The 140km Grand Pacific Drive starts in the Royal National Park, located just outside of Sydney, about an hour's drive from both Sydney's CBD and Wollongong. Experience the 15,000 hectare expanse of bush, beaches and waterfalls at one of the world's oldest national parks. Highlights in the park include; Audley, Wattamolla, Garie Beach, The Coast Track, Governor Game Lookout and Bonnie Vale Campground. Tip: Follow the Grand Pacific Drive directional signage from Farnell Avenue, at the start of the National Park, and it will direct you along the entire drive passing through Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama en route to the Shoalhaven region.
Discover Royal National ParkGlistening beaches, a spectacular green backdrop, a brand new city centre, several vibrant eating and entertainment zones . This dynamic changing city is just the perfect size. You'll see skydivers descend to the beach, surf schools and hang gliders. Enjoy 17 amazing patrolled beaches, beautiful botanic gardens, a spectacular historic harbour and the beachfront 'Blue Mile', the entertainment centre, art gallery, small bars and now a brand new world class shopping centre and city mall. The Illawarra escarpment is the Great Dividing Range as it adjoins the coast with its dramatic cliff faces, spectacular lookouts and many moods and colours. The northern villages of Bulli, Thirroul, Austinmer and Coledale are beachside playgrounds with great food and shopping.
Discover WollongongYou'll marvel at the shades of blue, green and yellow as the Grand Pacific Drive takes you across the Lake Illawarra estuary, the start of our aquatic playgrounds.You're soon in one of Australia's most forward-looking and fastest growing communities, a leader in urban design and planning. The latest shopping and community services are alongside lovingly preserved nature along our beaches and coastal reserves with an outlook that embraces the past and builds an innovative future. The city is building a marina to complete its excellent array of facilities that include a stunning golf course and other sporting venues. At the Illawarra Regional Airport an aviation museum features flying examples of historic planes as well as an F-111 and the first ever Qantas 747. You can often sit in the pilot's seat for a selfie!
Discover ShellharbourThe first settlers called it Kiama for 'the Place where the sea makes a noise' but today the noise comes not just from the famous Blowhole and its cousin the Little Blowhole, but from a picturesque caf scene set amid historic buildings housing unique shops, the maritime atmosphere of our harbour and famous lighthouse and attractions such as the breathtaking coastal walking tracks around places like Bombo and Jamberoo Village with its awesome action park. Kiama is surrounded by coastal beauty in areas like Gerringong, Gerroa and the cool tranquillity of Minnamurra Rainforest and its roaring waterfalls and soothing streams. The rolling hills around Kiama offer picturesque drives along lanes lined by dry stone walls past classic dairies and farmhouses. Saddleback Mountain lookout allows you to get a bird's eye view of the entire district and coastline.
Discover KiamaWhen George Bass named the 'Shoals-haven' he couldn't have imaged it would become so loved as a holiday destination. The very names of the dozens of towns and localities of the Shoalhaven conjure up images of great vacations ranging from placid relaxation at beaches or national parks to some of Australia's best fishing, to wineries and restaurants. Think places like Kangaroo Valley, Berry, Shoalhaven Heads, Coolangatta, Greenwell Point, Culburra, St Georges Basin, Bendalong, Manyana, Lake Conjola, Milton, Narrawallee, Mollymook, Ulladulla, Burrill Lake, Dolphin Point, Durras - all holiday favourites.Accommodation ranges from various styles of camping or cabins, to Australia's first 'glamping' resort, to luxury stays with dinner like Rick Stein's Bannisters.
Discover ShoalhavenThe Southern Highlands is an atmospheric destination where magnificent homes and gardens dot the rolling hills and towns like Bowral, Mittagong, Berrima, Moss Vale, Bundanoon and Robertson have a character all their own. Bowral is famed for its boutiques, gourmet restaurants, gardens, galleries and Tulip Time Festival. It's aptly the site for the Bradman Museum as young Don grew up in the town, practising his cricket against a water tank. The highlands have some of Australia's best country accommodation from magnificent manor houses to cosy B & Bs. Natural treasures include Fitzroy Falls, the Illawarra Fly Tree Top Walk and Wombeyan Caves with their surrounding wilderness area. The town has some of the most interesting shopping and galleries. The area has many quality wineries with welcoming cellar doors and top restaurants.
Discover Southern HighlandsThe Clyde River is one of Australia's most beautiful with a backdrop of green hills, national parks and state forest. It runs through the famous resort town of Batemans Bay with its endless attractions from great food (especially oysters), accommodation from luxury to camping. From beaches to the famous foreshore walk, to world class fishing, to diving and snorkelling in Bateman's Marine Park to family attractions like Birdland Animal Park-Eurobodalla has it all!
Discover EurobodallaThe Sapphire Coast on the NSW South Coast is the ideal adventure landscape where you can reconnect with nature. All year round the national parks are natural playgrounds and the lagoons and seas are our wonder-filled aquarium. Explore artisan galleries, taste the freshest of produce from the land and the sea, sample local wine, study Aboriginal history and culture, and the history of the pioneers. Or lose yourself in nature, in whatever way you choose.
Discover Sapphire CoastWild Grand Pacific Drive is for those who like to get out and walk, dive, climb and explore what nature gave us here on the coast and highlands.
Royal National Park offers a lifetime of natural enjoyment, from a picnic or barbecue at many different spots, to casual walks or full-on hiking and adventuring for the energetic.
There are about 100 kilometres of walking tracks and cycling trails that are marked in many parts of the park.
Bundeena and Maianbar are charming villages on Port Hacking. Audley has rowboats, canoes and mountain bike hire from its historic boatshed. Garie Beach is a popular scenic patrolled beach and Wattamolla has a beautiful lagoon and beach with coastal walks. Famous scenic features are Wedding Cake Rock, Eagle Rock and the Figure 8 pools.
Campsites are located at Bonnie Vale, North Era and Wattamolla. Werrong naturist beach is at the southern tip of the park.
The Sublime Point Walking Track is a challenging steep walk through lush coastal rainforest to the plateau above with incredible views from the lookout with much-loved café and picnic grounds.
Start the track at Austinmer, or for an extended walk, Coalcliff. The track ascends though dense forest rich with tree ferns and palms. A series of ladders and a giant staircase has you high above spectacular views amongst the yellow-tailed black cockatoos, falcons and kestrels. On reaching the top you'll take in the entire coastline and coastal plain and welcome refreshment at the café.
Just south of Shellharbour in Bass Point Reserve, Bushrangers Bay Reserve is regarded as one of the best snorkelling and diving spots in the state with abundant tropical fish.
An excellent sheltered dive and snorkelling site with the inner and the outer bay, it can be accessed from shore or by boat. The intertidal rock pools are home for many invertebrates including the stunning weedy sea dragon.
One of the most striking features within the reserve is a cliff shaped like an amphitheatre in 10 metres of water, six metres high with hundreds of small cavities which are home to sea urchins and tropical fish.
The fabled beaches Mystics and The Farm are the stuff of legend, some of the best on the coast.
Killalea State Park ‘The Farm’ is a surfing reserve with over 260 hectares of pristine coastal reserve with spectacular coast, littoral rainforest walking trails, extensive estuarine wetlands and seabird breeding areas.
It's the perfect spot for a swim, surf or stand-up paddle board. Enjoy the spectacular view from above as you sit on the grass area overlooking the beach.
You can camp amid all this or stay in the backpacker-style bunkhouse.
The Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventures takes you over the rainforest, 50m from the forest floor. More than 700 metres above sea level, there are stunning views of the rainforest, the beautiful surrounding countryside and the magnificent Pacific Ocean. Enjoy a guided tour at 11am daily and the 'meet the ranger' session at 2pm at no extra cost.
The Zipline Tour is officially the highest in Australia 35 metres above the forest floor! You'll fly on a series of cable spans and suspension bridges through the treetops, giving amazing insights into the rich forest and the territory beyond.
The 80m high Fitzroy Falls are set in thick eucalypt forest full of birds and wildlife. The water thunders down against vivid sandstone cliffs. There's an award-winning visitor centre, a café and picnic areas. Two short walking tracks show off the terrain and bushland, one featuring magnificent flowers in-season.
Carrington Falls is where the Kangaroo River plunges over 50m, with its cascades, waterholes and rockpools, three lookouts and four walking tracks-it's one not to miss!
A walk through this spectacular natural world that is Minnamurra Rainforest shows you the rainforest that once followed our coast, along with crashing waterfalls and crystal clear streams. Elevated walkways make for easy movement as your senses awaken with the myriad birds.
The Kiama Blowhole is whats given Kiama a special place in the heart of travellers. With the right sea conditions it can shoot water up to 25 metres in the air or about as high as a five level building.
In addition to the Blowhole and its surrounds, there's the maritime atmosphere of the harbour and lighthouse and massive views along the coast including Bombo and its Cathedral Rocks. While 600,000 people visit the Blowhole each year, there's a second 'Little Blowhole' that's also spectacular in Tingira Crescent a few moments south.
Kiama Coast Walk offers a whole new take on the Kiama area. It's broken into three sections.
The first, from Minnamurra to Blowhole Point takes about three hours. It passes spectacular Bombo with its wild beach and Cathedral Rocks, Jones Beach and Kiama Harbour as well as the Boneyard, Bombo Quarry and Spring Creek Wetlands.
From Blowhole Point to Loves Bay takes about 90 minutes passing Storm Bay, Surf Beach, Kendalls Beach, Easts Beach and the Little Blowhole.
The third section takes you past Werri Beach to Gerringong - about 6km. You can go further to Seven Mile Beach, about 45 minutes from Gerringong.
The world's whitest sand meets the crystal blue Jervis Bay waters in an idyllic setting complete with natural vegetation, birdlife and a marine wonderland. Paradise!
Hyams Beach is both the beach and the village, east facing on Jervis Bay. Bordered by National Park and reserve, the village has retained a gentle holiday feel while preserving the natural vegetation, wildlife and sea life.
The Guinness Book of Records has noted its pure sand as the whitest in the world. There are other beautiful beaches adjoining, Seamans (sometimes called Sailors) and Chinamans. There are various walks including the White Sands Walk along the shores of Jervis Bay and the Hyams Beach Trail.