. Then, scarcely before you can utter the words ‘I’m having a sleep-in’, it’s Sunday evening, you’re sitting in front of a boxed-set, re-run movie or episode of a reality show and the weekend has passed you by (again) with nothing particularly special to show for it …

Does that ever leave you with a vague sense of dissatisfaction because you’re wishing that, instead of just letting the hours slip past, you’d squeezed a whole lot more out of your weekend?

If you answered ‘yes’, then you could be one of the many busy people who, without noticing that it’s crept up on them, suddenly find that you’re stuck in a bit of a weekend rut.

Find out more about these top advices for a relaxing weekend in Jervis Bay:

• don’t delay your departure

• factor in some flexibility

• avoid trying to do everything

• mix and match

• don’t downgrade Sunday

Sometimes, even though deep down, you know that a change of scenery, a break away from it all and an escape from your everyday routine would do you the world of good it’s hard to make that happen when your day is already overloaded with work, packed out with appointments or crammed full with an endless stream of commitments. If that sounds like you, then the mere thought of putting yourself under additional pressure to get yourself organised and out the door on Friday night for a short breakaway can be enough to turn anyone off!

Are you the one who desperately needs a weekend getaway to Jervis Bay?

Which is why, despite the obvious advantages of giving yourself some much needed respite from your everyday responsibilities, this is the point where the very people who need a break most of all get stuck. Even though they’re the ones who would get the greatest benefit from some long overdue ‘time out’, when you’ve already got so much on your plate it can mean that the mere thought of going to all that bother ‘just’ for a weekend away doesn’t seem worth the trouble.

The trouble is that, in most cases, you’d probably be right. When you’re already weighed down by family, work and other responsibilities, it can mean that all of the travel, effort and logistics that go into organizing a couple of days out of town usually do tend to outweigh the potential benefits.

However, fortunately, like they say, there’s always an exception to every rule …

Would you like to find out the secret to having a perfect weekend away without any of the hassles?

Because, if you’re yearning for an ideal weekend away without any of the usual headaches that seem to be part and parcel of giving yourself a well-deserved break, then Jervis Bay could be the ideal short-break getaway solution that you’ve been looking for.

A truly hidden hideaway paradise –

Jervis Bay

Nestled in an idyllic location just south of Nowra and only little more than 2 hours drive from Sydney, the sheer beauty of its unspoiled coast line, natural bushland and pristine beaches make Jervis Bay one of the best kept weekend getaway secrets that there is. This is truly a hidden hideaway where you can easily escape all of your everyday routines without having to face all the hassles of traffic, crowds or travel.

Chinamans Beach: Unspoilt crystal clear water and white sand on Jervis Bay Beaches waiting for your weekend getaway

When you combine all of those features with the total flexibility that comes from having the freedom to decide how much or how little you want to be active, indulgent or just kicking back and taking things easy, Jervis Bay ticks all of the weekend getaway boxes.

But, for a busy person with an overloaded agenda and limited opportunities to carve out a slot of personal escape space in their full schedule, simply knowing about what’s possible isn’t going to be enough – not if you want to return home on Sunday evening feeling totally relaxed, re-energised and satisfied that your decision to escape for a couple of days was the right one.

That’s because, if you’re going to go to the trouble of getting yourself away from your everyday routine for a weekend of rest and relaxation, action and adventure or fun and freedom, then for busy, time-poor people there’s nothing more frustrating than arriving at your destination only to spend most of your weekend working out what not to do next time!

Regrettably, what usually happens if you’re not familiar with your location is that you can end up spending a big chunk of your mini-break in paradise on time-consuming searches for the best spots, roaming around looking for somewhere to eat or missing out on a hidden highlight that was only a stone’s throw from where you were staying. Those sorts of experiences can really drag down the enjoyment rating so that, instead of making the most out of the time you’ve got, you’re left feeling flat because you’ve wasted a whole lot of precious time for nothing – which is exactly what you don’t want!

Listen to the top tips of a local not to miss out in beautiful Jervis Bay

For years, Jervis Bay has been my ‘home away from home’. Starting with school holidays as a little girl, my parents eventually moved to the area. These days, my husband and I have our own place tucked away in a special corner of my favourite part of the world, which means that, by now, I know exactly what mistakes to avoid if you’re wanting to have the best possible weekend on every single visit.

Whenever friends and work colleagues who know about my link to this magical getaway spot are planning to head down that way for a couple of days, they’ll ask me to give them some pointers for making the most out of their weekend away. Unfortunately, some people have come to me only after they’ve been – and they’re usually pretty disappointed once they hear what they’ve missed out on!

So that you don’t have to be one of those people who come back having only done a fraction of what they’d set out to do and wishing that they’d had a bit more local knowledge before they set off, I’ve put together my Top 5 Tips for Making the Most of your Weekend Away in Beautiful Jervis Bay so that you can relax and enjoy yourself without worrying about whether you’ve missed out on the best bits – and there are plenty of them!

Our top 5 tips so you can enjoy your weekend getaway to Jervis Bay

Top Tip #1 – don’t delay your departure

Although after a busy week at work it can be tempting to push your departure time back to Saturday morning, it really pays off if you can get yourself motivated to head down to Jervis Bay on Friday evening – that way, when you wake up on Saturday morning and you’re weekend escape will have already begun and you won’t miss out on a single moment.

Even though the thought of getting properly organized might sound a bit daunting at first, what I’ve discovered is that you can make a Friday evening escape a hundred times easier if you’ve packed your bags ahead of your departure date. You’ll do yourself a big favour if you avoid falling into the common trap of saying ‘it will only take you half an hour to pack’ because it always takes a little longer than you think! Otherwise, pretty soon you’ll have bit of a baggage backlog building up and you still won’t be even halfway out the door. Apart from that, everyone knows that if you’re rushing about at the last minute, it’s easy to forget something important and no-one wants to arrive at their destination only to realise that you’ve left your swimmers/walking shoes/sunhat/cycling pants/good dress/ipad/latest book behind at the back of your wardrobe, in the top drawer or on your bedside table!

On the other hand, if you’re all packed and ready to go ahead of plan then, come Friday, all you’ll have to do is grab your bags, throw your gear in the car and set off.

Having done it myself, I strongly recommend avoiding heading out of town in peak hour, especially on a Friday when the traffic seems to always be even heavier than usual. If you can swing an early departure from work, that’s the ultimate outcome but, unless you’re starting out on the southern side of Sydney I’d advise you to only go to that effort if you can get away before about 3pm. Any later than that the traffic can be so hideous that you’ll only add hours to your trip doing nothing more than sitting in a bumper-to-bumper jam.

So unless you can get an early mark, my suggestion is to wait until about 6.30pm before you make tracks. But that doesn’t necessarily mean sitting around twiddling your thumbs waiting for the gridlock to subside – take a look at Top Tip #2 to learn about some other options! 

Top Tip #2 – factor in some flexibility

There have been plenty of occasions when, because of work commitments, I’ve initially thought that I’ve been stuck in Sydney – but don’t be so quick to give up and write off your chance for an easy weekend getaway because it’s amazing what sort of brain waves you can come up with when you turn your mind to it.

Provided that you’re prepared to factor in a little flexibility, then a little free-thinking and a bit of brain-storming can open up options that might not have been so obvious at first.

For example, maybe there’s a station that’s on your route where you could park your car so that, later in the day, you could jump on the train and dodge the traffic chaos for a quick getaway. If you’re travelling with someone else and one of you is jammed, maybe the other person could drive before the peak hour and pick you up at a station that’s out of town (my husband and I have done this very effectively quite a few times).

Another idea is, instead of going home first, why not pick a location for an evening meal that’s en route and save yourself a whole lot of time. Or, rather than locking in your departure hour around eating, why not make the most out of being able to avoid the traffic and leave a bit earlier, then choose a spot to eat once you’ve left the rush behind you – I usually find that the traffic is fine once you’re out of the central hubs and there are plenty of places to enjoy a good feed at Cronulla, Engadine, Heathcote, at the first turn-off to Wollongong, Hayward Bay off-ramp or in Albion Park.

There have, of course, been occasions when for various reasons I haven’t been able to get away on the Friday night. Whenever I’ve driven down on a Saturday morning, I always make sure to leave nice and early. That way, you beat the inevitable kids’ sport, shopping and brunch traffic crunch, you arrive with still the full day to enjoy and, because Jervis Bay is so close, you can still get the benefit of a whole weekend to yourself.

If I’m heading down on a Saturday morning, I save a lot of time by making a stop for breakfast along the way. In addition to the spots I’ve mentioned above, there is also a fabulous tourist centre just near Bulli Pass which has delicious snacks, yummy meals and a stunning view for miles over the ocean, cliffs and coastline that’s to die for.

Top Tip #3 – avoid trying to do everything

Sometimes, when you try and do everything you just end up enjoying nothing.

Which, if you stop and think about it, sort of spoils the whole point of giving yourself a nice break in the first place.

What I’ve noticed is that one of the biggest mistakes that people make when they visit Jervis Bay for the weekend is that, because there’s so much on offer with such a tempting selection of activities, venues and locations, they try and squeeze all that they possibly can into a couple of days – and that’s definitely mission impossible!

But there’s no reason why you should have to put yourself into that position because I can just about guarantee you that once you’ve tried Jervis Bay as a getaway destination, you’ll find that it’s so easy to do, simple to arrange and straightforward to organise that you’ll already be planning what to do on your next trip before you’ve even started heading home on Sunday night!

Which means that there’s really no need for you to get caught up in racing around and cramming the weekend full of every possible activity – realistically, you couldn’t do it all even if you wanted to. Instead, why not take the opportunity to focus on what you feel will suit you best and make the most of enjoying your favourite pastimes at your leisure. Whether that involves exercise, relaxation or sightseeing, it’s totally your choice and, since it’s all there at Jervis Bay, only a stone’s throw from home, you’ll be able to indulge in it all at your own pace.

However, that doesn’t mean you need to miss out on anything important – Top Tip #4 explains more about how to create some fantastic holiday activity combinations that will suit everyone’s taste!

Top Tip #4 – mix and match

Although you don’t want to overdo it, you still do want to make the most out of your weekend, and at Jervis Bay, if you know what’s what, then there’s plenty of scope for indulging in a fabulous variety of fun pursuits so that you don’t have to miss out on anything that’s top of your priority list.

If one of you fancies a swim, another wants to see the dolphins and there’s also a plea for an indulgent brunch then it’s no problem to create a perfect combination that keeps everybody happy – and isn’t that the ideal outcome?

We often cycle along the amazing beachside path (which I love because it’s totally safe with no cars) to Huskisson, where we park our bikes, dive into the turquoise waters for a refreshing swim and then stroll across to take our pick from the countless cafes where we can sit back and relax with our morning coffee.

Or how about taking one of the numerous dolphin and whale watching boat trips? Not only will you get to enjoy the thrill of seeing these amazing sea creatures in their natural environment (Jervis Bay is a marine reserve), it’s also a wonderful way to experience the beauty of the beaches and coastline from on the water. And since these cruises start and finish at Huskisson, all your options for swimming, dining or strolling around the many boutique shops are right there at your fingertips once your boat docks – what’s not to like?

Top Tip #5 – don’t downgrade Sunday

When people go for a weekend away, although they often pack a lot into the Saturday, they usually get little more than token value out of Sunday since they’ve got to worry about the return trip.

But the beauty of Jervis Bay is that, because it’s such a short, easy drive from Sydney you can really enjoy a full day on Sunday before you even have to start to think about heading home. Which means that you can totally get the most out of your precious weekend away.

If you’re thinking that you don’t want a car full of wet towels and cossies for the drive home, then why not dedicate Saturday to swimming and plan cycling, dolphin watching or a game of mini-golf on Sunday?

Still, sometimes on a hot, sunny day that beach is irresistible and when it’s so easy to pack a picnic lunch or choose a delicious takeaway to keep your tummy more than happy then why not just pack everything away into a waterproof bag for the return journey? Too easy.

With an early dinner in one of the many fabulous eateries, if you head off by 6 or 7pm (which is our usual departure time), then not only will you miss all the traffic, you’ll also be back at your place relaxed, content and in plenty of time to get a completely re-energised you ready to face the world again on Monday.

Don’t wait any longer – and recharge your batteries at stunning Jervis Bay

There’s no doubt that everyone loves a weekend away – there’s nothing quite like a complete escape from your daily routine to recharge the batteries and to let you start feeling human again!

But if you’ve got a high-pressure job, multiple responsibilities juggling family and work and few chances to indulge in a little much-needed rest and relaxation, then getting some time out can be easier said than done.

Beautiful Jervis Bay offers you the opportunity to get away from it all for the weekend in an idyllic location right on Sydney’s doorstep.

With these 5 Top Tips you’ll be able to make the most out of your next weekend away at stunning Jervis Bay.

Looking forward to seeing you here soon!