I traveled about three and a half hours by car from the hustle and bustle of Sydney on a trip to Jervis Bay National Park in the southeastern part of Australia. Living in the city doesn’t typically provide many opportunities to get out into nature. I’m currently renting a room in a high-rise (and of course sharing the apartment with other people), so I’m looking at the spaces between buildings and concrete streets every day. There are parks nearby, so the views aren’t bad—but there are so many cars and people. Seeing the pure white sand and crystal-clear waters amidst the natural beauty of Jervis Bay couldn’t be more different than the Sydney metropolis. The area draws both Australian and international tourists in summer. They of course come for the gorgeous beaches, but they are also here for the unique experience of seeing wild animals up close in the park.
I arrived in the afternoon on a clear day in September, and since the seasons are exactly opposite of those in Japan, it meant an end-of-winter day flooded with gentle spring light. You need a pass to get into the national park, which is there to protect the natural environment. There are campsites and beaches inside the park, but it was still too chilly and a bit too early in the season for people to be swimming. As I was walking slowly through the trees under the clear blue sky, I suddenly encountered wild kangaroos.
What surprised me most was that they had no fear at all of humans. If anything, they seemed to stare at us and even look towards the cameras as we readied them for a shot—as if they knew what we were saying. My heart was flooded with warmth—were wild kangaroos really this friendly? I was again moved when I saw a baby kangaroo sitting in his mother’s pouch. His little head looked like it still had soft fur, and I couldn’t help but smile when he peeked his tiny face out. What a wonderful experience to meet with wild animals this close! Something you would almost never get to do in the city.
I wondered whether I was particularly lucky to have had this experience, so I asked some locals about it. They told me that the encounter wasn’t that uncommon around the Jervis Bay area. Of course, the fact that wild animals feel comfortable enough to come out in front of humans is a testament to how well-preserved the natural surroundings are here. There is a delicate balance to making sure that the wild animals and humans still maintain enough distance to not interfere with one another. I was keenly aware of our responsibility as visitors to protect the environment here so that the animals could live peacefully, even as it is increasingly geared towards tourists.
Within Jervis Bay National Park are Hyams Beach, world-famous for its white-sand beaches, as well as numerous hiking trails through the beautiful forests to enjoy. As I strolled along, bathed in the soft light and surrounded by the sounds and smells of nature, I felt the richness of the unspoiled Australian wilds along with a quiet respect for the creatures that lived there. It was a chance to experience time slowing down—a precious place where I could feel life and nature in my bones, far away from the convenience and comfort of the city. I understand why so many people come here looking for those deep experiences of quiet that you just can’t get living in Sydney.