One of the great joys of BJ owning his own beach wheelchair is that we’re able to explore any beaches we fancy. Despite this, we do prefer a beach with level access. We tried several beaches in Jervis Bay but our favourite was Greenfield Beach which is located in the beautiful Jervis Bay National Park. Access to the beach is level making it easy with the beach wheelchair. We spent quite a bit of time testing out various beaches so we thought we’d share the reasons Greenfield Beach became our go-to beach in Jervis Bay, including all the information you need to know about accessibility.
GREENFIELD BEACH JERVIS BAY – ACCESSIBLE SOUTH COAST NSW
During our stay at Jervis Bay we experienced a particularly windy day. It was gloriously sunny so we didn’t want to miss out on a beach day but needed a spot sheltered from the wind. I’m always a believer in asking locals for advice, often with mixed results but I decided to ask a local dive operator for her tips. She suggested Greenfield Beach would be protected, had level access and would be just as nice as the famed Hyams Beach.
It was the best advice we could have received as we found the beach to be less crowded and it has excellent access for those travelling with their own beach wheelchair like us.
We particularly liked the fact there was also shade if it got too hot and the bay was calm allowing BJ to sit in the water without getting bowled over.
ACCESSIBILITY AT GREENFIELD BEACH, JERVIS BAY
Paths provide easy access from the car park to a small bridge which leads to the beach.
At the end of the bridge it’s soft sand for the short distance down to the shoreline and the compacted wet sand.
I love the fact a bench seat is positioned not far from the bridge for anyone with a mobility restriction who is keen to see the beach but not necessarily wanting to go right down on to the sand. It’s a lovely spot to soak up the atmosphere, sea air and gorgeous vista without walking far.
A picnic area is tucked behind the beach with bench seating and barbecues.
The accessible parking is in partial shade meaning we didn’t end up with burnt bums from hot car seats on our return.
HWWT ACCESS TIP – For the easiest access to the beach, head towards the picnic area on the path and enter the beach via the bridge pictured above rather than the entrance directly behind the parking area.
From the Greenfield Beach picnic area there’s a short accessible walk (White Sands walk) which offers gorgeous views over Greenfield Beach. The first section to the lookout should be accessible to most wheelchair users with step-free access along the path.
The lookout offers great photo opportunities but we were keen to see what was beyond that point and continued on. We needed to negotiate one step further along the pathway to access the next portion of the walk.
With BJ’s off-road tyres we could manage both the rustic nature of the pathway and the deep step.
Birdlife is abundant and Scribbly Gums and other native trees line the walk which took us to another lovely lookout.
The walk continues right around to Hyams Beach but when more stairs became involved we decided to call it quits.
The one accessible feature missing from Greenfield Beach is a unisex stand-alone accessible bathroom. There is a larger accessible stall within the women’s bathroom which we used for changing BJ out of his swimmers. It’s a shame this is missing because otherwise this spot is perfect.
After trying many beaches during our stay we really enjoyed the calm waters, lack of crowds and ease of access at Greenfield Beach. We’ll definitely return to this spot when on the South Coast of New South Wales in the future.
If you are travelling to the area and don’t have your own beach wheelchair the local council provide beach wheelchairs free to loan at many of the beaches. Check the Shoalhaven Council website for locations.
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