The 11 Best Things To Do In Wollongong

Wollongong is at once grand and gritty and we’ve stitched together some of the best things to do on a weekender.

Besides lounging on one of Wollongong’s beautiful northern beaches, which so inspired author D.H. Lawrence, or wallowing in a rock pool, the Greater Wollongong region offers a host of fun and fabulous things to do. Expect the unexpected in the Gong, as it is affectionately known, which has forged a new path for itself. Here are some of the top things to do in Wollongong.

Cycle or drive the iconic Sea Cliff Bridge

The 665-metre long Sea Cliff Bridge is a highlight along the Grand Pacific Drive, which snakes its way from the Royal National Park, just 45 minutes south of Sydney to Loftus and down to Nowra. The serpentine road traces the curves of the coast and has a shared path on the side, which is popular with cyclists. Roll the windows down and let out a few yee-haws along the drive, which is the scenic route to the Gong from Sydney and stretches between the towns of Clifton and Coalcliff.

Drive the most iconic bridge on the South Coast

Friday Forage

The Friday Forage is a weekly artisan food and farmers market that embodies the spirit of creativity that has become synonymous with the Gong. Take a gentle walk through the markets, which brings together local producers all in the one place celebrating the farm-to-plate scene. Rub shoulders with rugged-up farmers and find yourself surrounded by an array of honey, pastries, potatoes, dairy products, and more. Make plans to return to the Bulli Forager’s Market on the second Sunday of the month.

Swim at one of the Gong’s beautiful beaches

Greater Wollongong stretches from Stanwell Park in the north in a continuous sprawl all the way to Shellharbour in the South. The rock pools, ocean baths barnacled onto this stretch of coastline are firm favourites for families and picnickers, as are the stunning beaches. Some of the best places to swim include Thirroul’s free, Olympic-sized ocean pool, where you can churn out a few laps, Wombarra’s hidden baths for a private swim, Austinmer’s sea pools for a dip with a view. Suit up for a surf at Bombo Beach.

Austinmer’s sea pools provide a dip with a view.

Stop for a brew with a view

Stop for a brew with an ocean view at the Scarborough Hotel , which has been perched like an eyrie on a Scarborough cliff edge since it was established in 1886. From the region’s oldest licensed venue to the newest in nearby Austinmer where the Headlands Hotel follows suit with its orientation toward the horizon and providing another top spot to get on the beers. The pubs are emblematic of the position the Greater Gong finds itself in: looking toward the past, with an eye firmly on its future. Cheers.

Sublime Point Walking Track

The next spot on your Illawarra itinerary should be a hike to the top of the escarpment to check out the view of the northern villages and beaches. The steep climb up a series of ladders through emerald rainforest is for experienced walkers only. You can also drive to Sublime Point Lookout where you will be rewarded with magnificent views. Look out for yellow-tailed black cockatoos or giant falcons and kestrels and whales during the migration season. Download the NSW National Parks app before you go.

Browse antiques, art and homewares

Start fossicking for antiques, art and homewares in Thirroul, which is lined with boutiques, galleries and cafes. Try the Egg & Dart for local and international art, or the Wombat in Thirroul for upcycled furniture and oddities. The Shop of Things in Crown St, Wollongong, is also a treasure trove of vintage clothes, random collectables and art. The Wandering Merchants is another atmospheric store that looks like a hispter caravan has pulled into town and exploded its glittering contents.

The Wandering Merchants is a way of life.

Enjoy fish and chips by the sea

Bombora Seafood Restaurant in Wollongong looks out over the bobbing boats, the faraway escarpment and flocks of seagulls pecking away on the shore. It’s the ideal foreground for a family feast of fresh oysters, crumbed calamari, salt ‘n’ pepper squid followed by fish and chips. You can also join the barefoot crowds at Diggies’ North Beach Kiosk for battered barra and chips, one of the best places to eat in the Gong.

Scarborough-Wombarra Bowling Club

The Scarborough-Wombarra Bowling Club is one of a handful of excellent bowlos in the Greater Wollongong area that offers tantalising ocean views that may well distract you from getting your bowl as close as you can to the jack. Give your bowling arm a rest during your game of barefoot bowls by sinking a few schooies and then tucking into the signature ‘bowlo duck’ at the Black Duck Bistro. Reservations are required.

Go hang gliding at Bald Hill Lookout at Stanwell Tops

Bald Hill Lookout is one of the best spots for hang gliding in Australia. Those who are not trained to take a solo running jump off the 300-metre-high cliffs, can harness up with a tandem flight instructor from Hang Glide Oz so they can relax and enjoy the ride. Stanwell Tops is often the first place Sydneysiders stop on their way down south to the Gong as it provides eagle-eyed views over Stanwell Park Beach and onto the Sea Cliff Bridge. Watch your step if you’re snapping a selfie.

Wander the Illawarra Fly Tree Walk

You will hear the wind whisper through the trees and the constant chorus of bird song at the Illawarra Fly Treetop Walk , which travels along to the edge of a bony ridge of the Illawarra Escarpment. There are many points of interest dotted around the park, where you can also take a zipline tour over Fern Gully. Those who aren’t afraid of heights should definitely spiral their way up the 45-metre high Knights Tower Lookout for breath-taking views over the Illawarra.

Tour the galleries, museums and temples

For a change of pace, pull into the slow lane at the Nan Tien Temple , the largest Buddhist temple in the Southern Hemisphere and detour to the Dew Drop Inn Tea House for a rejuvenating pot of lotus tea. You should also add a visit to Wollongong Botanic Garden , Wollongong Art Gallery , and the stunning Illawarra Museum Wollongong , housed in the former Post and Telegraph Office built between 1865 and 1882. And trainspotters and plane spotters can unite at HARS Aviation Museum .

Find more great travel tips and itineraries in our Ultimate guide to Wollongong holidays.

Aussies might think they know what Port Stephens is all about – but it’s time to take another look.

You might’ve driven through this NSW coast town. Maybe even stopped for fish and chips or a quick dip. But spend a long weekend in the new Port Stephens , and you’ll seriously regret not doing it sooner. We’re talking treks across beaches, reef dives and up-close time with rescued koalas.

All in all? It only takes a day before you see Port Stephens in a whole new light, and not much longer until it’s locked in as your favourite family destination.

1. Stockton Sand Dunes

Port Stephens incredible Stockton Sand Dunes are the largest moving sand mass in the Southern Hemisphere. They shift like an endless magic trick across the Worimi Conservation Lands , a 4200-hectare coastal co-managed by the Traditional Owners.

Tear over them in a 4WD. Rev through valleys soft as melting ice cream on a quad. Carve down 30-metre slopes on a sandboard. However you choose to cross them, you’re guaranteed a seriously wild ride.

Four rugged 4WDs kick up trails of golden dust as they charge across the sweeping desert landscape. — Chase thrills across shifting sands. (Image: Destination NSW)

2. Scale Tomaree Head Summit Walk

A short climb through bushland opens up to the coastal drama of Tomaree Head . Spot Zenith, Wreck and Box Beaches. See the Fingal Island lighthouse and offshore rookeries where Australia’s rarest seabird, the Gould’s petrel, nests.

History buffs can’t miss the WWII gun emplacements. And if you’re hiking between May and November, bring binoculars. Travelling whales might just be breaching below.

Friends enjoying a scenic walk along the Tomaree Head Summit Walk in Tomaree National Park, Port Stephens. — Climb Tomaree Head for jaw-dropping coastal views. (Image: Destination NSW)

3. Watch out for whales

You’ve seen the spouts of migrating humpbacks and southern right whales from shore. Set sail from Nelson Bay to see them up close. Cruise straight into the action, with tail-slaps, barrel rolls and all.

And they’ve got competition from the local show-offs. Port Stephens bottlenose dolphins leap and play. Some tours even spot pudgy fur seals, spending lazy days soaking up the sun on Cabbage Tree Island.

A whale’s tail on the sea’s surface. — Watch for ocean tails. (Image: Destination NSW)

4. Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary

Pop into the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary to learn about the rescued koalas who climb, nap, snack and heal in this natural patch of bushland. Wander the immersive Sanctuary Story Walk to discover more about their habits, then head to the SKYwalk – a treetop platform constructed for spotting these eucalyptus-loving locals. Peek into the hospital’s viewing window, where sick or injured koalas may be resting in their recovery enclosures.

Not enough time around these adorable marsupials? Stay overnight in silk-lined glamping tents.

Koala sleeping in a tree at Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary, One Mile — See koalas in their natural habitat. (Image: Destination NSW)

5. Diving Port Stephens

Port Stephens has some of NSW’s best dive spots. At Fly Point, float through sponge gardens and coral castles thick with nudibranchs (AKA sea slugs). Halifax Park has blue gropers and crimson-banded wrasse, while Shoal Bay’s seagrass meadows hide pipefish, cuttlefish and octopus.

Accessible only by boat, Broughton Island is home to a vast array of marine (and bird) life. Snorkel with blue devilfish and stingrays at sites like The Looking Glass and North Rock. More experienced divers can head out with one of the many PADI-certified operators.

At nearby Cabbage Tree Island, expect to see shaggy-faced wobbegongs cruising along.

A couple suited up and ready to dive into adventure. — Suit up and dive into Port Stephens’ vibrant marine life. (Image: Destination NSW)

6. Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters

Not quite ready to dive in? Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters is the perfect way to spot local marine life without getting too deep. But there’s no obnoxious glass tank tapping here. Instead, this interactive aquarium allows guests to wade into natural-style lagoons that mimic the real thing.

Gently pat Port Jackson and bamboo sharks, hand-feed rays, and feel their sandpapery skin with your fingertips. It is all under expert guidance. If you want to go deeper, pop on a wetsuit and swim alongside tawny nurse sharks, white-tipped reef sharks and zebra sharks in the lagoon.

Family enjoying an animal feeding experience at Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters, Anna Bay. — Meet the ocean’s friendliest faces at Irukandji. (Image: Destination NSW)

7. Fish the estuaries

Fishing fanatics will fall for Port Stephens hook, line and sinker. Here, one of the largest estuary systems in the whole state sees tidal rivers and mangrove ecosystems. Waterfronts are thick with oysters, and residential fish that might include anything from bream, whiting and flathead, to blue swimmer crabs, kingfish and longtail tuna.

If you prefer to choose your own adventure and fish offshore, you can hire a boat from one of the marinas and set your own course.

three men fishing on a boat in port stephens — Join a tour or chart your own fishing trip. (Image: Destination NSW)

8. Taste new Port Stephens flavours

With plenty of activity to fill your days, refuelling on delectable cuisine becomes equally important. And Port Stephens answers the call.

Pop into Holbert’s Oyster Farm for fresh-farmed Port Stephens rock oysters and Pacific oysters, Australian king and tiger prawns, as well as a variety of tasty sauces to try them with.

Take a group to Atmos for an authentic Greek experience over large shared dishes and Greek-inspired cocktails. Or feast on sea-to-plate, modern Australian dishes at the pet-friendly Restaurant 2317.

A plate of fresh oysters. — Slurp your way through the region’s best oysters. (Image: Destination NSW)

Start planning your Port Stephens getaway at portstephens.org.au .

11 best things to do in Wollongong