19 Exciting Things To Do In Wollongong, NSW

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Wollongong is a vibrant coastal city on the South Coast of New South Wales and is famous for its excellent surf, amazing beaches with rock pools, and being the gateway to the rocky Illawarra Mountain range.

There are so many things to do in Wollongong, we quickly discovered it was the perfect destination for a weekend break away from Sydney.

With stunning hiking trails encircling the coastline and ancient coastal forest, to the numerous outdoor activities that keep our young kids entertained, this is a city that can keep you occupied for more than a week.

It was also our first stop on our 18-month road trip around Australia, so we were eager to get out there and start exploring the best that Aus had to offer.

If you’re not sure what to do in Wollongong and need some ideas for attractions to add to your itinerary, then keep reading to see what we did when we visited.

Is Wollongong worth visiting?

Wollongong is NSW’s third largest city, but despite being a large city, it is anything but the concrete jungle you see in Sydney.

And that’s what attracted us to Wollongong. To be honest, I really didn’t want another concrete jungle, I wanted a hammock by the river in the bush where broadband signals could not reach.

The mountains loom over the cityscape and the ocean shrouds the concrete in a mist of peace. It has a vibrancy of youth and health, without the frenetic pace and aloofness of other big cities.

I was completely taken by surprise when in the twilight hours, I exhaled contently and said, “You know I really like this place.”

It’s a city, yet doesn’t feel like one.

Wollongong welcomed us back into nomadic travel life so effortlessly, offering us the freedom to be remote and enjoy nature, but have the facilities around us in order to work (good wifi and a decent coffee shop is all we need).

And to think I was quite nonplussed about visiting.

I was grounded and feeling like we had made the best decision to go on this crazy adventure. Wollongong gave me just what I needed. And for that reason, it’s definitely worth visiting.

How To Get to Wollongong

Wollongong is located in the Illawarra region just 82 kilometres south of Sydney. If driving, we recommend you take the scenic route from Sydney via Royal National Park…