The beach with the whitest sand in the world

I swapped my tropical paradise home on the shores of the Great Barrier Reef for a different - but no less stunning - kind of paradise.

It's a hard thing, moving to the south coast of New South Wales where wineries in the lush hinterland are eclipsed only by beaches boasting the whitest sand in the world.

When a friend offered her holiday home to me for a few months in the tiny village of Vincentia, I jumped at the opportunity.  Goodbye tropical heat and humidity, hello crisp dry weather cool enough to finally enjoy a glass of shiraz again.

WHERE IS VINCENTIA?

Vincentia is one of several small towns nestled into wineglass-shaped Jervis Bay on the south coast of New South Wales, an easy 2.5 hour drive south of Sydney.  The countryside is lush and green and dotted with dairy cows producing world class cheeses.  Wineries, manicured country villages, sailing life and vibrant birdlife abound.

Flanked by an immensely imposing cliff to the north - Point Perpendicular - it's home to stunning marine life, crystal clear aqua waters and the whitest sand in the world.

Tiny coves and long stretches of empty beaches are fringed by native bush, offering hundreds of shady spots from which to contemplate the distant horizon.

Every day for me is a visual journey through shades of blue ... from the gorgeous violet-hued hydrangea flowers blooming in so many gardens, to azure skies, shimmering sapphire waters and blue painted beach houses.

I'm soaking myself in this gentler climate for a few months before making my way north to Byron Bay for the Australian winter, and I'm sure it'll be hard to say goodbye to this blue paradise.

See you soon | À bientôt