Plan Book Travel Australia

The Illawarra the name is an adaptation of an Aboriginal word meaning between the high place and the sea, has Wollongong as its centre and is flanked by the Tasman Sea shores and the Illawarra Escarpment. The area is ideal for watersports and outdoor activities such as surfing at North Beach, hang gliding at Stanwell Park, fishing at Lake Illawarra and swimming at any one of the seventeen patrolled surf beaches.

The spectacular shoreline is interrupted by rocky headlands, which provide panoramic views and sheltered beaches. There are also attractions away from the water, including Minnamurra Falls and the nearby Minnamurra Rainforest Centre, located in Budderoo NP, which has won many tourist awards and is definitely worthwhile visiting. The Nan Tien Temple, the largest Buddhist temple in the Southern Hemisphere, attracts visitors from around the world.

The unspoilt bushland and rural scenery of Kangaroo Valley is breathtakingly beautiful. Some of the very best waterfalls in Australia are found in the national parks and reserves of the Illawarra, such as the 80m-high Fitzroy Falls.