Murrays Beach

Murrays Beach is a white-sand beach on the northeastern shore of Jervis Bay, with Bowen Island across the water. Visitors come for the clear shallows, swimming and snorkelling, and the long island view. The bay can feel calm, but sea conditions change and Booderee’s beaches are not lifeguard-patrolled; take care around the water and supervise children.

The beach is a 300 m, five-minute walk from Murrays Beach car park on a Grade 2 track through coastal vegetation. Vehicle entry to Booderee requires a pass. The car park is sizeable, with public toilets reported there.

Murrays is a stop on the Munyunga waraga dhugan loop, a 5.4 km, Grade 2 walk that takes about 2.5 hours and has 14 interpretive signs. For a shorter extension, continue from the car park behind the beach to Governors Head lookout, 1.1 km each way, about 20 minutes. It opens up a wider view over Jervis Bay and Bowen Island.

Bowen Island is culturally significant to Booderee’s Traditional Owners and a key breeding colony for little penguins. The park map marks no public access within 30 m of the island, so enjoy the view from shore and leave the colony undisturbed.

Munyunga waraga dhugan means “white-bellied sea eagle’s home camp” in Dhurga, the language of the Wreck Bay Aboriginal people. The loop’s 14 signs interpret local plants, animals, culture and history, adding a cultural layer to a beach visit.

Booderee’s little penguins are about 30 cm tall. They forage in nearby bays for small fish, squid and other small marine animals, then return to Bowen Island around dusk and nest among Lomandra tussocks, rocks and vegetation. The island is a breeding place to protect, not a wildlife approach or landing point.

Bherwerre Peninsula is underlain by Permian marine-origin sandstone, siltstone and conglomerate, while dunes and sandy soils cover much of the landscape. Bowen Island shares the peninsula’s sandstone. At low tide, a route toward Hole in the Wall uses exposed rock platforms; tide and waves matter there, and the marine life on the platforms is protected.

Bowen Island is the beach’s defining view. At sunrise, the light can gradually reach the island; include some pale sand in the foreground to show the shoreline as well as the view across the bay.