Kiama and Shellharbour: The Southern Wollongong Experience

Kiama, 25 kilometres south of Wollongong, has developed a tourism and residential reputation that has made it one of the most sought-after addresses in the Illawarra. The combination of the famous Blowhole, the beautiful harbour, the hinterland hills, and a township character that has retained its human scale despite significant growth has created a destination that draws both visitors and permanent residents seeking the best the South Coast can offer within reasonable Sydney distance.

The Kiama Blowhole, where ocean swells force water through a natural rock aperture to produce dramatic geysers that in the right conditions can reach 25 metres or more, is the most visited natural feature in the Illawarra. The viewing platform provides safe access to a spectacle that would otherwise be inaccessible, and the surrounding headland park provides the setting that makes the blowhole experience more than just the water feature itself.

Shellharbour, north of Kiama, has developed as a significant residential community in its own right, with the Shellharbour City Centre providing the commercial and civic infrastructure for a population that has grown rapidly in the planned estates of Shell Cove and surroundings. The Shell Cove marina development, creating a new boat harbour with residential and hospitality development around it, has added a waterfront lifestyle component to an area that previously lacked direct water access.

The Seven Mile Beach National Park between Kiama and Shoalhaven Heads preserves a long uninterrupted beach that provides a counterpoint to the developed coastline of the northern Illawarra. The park's beach, accessible from Gerroa and Shoalhaven Heads, provides the undeveloped beach experience that National Park protection has maintained against the development pressure that has transformed comparable beaches elsewhere on the coast.

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