Worrowing Jervis Bay: A Winter Getaway From Sydney

This post was last updated on 2024 April 21

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It’s always a risk staying at an insta-famous accommodation. Will it be overrun by wannabe influencers staging photoshoots all over the property? Or are your expectations so high thanks to all the picture-perfect shots plastered on Instagram that you can’t help but be slightly let down if it’s less than perfect?

I’ve been disappointed by overhyped hotels before, so these days I’m a bit more wary of booking these sorts of properties because often the value for money just isn’t there. But for some reason I just couldn’t shake the feeling that I had to stay at Worrowing Jervis Bay.

And if it was a bust? Well, good thing some of the best beaches in Australia are within a 10 minute drive of the property! Jervis Bay is one of my favorite Sydney weekend getaways, so worst case I figured we could just spend our days at the beach and use our Worrowing pad to crash at night.

Not to spoil it for ya, but let’s just say we didn’t feel compelled to leave the property AT ALL from check-in til check-out, and are already plotting our next escape here (hey, I never said I was any good at surprises!).

Here’s a little recap of our two night stay at Worrowing in Jervis Bay, Australia —

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Worrowing Jervis Bay Overview

Worrowing is a 250-acre estate in Jervis Bay which, as I alluded to above, is a beautiful slice of Australia famed for its squeaky white sand beaches. It’s about a 3 hour drive south from Sydney in the town of Worrowing Heights.

Worrowing isn’t on the beach, but it’s very close to several of the beaches at Jervis Bay – so if you’re hunkering for a beach escape, it makes for a great home base. You can spend the day at the beach, and then retreat into the bush and wind down the day at your Worrowing accommodation. Nature lovers, this getaway is definitely your jam!

The property is a 5 minute drive from the village of Vincentia, where you can grab groceries and coffee, and a 10 minute drive from the famous Hyams Beach. Honestly, the location is beyond ideal.

Worrowing Jervis Bay offers several self-contained accommodation options, from 1 and 2 bedroom cottages to boatshed studios to wilderness huts, and even 2-4 bedroom houses. They also have a few villas and cottages located offsite, but close to the estate.

The wilderness huts are the most insta-famous accommodation option, with their expansive deck looking straight out at the bush and a big fire pit directly out front. They give out serious glamping vibes!

The boatshed studios are also very picturesque: there are 3 of them that sit on the edge of a pond, directly over the water.

If you’re seeking a peaceful getaway and are concerned about it feeling like a crowded resort, don’t be! They’ve intentionally spaced out each of the dwellings so that guests feel like they have the whole property to themselves. You could easily go your entire stay without glimpsing another guest from your cottage.

In addition to offering holiday accommodation, Worrowing Jervis Bay also positions itself as an event venue. There’s an event hall on the property and no shortage of land on which to hold a ceremony or other gathering. Weddings in particular are quite popular here, and it’s easy to see why!

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Our Stay at Worrowing Jervis Bay

Though I was more than a little tempted to book a photogenic wilderness hut or boatshed studio, in the end I went with the one-bedroom cottage. We were treating this getaway more as a winter staycation than a sightseeing adventure and planned to spend the entire weekend on the property relaxing, so it was important to us that we had plenty of space in which to unwind (and also, we currently share a tiny studio apartment in Sydney, so having space is such a novelty for us!).

There are 2 one-bedroom cottages on the property. We snagged unit #4, which sits next to a tiny pond and hosts a plethora of wildlife. On the first night, I couldn’t get over how LOUD all the insects were! I swear I’ve never heard them louder ANYWHERE (and you know I’ve spent a lot of time immersed in nature). It was like all the bugs came out to party after dark. Such a cool experience falling asleep to the insect noises!

 

Another reason we opted for the one-bedroom cottage at Worrowing was because it had an indoor fireplace! I really feel like a winter escape should involve a fire to huddle around, don’t you agree?

Note that the cottages also have an outdoor fire pit (they just got installed this winter actually!), but we didn’t use ours because we had the indoor fireplace going from sunset onwards both nights. Firewood, kindling, and matches are supplied to guests, which I thought was a really nice gesture. They do say that if you run out, you can buy more wood in town, but there are plenty of dead sticks and leaves around the property you can gather yourself, and a large pile of wood between our cottage and the boatsheds.

The wilderness huts each have their own outdoor fire pit, and the boatsheds have one communal outdoor fire pit to share.

Our one-bedroom cottage at Worrowing also came equipped with a small deck out back, which got ample sun all day long even in winter. We ate breakfast and lunch out here and spent much of our time just gazing out at the landscape (or in my case, chasing birds around with my camera). We saw a few really cool-looking birds hanging out around our cottage – or more specifically, around the pond right outside it.

Come late afternoon, dozens of kangaroos took over the estate. Literally, everywhere you looked, you’d see a roo or 10. After 5.5 years in Australia, I’m still not over them!

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Admittedly we spent 95% of the time relaxing in or around our cottage, only prying ourselves away briefly to do a lap of the property during golden hour. I may or may not have been scoping out the other accommodation options for our next visit 😉

Oh and FYI, there’s a horse at Worrowing! I saw her grazing behind one of the larger cottages, but I think she’s often roaming around the property.

Lastly: if you have a drone, you’re definitely gonna wanna bring it to Worrowing Jervis Bay. It’s the best way to grasp just how close it is to the sea, plus get a better idea of how the estate is laid out.

HOWEVER, please do so respectfully! The last thing you want to do is disrupt another guest’s peace and privacy. I waited until after checking out on Monday to fly my drone, as I figured there would be fewer people around (if any), and I launched it right outside the event venue and away from the accommodation.

Was It Worth It?

YES! I loved my stay at Worrowing Jervis Bay. I actually think it’s a perfect winter getaway because, rather than spending all day every day at the nearby beaches (as I know I would during warmer months), I got to fully enjoy the beautiful property and just relax, which is an experience in itself. 

Had we visited Jervis Bay during beach season, I think we would’ve booked somewhere cheaper or camped instead, as the focus would have been on beach time and outdoor adventures. Worrowing is a destination in its own right, and I think it’s best enjoyed without the distraction of the beach.

And no, I would not say it’s overhyped – it’s worth every bit of hype!

But if you need a quick beach hit, this beauty is just 10 minutes away.

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