Bushwalkers tackle the Groper Coast
On a beautifully sunny morning we drove to the Groper Coast on Jervis Bay to walk to Target Beach, Silica Cove and Honeymoon Bay, some of the most glorious spots on the Beecroft Peninsula.
The sea here is part of a Sanctuary Zone and is therefore protected from fishing, boating and recreational diving.
Our first stop was Honeymoon Bay.
This westward facing beach is a perfect wineglass shape, with only a narrow rocky sea entrance and white sand.
The water is so clear that you can see for metres under the surface of the calm water and apparently it is wonderful for snorkelling around the rocks as the fish life is abundant. The only sadness here is in its name: reportably, a couple who married over the bay at Huskisson crossed the water in a tinnie to honeymoon at the bay; a fierce storm blew up and both were drowned before they reached the shore.
The bay has been called Honeymoon ever since.
This time of year is perfect for visiting, before the hoards of campers arrive in the holidays.
After some morning tea we walked the two kilometres to Target Beach.
This track is through littoral rainforest and tall eucalypts, with tempting rainforest type vines for swinging.
The week before when Fran and I did the recce there were killer whales in the water here, until the tourist boats scared them away.
This Sunday there were none, but the beach is isolated and clean and the water very clear. We walked to the far end to look at the creek that travels down the sandy gully to the ocean, flanked by high sand dunes.
From there we walked back along the trail to Silica Cove.
This track follows the coast line from one beach to the other and there are good lookout spots and some wonderful narrow paths where the coastal trees meet overhead.
On the downward slope there is a boardwalk and finally a small viewing platform.
Here we had lunch as there is a lot to explore. Firstly is the very interesting ship wreck of the St Martin de Porres.
This was a homemade boat that set off boating around Sydney at Christmas, 1994.
A rope tied around the propeller and the ship was forced to continue south until rescued by the Water Police who towed it to HMAS Creswell for maintenance.
The problem was cleared and the boat set sail for Sydney but unfortunately a storm blew up (obviously a serious weather condition in Jervis Bay!) and it was washed ashore onto the rocks at Longnose Point where it remains today, rusting away but with its number and name still proudly painted on.
Then there are the Aboriginal middens on this beach that are probably thousands of years old: Jervis Bay is said to be the birthplace of the 13 south coast Aboriginal tribes and the middens reveal a very healthy diet of seafood.
The walk is about six kilometres in all.
On the way home, we also looked at Bindijine Beach as this is where the materials to build Point Perpendicular Lighthouse were delivered in 1898 and then transported overland by horse and cart.
At the end we were treated to a very friendly contact with three Eastern Greys, a mother with a six month old joey in her pouch and a young one at her side.
As Tony said, "The icing on the cake after a beautiful walk."
Lee Sharam