18 Top-Rated Wollongong Attractions to Add to Your List

The Full List of the 18 Wollongong Tourist Attractions

There are 2 main kinds of tourist attractions in Wollongong: the natural attractions versus the man made attractions. Find below is the list of some of the best ones👇

Natural attractions: 

1. Grand Pacific Drive 
2. Wattamolla Beach
3. Port Kembla Beach
4. Wollongong Beach
5. Macquarie Pass National Park
6. Bald Hill Lookout
7. Austinmer Beach
8. Minnamurra Rainforest
9. Kiama Blowhole

Man made attractions:

10. Nan Tien Temple 
11. Wollongong Harbour and Lighthouses
12. Jamberoo Action Park
13. Symbio Wildlife Park
14. Wollongong Botanic Garden
15. Wollongong Art Gallery
16. Helensburgh Tunnel
17. Illawarra Fly Treetop Walk
18. Illawarra Light Railway Museum

Keep reading to learn more about each of these Wollongong tourist attractions! 

Natural attractions in Wollongong

When thinking about natural attractions in Wollongong Australia, I can’t help but think of beaches: there are 17 beaches open in Wollongong in summer, all more beautiful than the others!

But you’ll see below that apart from beaches, there are other types of natural attractions you should visit! 

1. Grand Pacific Drive

The very famous Grand Pacific Drive crosses through the city of Wollongong! The route starts from the Royal National Park 1-hour drive south of Sydney, and goes along the coastline up to the city of Kiama. Wollongong is one of the city stops of this 140-kilometer route. 

Grand Pacific Drive is one of the most beautiful routes in Australia: it offers breathtaking lookouts and serve wonderful places that must be seen in one’s lifetime such as Sea Cliff Bridge or Stanwell Tops.

It’s the ideal route for a road trip in Australia as you’ll be able to enjoy both nature and city activities. Bathing in beautiful fine sandy beaches, exploring the rainforest, wine tasting… You can do everything on the Grand Pacific Drive!
 

2. Wattamolla Beach

This lagoon is a true little piece of heaven in the heart of the Royal National Park!

Wattamolla Beach is a sandy oasis where people can relax and bathe in clear waters with a superb view of the ocean. You can also bark by the waterfall depending on the season, enjoy water sports such as snorkeling and paddling or hike around the beach. As a bonus, this wilderness spot has a picnic area where you can cook your meal with public barbecues.

Be careful of the crowds! The beach gets quickly full of people on weekends, so prefer going during the week if you can!

3. Port Kembla Beach 

You shouldn’t miss Port Kembla Beach when visiting Wollongong! Indeed, Port Kembla Beach is considered as one of the city’s most breathtaking beaches. 

Happy days 09 / CC BY-NC-ND

Located about 20min drive from Wollongong city center, Port Kembla Beach is the place to be for surfers, but also for families. There’s a swimming pool and a toddler’s pool right on the sandy beach, creating an incredible setting and offering beautiful panoramic views.  

4. Wollongong Beach

Wollongong Beach is the only beach in the center of the city, just 5min drive from the CBD! Locals love taking a quick dive after work there. 

Serguei / CC BY-NC-ND

There are all the facilities needed to spend the day there, and the beachfront is full of cafes, restaurants and shops. Make sure to try local cuisine and craft beers before going home! 

If you’re with family and want to swim safely, you should know that this beach is the only one in Wollongong that is patrolled all year around.

5. Macquarie Pass National Park 

Located about 40min drive from Wollongong city center and 2 hours from Sydney, Macquarie Pass National Park is a rainforest full of cascades and waterfalls, the most famous one being Clover Falls. 

There are easy and more difficult hiking trails leading to different waterfalls, but all of them offers a moment of peace inside the forest wilderness. If you’re lucky, you might be able to see some animals such as koalas, wombats, swamp wallabies or possums! Not to mention the spectacular sceneries you’ll have from the steep cliffs. 

So grab your picnic – or everything you need to use the barbecue facilities of the park – and go on a day-trip to Macquarie!

6. Bald Hill Lookout 

Bald Hill has to be in your Wollongong sights and attractions list.

Nic Tinker / CC BY-NC-ND

This lookout offers one the most beautiful and popular lookouts on the Illawarra Escarpment with breathtaking views over the Pacific coastline. It’s also a renown place for hang gliding, so if you’re ready for the big jump, Bald Hill is the perfect place to do it! 

Located about 30min drive from Wollongong downtown, Bald Hill Lookout is also one the best view over the Sea Cliff Bridge on the Great Ocean Drive, and Mount Keira that rises at 464 meters.

7. Austinmer Beach

Austinmer Beach is another popular beach in Wollongong located only 20min drive north from the city center.

Michael Radzieta / CC BY

Like Bulli or Woonoona beaches, Austinmer Beach has ocean pools. So, if you’re not comfortable swimming in the ocean but still would like to feel it, this is your beach!

Indeed, this beach is mostly famous for its twin rock pools filled by the ocean tides that offer crisp clear water to swimmers, and amazing scenic views to photographers. Surfers also like this beach because of the quite high waves of 1.4 meters.  

8. Minnamurra Rainforest

Located in Budderoo National Park about 35min drive from Wollongong CBD, The Minnamurra Rainforest is a remnant of warm temperate and subtropical rainforest. 

The rainforest starts on paved tracks and elevated walkways offering beautiful scenery. The main track is the Loop Walk, a walk along the Minnamurra Rivulet of 1.6 kilometers most visitors do in 45min to 1 hour.

There, you’ll be able to observe the typical fauna and flora of the rainforest including waterfalls, water dragons, lyrebirds and much more.  

9. Kiama Blowhole 

Located in Kiama, an other stops of the Great Ocean Road, this natural landmarks is definitely worth a visit when in Wollongong. Situated only 30min drive from Wollongong’s CBD, it’s an easy visit you can do in just a day. 

David Robertson / CC BY-NC-ND

Kiama Blowhole is one of the main attractions of all New South Wales as it is the largest blowhole in the world. The largest one in the site has on opening of 2.5 meters.

Under specific conditions, the geyser can project water 25 meters high in such a quantity that it sprays visitors. It’s a  true spectacle of nature!

Man made Attractions in Wollongong

You’d be surprise of how the attractions Wollongong has to offer! Museums, themed parks, zoos,… You won’t stay long wondering what to do in Wollongong. 

Let’s review 8 tourist attractions near Wollongong and inside the city just below!  

10. Nan Tien Temple 

Located only 15min drive from Wollongong center, this temple is the largest Buddhist temple of the Taiwanese Fo Guang Shan order. It’s definitely the most impressive attraction in Wollongong. 

Nan Tien temple offers many activities such as exhibitions, culinary festivals, seminars as well as spiritual and meditation retreats. In addition to all this, the accommodations available at Pilgrim Lodge overlook a lotus pond, the temple, its beautiful gardens and the Illawarra escarpment.

If you have time, spend a day or a weekend here on a retreat to experience serenity.

11. Wollongong Harbour and Lighthouses

Wollongong Harbour offers one of the best view of the coast with 2 lighthouses at the eastern edge, the Breakwater Lighthouse and the Flagstaff Point Lighthouse.  The first one dates back to 1872 and is not active anymore, while Flagstaff Point, built in 1936, is still active.

The Harbour itself has been heritage-listed in 2010 and is the starting point for fishing fleets and recreational boats, contributing to create a beautiful landscape. 

12. Jamberoo Action Park

Located only 30min drive south from Wollongong, Jamberoo Action Park is a water park where you’ll find world class attractions and rides for kids and families of all ages. 

Set in the mountains of Jamberoo, this theme park is is one of the biggest ones in New South Wales. It provides many attractions including mini-golf, wave pools, speed slides, a funnel web and much more. 

The parking is free, so there’s no excuse not to spend a day in Jamberoo Action Park! 

13. Symbio Wildlife Park

Symbio Wildlife Park will get you closer than ever to Australian wildlife!

Located 30min drive from Wollongong in Helensburgh, this zoo is home to some amazing animals like kangaroos, possums, lemurs, wombats, koalas, red pandas and more! You’ll have the chance to interact with these animals by feeding and petting them. 

You’ll love spending quality time with family or friends in Symbio Wildlife Park. 

14. Wollongong Botanic Garden

The Wollongong Botanic Garden is located in the city center, at the foot of Mount Keira. People come to this garden to relax, contemplate nature and learn more about plants.

Vanessa Pike-Russell / CC BY-NC-ND

The garden is divided in sections including Rainforest Collection, Towri Bush Tucker Garden, Dryland Garden, Plant Life, Rose Garden, Woodland Garden, Palm Garden and a Succulent Collection. All sections are beautiful to visit. 

The garden also has a red bridge and a pagoda, which makes the Wollongong Botanic Garden perfect for photos.

15. Wollongong Art Gallery

If you like art and history, you’ll be served in Wollongong. Located in the heart of the city, Wollongong Art Gallery has a large collection of over 2,500 artworks. 

Matt / CC BY-NC-ND

Built in the 1950s, the gallery holds exhibitions, public and education programs all year long, so you’ll always find something special when visiting it. 

16. Helensburgh Tunnel 

Located 30min south from Wollongong, Helensburgh Tunnel  is an abandoned railway and tunnel that was built in the 19e century, and not in use since the 1920s. 

Visiting Helensburgh Tunnel is quite an adventure! To visit it, you’ll need comfortable shoes you don’t mind getting muddy and a torch to see in the darkness.

But before visiting, make sure to check if the tunnel is open first as it’s often closed due to flooding or glow worms.  

17. Illawarra Fly Treetop Walk

Located about 45min drive south from Wollongong, Illawarra Fly Treetop Walk offers the highest zipline tour of Australia, as well as an amazing stroll on treetops. 

The zipline tour is a original and eco-friendly way to visit Illwarra rainforest by flying on a series of cables spans at more than 30 meters from the ground and going from one tree platform to another. 

The Treetop walk is a loop track of 1.5 kilometers, with 500 meters of elevated walkway at around 25 meters above the ground. A unique experience for everyone of all ages. 

18. Illawarra Light Railway Museum

Illawarra Light Railway Museum is a testimony to Illawarra industrial history and railway.

Hpeterswald / CC BY-SA

Located only 20min from Wollongong center, this museum operates a miniature railway and houses stationary engines, generators, boilers, compressors, winches and pumps.

The site also has all kinds of railway artefacts and buildings from the region such as the Yallah station building, signal box, a carriage restoration shed and more. 

Wollongong Attractions Map

Here is a Wollongong attractions map with all the listed sites in this post. To get it, click on the image below to open it in Google Maps. Then click on the “star” icon to save it to your own maps.

So here are the 18 attractions in Wollongong you should visit! I hope you’ll have a nice trip there. 
 

More Landmarks in Australia

Want to discover more famous Australia landmarks? Well, I have other posts that you might like!

Here is the main guide of all famous Australia landmarks 👉 The Very Best Landmarks in Australia.

Find the best landmarks in Australia by state:

• Famous landmarks in New South Wales
• Famous landmarks in Queensland
• Famous landmarks in South Australia
• Famous landmarks in Northern Territory
• Famous landmarks in Victoria
• Famous landmarks in Tasmania

Find the best landmarks in Australia by city:

• Famous landmarks in Sydney
• Famous landmarks in Brisbane
• Famous landmarks in Darwin
• Famous landmarks in Cairns
• Famous landmarks in Adelaide
• Famous landmarks in Hobart

I hope you could’ve made your list of the must-see places in Australia thanks to these guides. Don’t hesitate to comment below if this is the case, I would be very pleased to read your feedback!

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