Cockle Bay

We started our day with a hearty breakfast in Nowra, and a cup of coffee to go. In less than an hour, we were parking the car in Jervis Bay and walking down the trail to Hyams Beach. I read that the sand is so white that you can’t look at it on sunny days without sunglasses. Someone this weekend said that the sand is so fine that it squeaks. Well, I was skeptical on both issues and was excited to see for myself.

It was a bit cloudy today, but the sand is definitely a vibrant white. As we stepped off the trail, the sand was more of an off-white but quickly turned to a magnificent, pure white. I’ve never seen sand that color. Of course, pictures don’t quite capture it, but it was unusual. I looked to the left and then to the right, and we were the only ones on the beach. And it is a long beach. As we walked to the water, I noticed an unusual sound and realized that the sand actually does squeak. I’m not sure what science is happening on that beach, but I told Kim I thought it squeaked because it was so clean.

The water is way too cold for swimming, but I dipped my feet before laying out my towel for a little sunbathing. Not long after settling in, Kim noticed a pod of dolphins swimming by. We walked to the water and watched about 8-10 of them frolicking up the coast. They spent about 10 minutes moving to the south, then turned back north before heading away from us. Slowly, their fins fell out of sight, and we returned to our towels. A later venture into beach combing turned up little of interest, so we packed up and continued to drive down the coast. Among our favorite signs today included koala crossing, wombat crossing, and kangaroo crossing.

The drive down the coast continues to be beautiful. In addition to quaint seaside towns, we also passed some farm and pasture land today. We arrived in Batemans Bay in the late afternoon. As if on queue, Diann asked what we did today. When I said we had stopped at Hyams Beach, she said, “Oh, the squeaky beach.” Diann and Zoe live on a cliff overlooking the bay. We had no idea that they were actually on the ocean, so the incredible view was a pleasant surprise. We spent most of the evening on the veranda, with the waves quietly breaking below. Kim and I continually mentioned how beautiful the place was and were very grateful for the opportunity to stay. They even made us a turkey dinner, since we’ll be missing the holiday this week. Can’t wait to see what they have in store for us tomorrow.Read more