Port Kembla is the industrial heart of the Illawarra. It is a hard find to try and find a local that does not have a family member or friend that has worked somewhere in Port Kembla, whether it is at MM or Bluescope, everyone has at least one person.
You can go exploring our industrial capital if you take the right turns around Port Kembla. I shall tell you how. You also get amazing views of Wollongong South Beach and Southern Illawarra.
So if you are coming from Wollongong along the Princess Highway you take a Left at Flinders Street, following the train track you follow this slowly around to Old Port Road where you see Bluescope Steel on your left.
From here you can take a left at Foreshore Road which will take you to the boat ramp and you can get to Port Kembla Heritage Park or turn left onto Darcy road and find a parking spot along the beach. Your aim is to have a walk around Port Kembla Heritage Park and if you have picked your Sunday correctly being the 2nd or 4th Sunday of the month you will be able to go into the Breakwater Battery Military Museum.
The Breakwater Battery Military Museum is open 10am to 2pm. The entry fee is $3 and it is worth the trip.
The building was built in 1939 and was used in WWII as the headquarters and command post for the Breakwater Battery Fort complex.
The fort was built to defend the harbour and nearby industries. At its peak they had 120 men and women troops.
The museum shows the weapons used, trenches and the lives of the troops here and overseas. This museum has to be one of the best local museums and is added to by the volunteer who mans it, whose knowledge of the area and our war effort is amazing.
The beach is known as MM Beach. MM is a rather large industrial company that has been around for years.
From here follow Gloucester Street around to Hill 60. You will need to take a left on Military Road and there will be signs on where to go to get to Hill 60 lookout. Hill 60 is an old fortification for World War II. From this lookout you can see South Beach Wollongong and of course the Industrial Hub. Looking South you see Warrawong, Lake Illawarra and all the southern suburbs. To the West you see Warrawong and Mount Kembla areas. It is a stunning lookout because it takes in all of the Illawarra (almost!).
From here it is up to you what you want to do. It is only a short drive to the Lake or the nearest shopping centre (Warrawong). I would suggest going into Wentworth Street Port Kembla to try a Tonitto cake.
