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Kiama - New South Wales South Coast

Home > Canberra > Free | Escape the City | Environment | Outdoor
by Catherine Wills (subscribe)
I'm in Melbourne often enough - so why not write a bit about some places I've seen :)
Published August 20th 2012
My partner and I took a mid-year getaway to Sydney. Our first destination was Wollongong. After the scenic train ride from the airport, we found ourselves armed with a whole day up our sleeves, a surprising amount of sunshine for June, and not to mention a car...with a GPS.

So the question we asked ourselves was this: what DON'T you do with these three things??

We started by setting the GPS to take us to Kiama, a delightful seaside town that was recommended to us on a number of occasions before our flights. And it was certainly worth it.

The blowhole was our number one thing to see in Kiama. At first it looked terribly unimpressive. We were close to walking away from this hole in the rock wall in the ocean. But then, as if the water was furious at our ignorance, it put on a spectacular show to stop us from leaving.

The blowhole at Kiama


The ocean waves came crashing through the hole and shot up a number of feet in the air...making me jump a number of feet in the air also! There was something awe-inspiring and frightening about this natural wonder, something that kept us there for over an hour, enjoying not only the blowhole but also the gorgeous crystal ocean that expanded for miles beyond our eyes.



After this, we opted to ask an information desk for other recommendations about what to do with our afternoon. The coast, as marvelous as it is, did not appeal to us for a whole day. So when the information guide suggested an inland rain forest, we barely hesitated to set the address in the trusty GPS.

Our destination was the Minnamurra Rainforest, located in Jamberoo, a gorgeous town with rolling green hills about twenty minutes inland from Kiama. The rain forest drew us in with its eerie darkness and stunning trees, complemented by the sounds of water trickling from places we could not see. We set out on a boardwalk that was about half an hour in total. The boardwalk took us through the rain forest, to the flowing rivers and the bridges above them.

Inside the rain forest


Looking up, it seemed the rain forest had no way out. We could hear the birds somewhere high in the trees above us, hiding in the dense canopies. The atmosphere was both intriguing and delightful. One thing was for sure, we were certainly surprised to walk out of the rain forest and find it so sunny in the light!

Dense trees


On our way back to Kiama, we impulsively took a turn, following a sign that said "lookout this way" and causing our GPS to get quite upset. But we ignored the computerised voice telling us to turn around and we drove up the winding hills until we reached the lookout. The view can barely be described in words, so I'll let the pictures speak to you...



Kiama in the distance


As we drove back to Kiama and enjoyed an afternoon tea, we decided to make the most of the sunset. The tourist guide had told us of the "Little Blowhole" further around the coastline. Not as impressive as the major blowhole, we were told, but it was still worth a look.

The little blowhole


Perhaps it was the sunset, but there was something even more majestic about the water rushing through what seemed such a tiny hole in the rock.

A perfect end to the day


So what are our thoughts on the southcoast of New South Wales? Let's just say, we'll be coming back.
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Why? To see what NSW South Coast has to offer
When: Anytime
Where: Kiama, Jamberoo
Cost: $11 to get into the rain forest, the rest for free
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