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Itinerary 1 - Royal National Park to Wollongong Harbour Via Northern Wollongong Coastal Villages Travelling south from Sydney to along the F6 Freeway, take the Stanwell Park Helensburgh exit to Northern Wollongong's Coastal Villages, if you would like a more scenic drive head south through the historic Royal National Park. In just on 1 hour you will arrive at Bald Hill which is located on Lawrence Hargrave Drive at Stanwell Tops. Bald hill is the birthplace of flight when in 1894 aviation pioneer, Lawrence Hargrave, paved the way to mans first flight. Today Bald Hill is Australia's hang gliding and paragliding mecca. The lookout provides breathtaking views of the coastline and escarpment. Continue south along Lawrence Hargrave Drive to Stanwell Park and visit Articles Fine Art Gallery, the gallery offers a permanent mixed exhibition of Australian Art, contemporary jewellery, pottery and sculptures, mainly produced locally and all are made in Australia or sample the delights of the various cafes. Back tracking slightly heading back up Lawrence Hargrave Drive turn left at the "T" intersection and follow the road around until you reach Symbio Wildlife Garden on your left just before the Old Princes Highway turnoff. Symbio has over 1000 native, exotic and farm animals in the 16 acre park. Pat a Koala, feed a kangaroo or be intrigued by the prehistoric crocodiles in their exhibit. After spending some time at Symbio head to Wollongong along the old Princess Highway stopping at Bulli Tops to take in the magnificent panoramic view of the city of Wollongong before descending Bulli Pass. At the bottom of Bulli Pass turn left onto Lawrence Hargrave Drive and you will enter the coastal villages of Thirroul, Austinmer, Coledale, Wombarra, Scarborough and Clifton. These quaint villages are located on the edge of the escarpment and the coast boasting pristine beaches and rock pools. Stop for a bite to eat in one of the many cafes or take some to have a look at the arts, home wares and antique stores before continuing your drive into Wollongong. The Wollongong coastline offers 17 sparkling surf beaches that are patrolled by lifesavers from September to April. All beaches are in easy walking distance from shops, hotels and clubs. Why not bring your bicycle and enjoy over 60 kilometres of easy track as you make your way from Bulli Beach in the north to Lake Illawarra in the south. The historic township of Thirroul boasts 'The Beaches', a superb stop for refreshments, meals or a quiet drink and coffee. Moving on towards the city, the Science Centre and Planetarium is situated on Squires Way, Fairy Meadow adjacent to Brandon Park, just a few minutes from the Wollongong CBD. This is the newest Science Centre in Australia, opened in May 2000. The centre has hundreds of hands on exhibits, science shows, an observatory and a science shop for that educational gift. The nearby Wollongong Surf Leisure Resort offers family style accommodation with full resort facilities including family units with kitchen and bathroom, indoor heated 25m pool, spa, steam room, indoor tennis, mini golf, bicycles, and a location right on the beach. As we approach the North Beach precinct, Stuart Park provides us with the perfect picnic spot for free barbecues or a meal in one of the many cafes in the area. For the adventurous you can arrive in Stuart Park by parachute courtesy of Skydive the Beach. Cliff Road and North Beach precinct has numerous accommodation and restaurants available, and of course cafe's for relaxing alfresco dining. The Novotel Northbeach offers resort style accommodation on the waters edge. The Wollongong CBD is a pleasant 10 minute walk along the bicycle track to Wollongong City Beach and the Wollongong Entertainment Centre (WEC). The WEC is the regions largest entertainment venue with a capacity of 6,000 seats. The WEC features international entertainment and is the host to many major conferences. Wollongong is a major centre for the arts and entertainment. The Wollongong City Gallery is one of the largest regional galleries in Australia, and the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre is the home of numerous staged productions from local talent and the international stage. The city centre features the Crown Street Mall with over 300 shops and food outlets. There is a variety of accommodation styles available in Wollongong from 4 star resort style to holiday parks, all within reasonable distance from the city centre. Convict built Wollongong Harbour makes a perfect scenic starting point for a ten minute journey south which opens up an entirely different type of experience. Australia's Industry World provides visitors with a unique 'close-up and personal' view of the major industries located around the deepwater port of Port Kembla. With your own vehicle you can access vantage points around the steel making plant and industrial harbour to view ships the size of football fields, or guided tours conducted Wednesdays and Fridays provide the visitor with the awesome reality of the steel making process. >> Itinerary 2 - Wollongong to Botanic Garden Top of Page

•  Getting to Wollongong •  Climate •  Culture and the Arts •  Museums and Places of Interest •  Shopping •  Entertainment •  Fine Dining and Cafés •  Recreation Activities •  Accommodation •  Wollongong's Beaches •  Itinerary Samples •  Registered Clubs •  Easy Access •  Wollongong to Botanic Gardens    On and around Tourist Route 11 •  Wollongong to Lake Illawarra    Tourist Route 10 Display all the accommodation facilities, places to eat and things to do along this route.