The Illawarra is the region south of Sydney and north of New South Wales South coast. The region is known for its great coastline to the East and the escarpment to the west. I have lived in this region all my life and believe it’s perfectly located, just a short 1 – 2 hour drive north and you are in Sydney. In this blog post I will share with you 7 of the best things to when passing through or staying in the Illawarra.
1. Wollongong Head Lighthouse
Wollongong is known for its beautiful beaches and a visit to the Wollongong Head Lighthouse will not disappoint. You not only have Wollongong beach to the South and North Wollongong beach but also the Wollongong head lighthouse and the Wollongong breakwater lighthouse.
Bombora Seafood is the perfect place to take in the views while enjoying fresh seafood. Levendi café is a popular spot to grab a coffee or sit by the water and have lunch. Be warned Levendi’s is usually packed with people. Visit the famous pink ice cream van, Normies soft serve ice cream to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Hours: 24/7
Entrance: Free
Address: Endeavour Drive, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
2. Wollongong Botanic Garden
The Wollongong Botanic Gardens is a relaxing and peaceful place great for going for a stroll, reading a book or having a picnic. The gardens features different themed areas including a woodland garden, herb garden, rose garden, succulent plants, rainforest area, lake with a board walk, kid’s playground, and a sunset cinema showing new release films as well as classics. One of the more known attractions of the gardens is the Japanese style wooden bridge, this was a gift which symbolizes Wollongong’s connection with its sister city Kawasaki in Japan.
Hours: Mon – Fri 7:00 am – 6:00 pm Sat – Sun 7:00 am – 6:45 pm
Entrance: Free
Address: Murphys Ave, Keiraville, Wollongong, New South Wales, 2500, Australia
Website: http://www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/botanicgarden/Pages/default.aspx#gref
3. Nan Tien Temple
The Nan Tien Temple is the largest Buddhist temple in the Southern Hemisphere and is known as the “Southern Paradise”. Since the temples opening in October 1995 the temple has won many awards including: Winner of major tourist attractions in South Coast, award for best architecture and first prize in the schools/institutions section at the Wollongong garden festival. The temple offers a wide range of services everything from guided tours, conference services and Buddhist wedding ceremonies.
Don’t forget you can also have lunch here. There is a vegetarian café and you can also have Chinese classics like dumplings.
Hours: 9am-5pm Tuesday – Sunday and all Public Holidays
Entrance: Free
Address: 180 Berkeley Road, Berkeley, NSW, 2506
Website: http://www.nantien.org.au/en/
4. Bald Hill Lookout
Bald Hill Lookout is popular spot among locals and tourists to admire the coastline of Wollongong’s Northern suburbs. The view faces the south and overlooks the iconic Seacliff Bridge. Bald Hill Lookout has a convenient café, toilets and carpark making it a perfect stop if you are heading south from Sydney.
Bald Hill is a great spot to try hang gliding! You can take a 25 – 30 minute flight with an instructor overlooking the impressive Illawarra coastline. For more information visit: https://www.hanggliding.com.au/
Hours: 24/7
Entrance: Free
Address: Lawrence Hargrave Dr, Otford, NSW, 2508
Website: https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/lookouts/bald-hill-lookout
5. Sea Cliff Bridge
Along the 140km Grand Pacific Drive is arguably the Illawarra’s proudest attraction the Sea Cliff Bridge. The 665 meter cantilever bridge was opened in 2005 and has since not only been a functional road linking northern Wollongong to the suburbs of Coal Cliff and Stanwell Park but also a popular tourist attraction.
The bridge has a designated walking section where you can look out and possibly spot whales migrating in the Pacific Ocean. It’s not hard to see why the Sea Cliff Bridge has been featured on so many TV commercials showcasing cars.
Hours: 24/7
Entrance: Free
Address: Lawrence Hargrave Dr, Clifton, NSW, 2515
Website: http://www.grandpacificdrive.com.au/
6. Austinmer Beach
Austinmer beach is one of the most popular beaches in the Wollongong area among locals. The 250 meter long beach is lined with Norfolk Island pines and situated on the southern end is the Austinmer Surf Life Saving Club founded in 1909. To the west is a large car park and across the road on Lawrence Hargrave Dr you will find shops and restaurants.
Hours: 24/7
Entrance: Free
Address: Austinmer Beach, Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Austinmer, NSW, 2515
7. Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventures
The Illawarra Fly Treetop Walk is a 500 meter steel walk through the treetop canopy of the Illawarra escarpment. The average height of the walk is 20 – 30 meters above ground level. At 45 meters above ground the spiral tower offers the best views over the Illawarra.
Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventures has the highest zipline tour in Australia. The tour takes up to 2.5 hours and involves zip lining between tree platforms with the help of a trained guide. The tour cost $67.50 AUD and includes the treetop walk.
Hours: 7 days: 9am – 5pm
Entrance: $22.50 AUD
Address: 182 Knights Hill Rd, Knights Hill NSW 2577
Website: https://www.illawarrafly.com/
Be sure to make time to include some of these attractions to your Itinerary whether you are heading south from Sydney or staying in the Sydney area. The Illawarra is definitely a beautiful part of Australia conveniently located a short drive or train ride south of Sydney. If you found this blog post helpful I would appreciate it if you shared it with someone who may find it useful. If you have any questions please leave a comment down below.
