Huskisson

Huskisson on Jervis Bay, 2.5 hours from Sydney.

New year's day, 2012. What a nice way to start off the year with a spontaneous first time visit to Huskisson on the south coast of New South Wales. No pre-booking just jumped in the car with an overnight bag and a leap of faith. We found a quaint little two bedroom cabin for $150. Not the most comfortable beds but ho hum, it wasn't bad for such short notice. Beautiful beaches with a lovely fenced in sea pool. Conditions ideal for surfing, kayaking ($49 for 2 hours), and stand up paddle boarding. The south coast is way underated. My advice? Give the north a break and head down south for your next holiday.

Sunrise over Huskisson

Skip this paragraph if you're a vegan or vegetarian. We had dinner in the town centre at a restaurant called Stonegrill. We ordered a 300gm eye fillet which was served raw on top of a hot volcanic stone slab which was pre-heated to about 300 deg celcius. Leave the meat on the slab and it does not cook beyond a few millimetres at a time. I love mine rare (almost blue actually) and so it was perfect cutting off a few mm at a time and turning the piece of meat over to cook as you eat. The verdict - two words yummm mo!! In fact, I've just sent Stonegrill an email enquirying if they intend to open a restaurant in Sydney sometime soon. There is also one in Vincentia but it's just a tad too far to drive there just for dinner. However, there is one in Penrith. Menu includes chicken and seafood. However, I think steak is still the best. Check out www.stonegrill.com.

If you're after dolphin or whale watch, check out www.jervisbayecoadventures.co.au. They also do snorkeling eco-tours and twilight cruises for sunset over Jervis Bay.

Beautiful temperature, gorgeous beach, yummy food and a day out with my loving family - what a great way to start the new year!

Woohoo!! This photo sums up our little new year south coast sojourn appropriately.