Wollongong, located 90 minutes’ drive south of Sydney, is a great place for a getaway if you’re looking for beautiful beaches, unusual adventures, and an adrenaline rush or two.
Here’s how to spend a weekend in the city – from a beach with an Olympic-sized saltwater pool, to a Buddhist temple where you can take a meditation course, to a hair-raising helicopter ride over the famous Sea Cliff Bridge.
WOLLONGONG’S BEST BEACHES
No weekender in Wollongong is complete without some time at the beach. In spring and summer, cool off with refreshing swims in the surf. In autumn and winter, enjoy incredible ocean views from the city’s many lovely walking and cycling trails.
In total, there are 17 patrolled beaches, starting with Stanwell Park in the north and finishing with Windang in the south.
The closest one to town is sweeping Wollongong City Beach, which gives you three kilometres of sand. The best spot to swim is the northern end, where you’ll also find picnic tables, a playground, and loads of open space.
Other great beaches include North Wollongong where there are lifeguards all-year-round, Port Kembla where there’s an Olympic-sized saltwater pool, and Bulli Beach which is backdropped by sand dunes.
UNUSUAL ADVENTURES
In between lazing about on the beach, have an unusual adventure or two. Make your first stop the Nan Tien Temple, a Buddhist retreat 15 minutes’ drive south in Unanderra. You can take a tour, have a vegetarian meal in the onsite teahouse, and even stay overnight. Courses in meditation and Buddhism are also available.
Next, head back to the coast for a tour of Wollongong’s spectacular lighthouses. It’s the only spot on the East Coast with not one, but two, of them, and they’re conveniently side by side.
Start at Breakwater, which hasn’t been operating since 1974, but was magnificently restored in 2002, before looking around Flagstaff, which is still keeping boats safe as they travel in and out of Port Kembla. For the prettiest views, visit at sunset, preferably armed with fish and chips.
Finally, don’t miss the HARS Aviation Museum at Shellharbour Airport. Here, you can see an array of beautifully preserved historical aircraft – from a two-seater De Havilland DH-82 Tiger Moth to a Cessna 310B. You can even climb aboard some of them, including a Boeing 747-400 (which holds the record for flying from London to Sydney non-stop) and an F-111C Supersonic Fighter Bomber.
ADRENALINE HITS
Wollongong is a haven for adrenaline lovers. Get started with a tandem skydive from as high as 15,000 feet, overlooking the region’s incredible beaches, dramatic escarpment and endless blue skies.
If that has you craving more time in the sky, climb aboard a helicopter for a joy flight over the stunning Sea Cliff Bridge or a series of local waterfalls. Alternatively, get behind the controls with a one-hour pilot training session.
Other options include go-karting (indoor or outdoor), a smash room (where you get to destroy crockery with a baseball bat for 15 minutes), surfing lessons, horse riding in Otford, and a variety of rides – from epic waterslides to a one-kilometre-long bobsled at Jamberoo Action Park.
GETTING TO WOLLONGONG
Wollongong is an easy 90-minute cruise south of Sydney, and around two-and-a-half hours’ drive northeast of Canberra.
Travel in style and comfort in a SIXT car rental. We have branches in Wollongong, and in a variety of convenient locations across Sydney.
With a set of wheels at your fingertips, you’ll be able to take these unmissable road trips, and maybe even continue south on an epic drive along the coast to Melbourne.
