Grand Pacific Drive
Enjoy the thrill of a tandem hang-glide at Stanwell Tops. Stop at the Scarborough Hotel for lunch in a beer garden with views of the Pacific Ocean. In Wollongong you’ll find accommodation with ocean views and restaurants serving fresh seafood.
Join a Buddhist Awareness excursion at Nan Tien Temple. For surfers, ride the waves at The Farm and Mystics, between the coastal towns of Shellharbour and Kiama. See Kiama’s famous Blowhole. Dance at the Kiama Jazz and Blues Festival in August.
Explore the spectacular South Coast
The 138 km Grand Pacific Drive heads south from Sydney and is one of the easiest drives, especially for those with time constraints. Attractions along the route include surf beaches, rainforest, seaside towns and plenty of opportunities to get active, from hang-gliding and paragliding to skydiving and surfing.
In the Royal National Park check out the Sydney Tramway Museum with trams running to the Royal National Park platform. This is the oldest national park in Australia and it is popular for bushwalking, fishing and birdwatching. You can enjoy barbecues and boating at Audley.
Stanwell Park’s Bald Hill is an acclaimed hang-gliding destination with panoramas of the South Coast and Pacific Ocean. Nearby the Sea Cliff Bridge extends over the ocean as it hugs the coast on its way to Austinmer, which has sea baths built in 1914.
Wollongong, NSW’s third-largest city, has fine beaches, art galleries, restaurants and cafés. For thrill-seekers, attractions include skydiving with Skydive Sydney- Wollongong. Nan Tien, the largest Buddhist temple in the Southern Hemisphere, is a fascinating place to visit with courses and accommodation.
On the way to Kiama stop at Minnamurra rainforest, before seeing the famous Kiama Blowhole. Continue to Gerroa, where you can learn to surf with Surf Camp Australia. Nearby are Berry and the vineyards and wineries of the Shoalhaven wine region.
