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Stage 10 - Culburra to Jervis Bay

If the previous day was logistically challenging, this stage was to prove our biggest technical challenge to date. Our departure from Culburra Beach was almost identical to that from Shoalhaven Heads; a walk through suburbia, a brief step out on to the beach (Warrain Beach) to cross the narrow sand bar that separates the waters of Lake Wollumboola from the sea and on, along the white sand and feather-lined shores of the lake. Feather-lined because this lake is home to a colony of several thousand swans, whose black silhouettes dotted the water as we passed by.

Early morning glare over Penguin Head

Part of the enormous black swan colony on Lake Woolumboola

Many other water bird species also call Lake Wollumboola home.

The little tern is an endangered species - its breeding sites are protected at the lake

Dotterels

Egret

Feather lined shores of the lake

Track along the shores of Lake Wollumboola

We were following what the map described as a 4-wheel drive track; maybe ten years ago, but as soon as it left the lake shore we found ourselves in a dense tea-tree thicket with no obvious route. Thankfully, our confidence in the GPS was high from its previous day's track-finding skills. This time it led us along a mythical black map line through dense tea-trees and thick low heath until eventually evidence of a track became more obvious and gradually developed into a good bush road.

Yes! the map does say that this a 4-wheel drive track

.........

One of the problems with bush-bashing is that spiders love
to spin their webs between bushes at face level

Two black cockatoos wondering why a pair of
humans are walking through trackless scrub with
eyes fixed on a piece of high tech equipment
while swearing at a map

Old farmhouse on the southern shore of Lake Wollumboola

Crossing the sealed Currarong Road, we entered taller eucalypt forests, the first time that we had encountered the dry sclerophyll forests of the South Coast. Here, we again followed tracks that were still indicated on the map, but which barely existed, having been ripped and had tree branches dropped across them by the National Park authorities to prevent vehicle access and help restore the native bush. We appreciated the sentiment and our GPS unit's ability to guide us through (the moral is to trust your technology, but not your maps).

Finally a good track through the dry sclerophyll forest

Reward comes to those who put in the effort, and our reward came when we burst out of the forest on to the pristine white sands of Hare Bay on the northern shores of Jervis Bay. A swim in the calm azure waters of the Bay was irresistible.

Blue + white = Jervis Bay

The beach at Hare's Bay

Feeling greatly refreshed, we headed west along the white sand beach, a great relief following the earlier bush-bashing exercises. Passing through the resort village of Callala Bay, with its small marina, we strolled barefoot in the sand along the 6 km stretch of Callala Beach.

A pod of the Bay's resident dolphins passed by close inshore as we approached our last obstacle, Currambene Creek and the boat harbour at Huskisson. Again modern technology proved its value; a quick call on the mobile ‘phone and Husky Hire-a-Boat was waiting for us when we rounded the last sandy stretch. A step off the sand into the boat, a step onto the wooden dock from it and we were in Huskisson, 23 km from our starting point for the day.

Boats moored at Callala Bay

Our transport across the mouth of Huskisson Harbour

Just a short walk from the dock, the iconic Husky pub beckoned. The cold beers on the deck overlooking the bay and the thought that we were to spend a few relaxing days in the beauty and calm of Jervis Bay were a sweet way to end a long hard day.


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