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Wollongong Best Beaches Guide 2026, Top Beaches for Swimming, Surfing and Ocean Pools in the Illawarra

Wollongong beaches guide 2026: the best beaches in Wollongong and the Illawarra, from City Beach and Coniston Beach to Austinmer, Thirroul, Stanwell Park and Blue Mile ocean pools.

By Wollongong Daily · Published 20 July 2026

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Wollongong Best Beaches Guide 2026, Top Beaches for Swimming, Surfing and Ocean Pools in the Illawarra — Photo by Talha Resitoglu on Pexels

Wollongong Beaches 2026, Overview

Wollongong has one of Australia's most spectacular urban coastal settings, the Illawarra escarpment rises dramatically from the ocean to over 500m, creating a backdrop of extraordinary beauty for beaches that stretch from the city south to Kiama. The "Blue Mile" beachfront along North Beach and Wollongong City Beach offers ocean pools, walking paths and cafes along a beautiful stretch of coast. Here's a guide to Wollongong's best beaches.

Wollongong City Beaches

North Wollongong Beach (Blue Mile), North Beach, Wollongong. Part of the famous "Blue Mile" foreshore. Excellent patrolled beach adjacent to the Blue Mile cycling and walking path. Rock pool (North Wollongong Surf Club pool) at northern end.
Wollongong City Beach, Marine Drive, Wollongong. The main city beach at the base of the lighthouse headland. Patrolled. Northern Wollongong Surf Lifesaving Club.
Coniston Beach (Belmore Basin), Wollongong. South of the city beach, adjacent to the Belmore Basin fishing harbour. Sheltered and calmer than North Beach.

Northern Illawarra Beaches

Austinmer Beach, 15km north of Wollongong. One of the Illawarra's most popular and picturesque beaches. Excellent patrolled beach with ocean pool, cafe and playground. Beautiful rainforest backdrop from the escarpment.
Thirroul Beach, 17km north. Good surf beach with ocean pool. D.H. Lawrence lived in Thirroul in 1922 and wrote "Kangaroo" here.
Stanwell Park Beach, 30km north. A spectacular hang-gliding launch site above the beach. Small, beautiful beach accessible from the railway station. Popular day trip from Sydney.

Southern Illawarra Beaches

Shellharbour and Bass Point, 20km south. Village Beach and Shellharbour Main Beach. Bass Point Marine Reserve offers excellent snorkelling.
Kiama Beach, 30km south. Kiama is known for its blowhole (one of the world's largest) and several good beaches: Bombo Beach (ocean pool, basalt columns) and Surf Beach.

This article was compiled by AI and screened before publishing. See our editorial standards.

References Sourced but Not Limited to:

wollongong.nsw.gov.au

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