Summer is all about getting outside and enjoying the sunshine – but when day turns to night, balmy weather makes for the perfect conditions to keep exploring long after the sun sets. By day, Jervis Bay is home to some of the most beautiful (and clearest water) beaches in NSW (heck, the world), but in the evening she’s just as glorious, thanks to less light pollution than in Sydney. If you’d like to dig your toes into the sand and marvel at the canopy of lights in the sky, then a guided stargazing tour in Jervis Bay should go to the top of your summertime activities list.
Astrophysicist Dimitri Douchin, along with Caroline Boulom, invite you on a 90-minute experience that will open your eyes to the wonders of the universe right on the water's edge. Sounds magical, right? (They're the same people who run Blue Mountains Stargazing – and Dimitri sure knows his stuff, considering he's a TED speaker with a PhD in astrophysics. He’s a big thinker with a breadth of knowledge about how the world out there works, so we can’t think a better star-expert to take you on this very special journey.)
You’ll get a chance to peep at the moon, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus and The Orion Nebula through a telescope – and you might even spot a shooting star if you cross your fingers and toes.
You might even witness the bioluminescence phenomenon, where a chemical reaction lights up the sealife, making their bodies glisten a shiny blue light.
All participants who embark on the Jervis Bar stargazing tour will receive a digital night sky photograph as a special memento from the evening.
Bookings for this experience at Nelson Beach and Plantation Reserve (Vincentia) are open over at their website, with tours kicking off every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 7.45pm. It costs $85 per adult and $55 per child.