Jervis Bay is a huge inlet along the south coast of New South Wales that is located about 200 kilometers south of Sydney, 200 kilometers east of Canberra and 350 kilometers north of the Victoria border. The bay has more than 40 kilometers of shoreline and a chain of white sandy beaches, and the water is warmer and calmer than the nearby ocean. There are no designated nude beaches along Jervis Bay, but nudity is known to occur frequently in certain locations along the south side of the bay, in an area called the Jervis Bay Territory (JBT).

The place along Jervis Bay that is best established as a nudist location is a segment of beach defined by two geological formations. Scottish Rocks refers to a small area of long rock formations that extend from the beach into the bay, and the rocks are mostly beneath the surface of the water. Hole in the Wall is a natural wall of rock that appears to have had a large central section knocked out. These two geographic features are about a kilometer apart. There are signed parking areas along Jervis Bay Road for both Scottish Rocks and Hole in the Wall, with trails leading directly to either landmark. Some visitors come to have a look at these formations, but otherwise almost all beachgoers head to other JBT locations (most notably Green Patch and Murrays). Thus, the stretch of beach that includes Scottish Rocks and Hole in the Wall is sparsely populated, and a custom of nude bathing has evolved.

On quiet days, it is possible that there may be nude bathers in the immediate area of either Scottish Rocks or Hole in the Wall. On busier days, nudity is probably best confined to the area of beach between them (i.e., to the right of Scottish Rocks when facing the water). Nudity may also be encountered on the opposite side of Scottish Rocks, going toward Bristol Point, but nudity should be avoided as you get close to Bristol Point, where there is likely to be a concentration of textiles.

It should be noted that nudity is not officially allowed on any beach in the JBT, and authorities are required to ticket nudists if they receive a complaint. If police visit the beach in the absence of a complaint, they will most likely just remind nudists that nudity is not permitted any ask them to dress with no further action taken.

Some sources also describe nearby Murrays Beach as potentially clothing optional, at least along peripheral areas of the beach, but such information seems out of date. Murrays draws too many textiles to be a viable nude beach.

A bit of trivia: The Jervis Bay Territory is an area covering 67 square kilometers on the south side of Jervis Bay that is a bit of a historical holdover. In 1915, New South Wales ceded this land to the Australian Capital Territory so the ACT would have an outlet to the ocean. Today, the JBT is still run as a federal territory. So, when you head down Jervis Bay Road and pass through the entry booth, you'll technically be leaving New South Wales. However, for convenience information about JBT locations is almost always classified under New South Wales.

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GPS: -35.1366, 150.7447

town, state, country
  Jervis Bay, New South Wales, Australia

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