I’m a local to Wollongong, born and raised, so when it comes to holidays and trips out of town, the South Coast is my bread and butter. Sometimes it’s pretty easy when you’ve grown up in a place to take it for granted. So when I got the chance to get behind the wheel of a smooth driving hybrid car (the new Mazda CX-80), I set out to see my (incredibly gorgeous, beach-spotted) neck of the woods from a tourist’s perspective.
Where is the NSW South Coast?
While the South Coast technically stretches all the way down to the NSW border, I’m focusing on the underrated stretch between Helensburgh and Huskisson. This includes Coledale’s jagged coastline, Port Kembla’s grungey industrial scene, the bustling central hub of Wollongong and one of Australia’s quaintest seaside towns, Kiama.
Being only an hour and half’s drive from Sydney, I genuinely think the South Coast is the goldilocks of weekend getaways for all travelers: mum and dad get their much-needed break and the kids have free range in nature’s playground, couples reconnect with each other and Mother Nature, and friend groups become quickly equipped with memorable shenanigans.
Where to stay on the NSW South Coast
First thing’s first is where to set up camp. There aren’t many other places in the world where you can have a farm stay with views of green pillowy hills and then drive 15 minutes to the closest beach. That’s the name of the game in gorgeous Jamberoo, and specifically Jamberoo Valley Farm.
Our room is like a little cottage on steroids – it’s got a deck with a hot tub looking out over fields dotted with horses and cows, a fireplace inside, heated floors in the bathrooms (yes, plural) and the most adorable rustic kitchen (complete with everything from an oven to a Nespresso machine). A highlight of our stay is feeding the farm’s resident animals: two ex-racehorses, two soft-as-ever alpacas, chickens and Elsa and Anna (maybe the cutest fluffy goats you’ll ever meet). Another highlight is the fresh-out-of-the-oven bread that the farm’s owner, Barbie, brings to our door.
Best places to eat on the NSW South Coast
Jamberoo is a stone’s throw from Kiama so it quickly becomes a base for good eats. Lunchtime is at Silica – a rustic beachfront cafe that’s two storeys high and with massive windows for beach views. The menu matches the decor with classic dishes done well like fish and chips, barbecued chicken plus seafood like citrusy kingfish sashimi and oysters.
Dinner sees us at Miss Arda, a modern Middle Eastern joint with tapas style plates. The name of the game is mixing and matching different sizes. Our favourites are the whipped feta with pillowy pita, sumac crusted calamari and the barramundi. With crackly crisp skin, flaky meat and a well balanced pairing with an apple cider cucumber salad, it’s quite nearly the best barramundi I’ve ever eaten.
What to do on the NSW South Coast
While you’re in Kiama, jump on the Kiama to Gerringong coastal walk for a way more relaxed (and less concreted) version of Bondi to Coogee. The 20 kilometre stretch winds between beaches and rockpools for you to cool off in and passes sights like the famous Kiama blowhole and the historic Pilot’s Cottage Museum.
If you’re liking what you see by the sea, venture a little further down south for a dolphin watching cruise in Huskisson. The bay is home to about 100 bottlenosed dolphins so your chance of spotting one is super high. Miraculously on this trip we didn't (though we have many other times just walking along Husky’s beaches) but a pretty good consolation prize is a steaming bowl of Pasta Buoy’s chunky tender beef ragu and a scoop of their brand new gelato.
Our spacious 7-seater car adjusts from city to country driving like it’s nothing and takes us down one of the prettiest roads in New South Wales (no, not Sea Cliff Bridge, although that’s a fantastic detour for out-of-this-world beef tallow fries from Rosie’s Fish and Chips).
A pot of gold lies at the bottom of Gerringong’s Tasman Drive – and that would be George from Fishing with a Local. Our cheerful tour guide is nothing short of a pro and has us reeling in our dinner not even five minutes after we cast a line out. Pick George’s brain for all the angling advice you like, or let him bait up and cast your line out for a glamping version of fishing.
If you like your action better on land, head up the mountain to the Illawarra Fly. The scenic suspended walk holds a special spot in my heart for the time my mum drove us up at the crack of dawn to watch the sun rise over the coastline, and this time it's just as special. It’s my first time spotting a wombat (even cuter than I could imagine it to be) and we ziplined among the trees that the Dharawal people of the land named themselves after.
Exploring central Wollongong is enough for another weekend in itself but the Wollongong Botanic Garden is a great place to start. The gardens are home to multiple ecosystems from the duckpond with swans and eels to the rainforest walk that feels like something out of a woodland fairytale. It’s one of my favourite places in the world for a picnic with friends and loved ones – the epic park (and adjoining barbecue station) is pretty nostalgic and very popular with families.
If you’re not beached out yet, I also highly recommend Port Kembla beach. It’s so beautiful that rumours have swirled for years that the sand was packaged up and sent over to Hawaii (I can confirm this is not, in fact, true). Due to its location, it's almost always calm – with opportunities for everything from surfing and boogie boarding rolling waves to lounging on the grassy tiers by the pool.
Nearby Wentworth Street has a lot of history being so close to the steelworks. Stepping into The Iron Yampi is pretty easy to imagine the bar crowded with factory workers like my grandads. Now, old photographs line the wall, and a gastro-pub style menu has taken over. My scotch steak is tender and garlicky. Delish.
All that being said (and explored), my biggest piece of advice to milking the most out of your South Coast adventure? Give yourself the time (and the permission, for once) to be lazy. Head down there without any plans or responsibilities. Dig your toes in the sand of a beach that you have all to yourself. Breathe in the air of the tippy top of the escarpment. Enjoy the views instead of them being fleeting. Anything else you manage to squeeze in? That’s just a bonus.
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