Wollongong

Heading south, Wollongong starts where Sydney finishes. It is the third largest city in New South Wales behind Sydney and Newcastle and is thinly wedged on a coastal plain between an escarpment and the Pacific Ocean, in the Illawarra region. It is pronounced Wool-un-gong, a word of Aboriginal origin although the translation is not certain. The traditional owners of the land are the Dharawal people.

Geography
Geography defines Wollongong, as the city is never more than roughly 6 km at its widest but stretches over 40 km from south to north. Its growth was limited by mountains, which are not so much high as steep, and the sea, Wollongong has grown to include a whole chain of coastal towns, from Dapto and Port Kembla in the south to Bulli, Austinmer, and even up to Stanwell Park in the north. Continuous development has stretched the urban area along the coast as far as Kiama in the distant south but those areas are serviced by the growing centre of Shellharbour.

Most of Wollongong's suburbs, including several popular beach towns, are covered in this article. The very northern suburbs of Helensburgh and Stanwell Park are covered in their own articles; in many ways they have closer ties to southern Sydney than to Wollongong.

Industry
Its modern origins are in coal mining and steel production, industries which persist, notably the BlueScope steel facility at Port Kembla to the south. A dedicated port exists for the transport of materials whereas private craft and fishing boats use a separate facility nearer the CBD in Belmore Basin. New industries, such as financial services, information technology, tourism and education are fast becoming trademarks of the city. Wollongong people are proud of the employment and heavy industry in the area, and choose to be more than just an outer commuter suburb for Sydney.

Community
The University of Wollongong is popular with local, other Australian and international students. Due to post war migration involving heavy industry, Wollongong also includes a large Mediterranean, Indian and Asian population which has left its mark on the city and means there is a great range of food and entertainment options.

There are many interesting and beautiful locations within easy reach. The immediate area possesses some fine, often uncrowded beaches and reasonable surfing.

By car
The quickest way from Sydney is to take A1/M1 south. You leave Sydney, and enter greater Wollongong just before the motorway starts. It's about a 50 minutes drive to this point, and around another 20 minutes down the motorway to the Wollongong CBD. Expect to take longer in the afternoon peak, Wollongong is a part of the Sydney commuter belt.

If you have a little longer, you can take a route via the Bulli Pass and the Wollongong Northern Beaches. At the end of the motorway the Bulli Pass road throws itself straight down the escarpment and along the coast. The exit is well signposted after the end of the motorway. Add 10 minutes for this diversion.

If you have a little longer still, a very scenic way to see more of Wollongong, the escarpment and the cliffs, is to take the Grand Pacific Drive (official website). Exit from the motorway at Helensburgh through Stanwell Park and down the coast. The road is well signposted to Wollongong. The Sea Cliff Bridge is a highlight of this trip, between Coalcliff and Scarborough.

From the south of Wollongong, follow the Princes Highway (A1) north.

From Canberra or Melbourne, you can access Wollongong via the Illawarra Highway (A48) or via Picton Road (B88). Picton Road offers a faster, straighter trip, while the Illawarra Highway (A48) offers scenery with windy roads and the occasional waterfall and picnic areas. To go the quick, Picton Road (A48) route, ignore the first exit sign to Wollongong from the Hume Highway (M31) at Moss Vale, and take the second, where the exit is also signposted to Picton and Cataract.

By train
The train services from Sydney to Wollongong are operated by NSW TrainLink, and have a usual weekday frequency of 15-30 minutes and 60 minutes on weekends. Each four-car train has two quiet carriages for those who want peace and quiet during their journey, and one easy access toilet on board. The trains can get pretty crowded during the morning and evening peaks heading towards and away from Sydney respectively (especially if there are only four carriages), but you should usually get a seat. In the weekday evening peak, these trains fill to standing room only until you pass Sutherland, as well as on Sunday afternoons heading back into Sydney. Similarly to all trains in the region, you can't book a seat, but rather pay with a reloadable Opal Card, a single trip Opal ticket, or a contactless credit/debit card at the Opal gates.

is conveniently located in the CBD, and many of the other suburbs going up and down the coast have their own stations.

The train journey is a scenic, albeit a slow one, traversing the Royal National Park with views of the ocean and forest. Sit on the left-hand side and upstairs (looking in the direction of travel) when travelling from Sydney or the right-hand side travelling to Sydney to get the best views. The trip on the limited stops trains takes around 90 minutes.

By plane
Wollongong is primarily serviced by scheduled international and domestic airline flights operating into Sydney Airport to the north of the city. Connecting links to Sydney are provided by rail and road.

To get to Wollongong by car from Sydney Airport drive 60 minutes south along the A1 Princes Hwy and M1 Princes Motorway. Follow the signs from the airport towards Wollongong and Rockdale to get to the Princes Highway, and from there follow the road and directional signage south to Wollongong.

To get to Wollongong by train from Sydney Airport, you have two options:
 * catch a T8 Airport Line train one or two stops to Wolli Creek, and then change for a train to Wollongong. All trains to Wollongong stop at Wolli Creek.
 * catch a T8 train to Central, then a South Coast line train down to Wollongong.

The latter is a better option during peak times as you're more likely to find a seat on the train from Central.

Private bus companies operate shuttle services from the airport to any destination door to door in the Illawarra/Wollongong region.



There is an airport (Illawarra Regional/Wollongong) located south of Wollongong in Shellharbour which mostly caters to general aviation flights, though it also has domestic flights as well.





By bus
If you're coming from south-western Sydney, you can catch the 887 bus from Campbelltown to Wollongong train station, via Appin and the University of Wollongong. On weekdays, there are eighteen buses per day. On weekends and public holidays, there are three buses per day to Wollongong.

By boat
A couple of Royal Caribbean cruise ships a year visit Wollongong, docking at Port Kembla.

By bus
Wollongong bus services form part of the Greater Sydney public transport network. You can either use the Opal card or a contactless debit/credit card when boarding the bus – tap the card when you get on and off so you're charged the correct fare. Most bus routes have a service every hour or every 30 minutes.







The free Gong Shuttle Bus operates between the University of Wollongong and the CBD, via Wollongong Station, the Hospital, Burelli St and the UOW's Innovation Campus. On weekends they also stop at North Wollongong station. They run every 10 minutes peak from 7AM-6PM, and every 20 minutes off-peak from 6PM-10PM weekdays, and weekends from 8AM-6PM. These are usually operated by distinctive bright green buses, though the regular blue and white buses are occasionally used. Look out for route numbers 55A and 55C.

Take note that the free buses only stop at bus stops marked by the green Gong Shuttle Bus signboard at the top; they won't stop at ordinary bus stops even if you flagged them down!

There are also the navy blue North Gong (NG) and Gwynneville Keiraville (GK) shuttle buses, operated by the UOW, which are free to ride as well.

By train
The northern coastal suburbs of Wollongong are well-serviced by train; however, depending on the station, you can still be a kilometre or so from the beach. Stanwell Park, Austinmer, Coledale, Wombarra and Bulli are the best stations to access nearby beaches, with Austinmer the most popular. All stations see hourly services.

By car
A car will take you everywhere in the region you want to go. Parking in the multi-story carparks in the Wollongong CBD is less than $2/hr, up to a maximum of $15. Parking along the Wollongong beaches and foreshore is free. Parking on Sundays is free.

Car hire is also available in Wollongong. Avis, Europcar and Hertz are located in Flinders St, just north of the CBD.

By bike
An extensive cycle track runs from Wollongong north for 10 km to Thirroul, hugging the scenic beaches, or the same distance south to Windang and Lake Illawarra. This is generally uncrowded and a great way to get a feel for the city and surroundings. Within the city itself, cycling is a bit more challenging thanks to the numerous inclines. However, there are pop-up cycleways on Smith and Harbour Streets to Belmore Basin, and on Kembla Street between Smith and Crown Streets. Cycling is not allowed in Crown St Mall, although people can be seen pedalling through the mall regardless.

A good cycle route could take 60 km mostly off-road from Bulli to Kiama, hugging the coast and headlands the whole way, and passing close to all Wollongong has to offer. You can put your bike on the train for the trip back.

You can hire bikes at Thirroul to ride south:



or in Wollongong CBD:



By taxi or rideshare
The Illawarra Taxi Network (formerly Radio Cabs of Wollongong) and 13cabs serve Wollongong and the surrounding suburbs. The main taxi rank is on Church St next to the Greater Union cinemas. You can also find taxi ranks outside shopping centres in the Illawarra such as in Corrimal, Warrawong, Figtree, and Shellharbour.

Aside from taxis, ridesharing provider Uber also operates around Wollongong.

On foot
Despite its hilly topography, Wollongong is a relatively walkable city - you can easily walk from the train station to the Wollongong CBD, and all the way to Wollongong City Beach in about 30 minutes. There are several grey and orange wayfinding signs scattered around the downtown area, most of them situated at major intersections. These indicate the directions to points of interest such as the CBD, Arts Precinct, Wollongong train station, and foreshore.

Lookouts
The escarpment next to Wollongong provides spectacular views over the coastline and city.



Museums

 * The HARS Aircraft museum is actually located to the south of Wollongong in Albion Park.
 * The HARS Aircraft museum is actually located to the south of Wollongong in Albion Park.

Landmarks and attractions




Gardens and parks

 * Lake Illawarra is walkable from Dapto station, or you can catch a bus. If you are coming by train for a walk or cycle by the lake, then Albion Park Rail or Oak Flats may be a better destination - where there are walking/cycle paths to the lake. The lake is also easily accessible from Warrawong. There are regular buses between Wollongong and Warrawong.
 * Lake Illawarra is walkable from Dapto station, or you can catch a bus. If you are coming by train for a walk or cycle by the lake, then Albion Park Rail or Oak Flats may be a better destination - where there are walking/cycle paths to the lake. The lake is also easily accessible from Warrawong. There are regular buses between Wollongong and Warrawong.

Swimming and surfing
During the summer months, Wollongong has 17 surf beaches to choose from, each with less crowds and more space than most Sydney beaches. All have free foreshore parking, and most are accessible by public transport and bicycle.

To the north of the city try...



To the south of the city try..



If you just want to do some laps, or for the kids to splash in the water, try the lap and leisure pools at Beaton Park, on Foley St (off Gipps Rd).

Dapto
Dapto Mall, Dapto Leagues Club and the Community Centre provide a variety of things to do. There is an annual Street Fair every September on Fathers Day. Following that is the Dapto Show. There are sometimes special shows like Monster Trucks etc during the year. Sunday mornings there are the 'flea markets' where one can find great bargains.

Eat
Everything about Wollongong's eateries is excellent. Most restaurants are located on either Keira St or Corrimal St, but don't be afraid to venture down a laneway, or further north or south to the outer suburbs, to find great food. There is something for everyone.

Drink
A growing city, Wollongong city holds a wide variety of bars. Generally, pubs close to the city but not in the actual CBD/North Wollongong proper tend to have unsavoury reputations. Wednesday nights are 'uni nights', and at places such as Castros and the Grand feature drink specials and cheap or free entry - expect a lot of young patrons.



Connect
Most of Wollongong has good mobile phone and data reception with all three carriers. You can easily get download speeds of at least 30Mbps in the CBD. However in the northern suburbs like Fairy Meadow and Corrimal, the Vodafone and Optus reception are quite poor (more so if you're not close to Princes Highway). If you'd be spending most of your time away from the downtown area, it's best to have either a Telstra SIM card or an operator like Boost Mobile that shares their network. Even then, coverage may be dicey in outlying suburbs like Austinmer where the escarpment can block signals.

There are a few coffee shops and McDonald's that offer free WiFi. Wollongong Library has free internet access at all libraries, and free WiFi at the City Library (ask staff for a ticket with username/password). The city library is in the council building on Burelli St, which runs parallel to and one street south of Crown St.

Media

 * Illawarra Mercury – the Illawarra region's daily newspaper, printing a mixture of quaintly mundane local stories, sensational crime reporting, and useful advice about upcoming events in the area.

Stay safe
There are some cases of drink-spiking so never leave your drink unattended. If you believe your drink has been spiked, speak to the security staff immediately. They will determine whether you have been spiked or not and if so will call an ambulance for you to ensure your safety.

Alcohol-fueled violence is common in town at night, primarily in Crown Street Mall and around takeaway food shops. Also beware of groups of young men in cars at City Beach (South Beach) at night and the Lagoon carpark. Do not wander around Unanderra and Dapto at night - both are unsafe, and sometimes during the day. Figtree can be nearly as bad, and Thursday nights in Crown Street Mall are often similar.

Go next
From Wollongong you can follow the coast southwards towards the Victorian border along the Princes Highway. This road is quite an interesting stretch of highway in Australia in that it follows the coast and headlands, giving you views as you drive along it. Many other coastal Australian highways usually stay a small distance from the coast, requiring side trips to see the scenery. At Batemans Bay you can turn inland to the Hume Highway via Braidwood to Canberra and Melbourne via the highway.

The Illawarra Highway (A48) is a scenic route through the Southern Highlands to the Hume Motorway/Highway. The road winds its way up through the Macquarie Pass, through Robertson and then on to the open road.

If you are staying in Wollongong, Sydney is a fairly comfortable day trip.
 * Minnamurra Rainforest and the larger, Budderoo National Park, near Jamberoo, is one of the state's most visited national parks. There's a visitors centre and many boardwalks through subtropical rainforest. Go early in the morning for the best chance at seeing wildlife such as lyrebirds and wombats.
 * Minnamurra Rainforest and the larger, Budderoo National Park, near Jamberoo, is one of the state's most visited national parks. There's a visitors centre and many boardwalks through subtropical rainforest. Go early in the morning for the best chance at seeing wildlife such as lyrebirds and wombats.
 * Minnamurra Rainforest and the larger, Budderoo National Park, near Jamberoo, is one of the state's most visited national parks. There's a visitors centre and many boardwalks through subtropical rainforest. Go early in the morning for the best chance at seeing wildlife such as lyrebirds and wombats.
 * Minnamurra Rainforest and the larger, Budderoo National Park, near Jamberoo, is one of the state's most visited national parks. There's a visitors centre and many boardwalks through subtropical rainforest. Go early in the morning for the best chance at seeing wildlife such as lyrebirds and wombats.