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The Illawarra region beautifully balances buzzing urban energy with endless coastal, laid back charm.
Wollongong is bustling with its city skyline, beaches, street art and cafe culture. The city’s arts precinct hums with live music, laneway bars and vibrant festivals, while the University and Innovation Campus keep ideas (and careers) on the rise.
Follow Grand Pacific Drive across the iconic Sea Cliff Bridge to charming northern villages which are perfect for whale watching, cliff‑top hang glides and escarpment hikes. Further south, Shellharbour serves up waterfront dining, marina markets and family‑friendly beaches, while Lake Illawarra invites kayakers and kite‑surfers to chase the wind.
Down the coast, Kiama steals the show with its famous Blowhole, coastal walks and regular seaside markets. Inland, Minnamurra Rainforest is perfect for rainforest adventures and stunning views, and when temperatures climb, we all head to Jamberoo Action Park for some water‑slide thrills and action.
Beyond adventurous days and foodie nights, the Illawarra’s tight‑knit communities, great schools and slick rail links to Sydney make relocating here an easy choice.
After running her own family practice in London, chiropractor Dr Emma Burniston arrived in the Southern Highlands, bringing with her a passion for airways-focused chiropractic care, and a small, unusual, yet surprisingly powerful tool called the Myo Munchee. Emma’s interest wasn’t sparked in a clinic, but at home. “When my eldest was two, I noticed […]
Spring Blooms in the Highlands If there’s ever a time to visit the Southern Highlands, it’s the October long weekend. Spring has well and truly sprung, the air is crisp, and the whole region is buzzing with colour, music, markets and festivals. Of course, the star of the show is the Tulip Time Flower Festival […]
Dive Into This Week’s Southern Highlands Property Update
Property Listings on the Rise As of this week, there are 756 properties for sale across the Southern Highlands, up from 743 the week prior. These figures include new listings, recent sales, and some properties being withdrawn from the market. Breakdown of available property types: Houses: 511 (up from 502 last week) Units: 13 (steady […]
A Brief History of Tallong The first official European expedition to explore the area was led by James Meehan, Deputy Surveyor of Lands, in 1818. By the early 1820s the first land grants in the Tallong area were being promised. When the Great Southern Railway was extended from Exeter to Goulburn in 1869, Barber’s Creek […]
Bega is preparing for a special evening this November with Reclaim the Night, a community event that invites locals to gather, reflect, and take up space in Littleton Gardens on Friday, 21 November. Take Back the Night, the original movement that began in the 1970s as a response to the fear and harassment women experienced […]
Explore all the charm of this Illawarra beach town Gerringong may be one of the Illawarra’s smaller suburbs, but it sure is big on charm. From stunning beaches to loads of lovely cafes along Fern Street, there’s lots to keep you happy. It’s a little coastal oasis that’s only 40 mins from the centre of […]
Let’s give some love to this coastal beauty. Smack bang on the gorgeous Shellharbour Marina sits Shell Cove, a suburb of the Shellharbour Area. And although the harbour is relatively new, there’s still so much to love about this little spot. Full of open spaces, stunning views and some pretty neat places to eat, shop […]
Berry is one of the most charming historic towns in all of NSW and aren’t we the luckiest to have it right at our fingertips?! With so many cute shops, tasty eats and historic buildings, it’s super easy to while away a day or three here. Berry is the place you bring out-of-town rello’s or […]
9 Farm Stays To Put On Your Must Visit List For Family Gatherings, Romantic Getaways Or Catch-Ups With Friends How fun and fabulous are farm stays? Such a great way to experience life on the land and the kids LOVE it. We’re so lucky to have plenty of fantastic farm stay accommodation right across the […]
Are you a runner in the Illawarra looking for a community? New to the area and want to meet people? Or are you looking to add something fun and social to your fitness regime? Well, you’re in luck! Because the running scene in the Illawarra is thriving. With many social running groups to join there […]
Get a taste of the country, right here in the Illawarra Although Albion Park’s population has grown over the years and it’s now a bustling part of the Illawarra, it still gives off that friendly country town energy that keeps us coming back. Where else can you chow down on a top-notch burger, ride a […]
Useful phone numbers, resources, mental health professionals and services to support the mental health of Illawarra locals. By Hannah Castelli Our mental health is a vital part of our overall health and wellbeing. We go to the dentist for a check-up, the GP when we have a tummy ache or a sniffle and even the […]
From Stanwell Park to Windang, the Illawarra has a super stunning selection of patrolled beaches for fans of sun, sand and salt. Find out which beach is best for the fam bam, fur babies, fitness fans, swimming, catching waves, brushing up on your boogie boarding or just chilling out under the umbie with a good […]
What + Who You Need To Know If You Run A Business In The Illawarra This information was kindly brought to you by . It’s quite the hairy, scary ride when you own, run and operate a business, especially in the past few years – there are simply no words to describe THAT rollercoaster ride. […]
Here’s your go to list of the wineries you need to visit in the Illawarra. Crooked River Wines, Gerringong This award-wining winery has cracking views from it’s gorgeous location in the hills west of Gerringong. The amazing property has a restaurant, cellar door, accommodation, is popular for weddings, runs fun live events and has a micro-brewery onsite […]
Where To Take Your Pooch For Some Fresh Air And Exercise In The Illawarra Not only are we the luckiest ducks for living in the Illawarra but so are our four-legged friends! We are BLESSED with an abundance of local dog-friendly parks and beaches and if you’re looking for somewhere to head out with your […]
It’s an outdoors lifestyle in the Illawarra, that’s for sure! So, we’re lucky we’ve got plenty of pools to choose from – both outdoor, indoor and the gorgeous ocean pools which give you the feeling of being in the ocean just without the…you know, sharks! Here’s a list of all the pools across the Illawarra […]
Local Ocean Pools For Laps Or A Lazy Float One of our favourite things to do is head to the beach, jump into an ocean pool or rock pool, start floating and stare up into the sky. Ocean pools mean less waves [although some can get super choppy!] and a more leisurely way of staying […]
The Illawarra is a huge region of fun towns, a buzzing city, stunning beaches, dramatic escarpments and landscape, rivers, mountains, rolling hills and paddocks, reservoirs, dams, bush and rainforest. Nearly 6000 square metres of super diverse landscape stretching from the coast in the west up to the escarpments of the Southern Highlands, reaching north to […]
Which Stores To Hit Up For Some Interior Inspo + Beautiful Homewares Our gal Dorothy had it right when she said, “there’s no place like home”. These last few years have had us giving our homes a tougher work-out than ever before. But with all this time indoors, no doubt things are starting to get […]
Put These Dates In The Diary So You Don’t Miss Out The Illawarra is just built for festivals and events, right? So many stunning coastal and country locations that they can be held in gorgeous weather to keep them [mostly] going ahead and fab organisers willing to put them on for us – how lucky […]
Far out, there are some awesome wineries, breweries and distilleries here in the Illawarra. All of them are kicking some serious goals – whether it be supporting local, focusing on sustainability, or creating some very cool places to hang out – they’re all making and creating some super tasty bevvies for us to partake in. Here’s your […]
Where The Fellas Can Get Trimmed, Cut, Shaved + Styled Up Listen up lads, because here’s a piece JUST FOR YOU! We put together a list of local barbers who are all about keeping the beard trimmed, the hair well cut and the look super stylin’. From a freshen-up to a complete overhaul, here are […]
A List of Fabulous Galleries In The Illawarra Showcasing Local, Australian + International Artists Immerse yourself in the unique art and culture of the Illawarra by exploring our local galleries. Spend a day taking in all the creative talent our part of the world has to offer. [even better on those rainy days- where the […]
Explore The Fun + Funky Vibe Of This Once Industrial Town Known as Port to the locals, Port Kembla is a multicultural beachside suburb south of central Wollongong. It sure has seen its fair share of ups and downs over the years but a resurgence is underway! The once-quiet streets of Port are filling up […]
Head to your local markets in the Illawarra to support local, connect with community and fill up your shopping bag with fresh produce, handmade creations, freshly baked deliciousness, sweet treats, plants, bric-a-brac, arts, crafts and more. Here’s a list of markets held across the Illawarra – plenty to choose from!! ALBION PARK The Albion Park […]