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Photo: Maurice van Creij, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A steep, physically demanding hike through dense forest up the escarpment. Roughly an hour of hiking (if you don't take breaks), including lots of steps and some ladders, is rewarded with beautiful views of the Illawarra and the ships out at sea. The trailhead is about 30 minutes from Austinmer train station on foot. As of October 2022, the top part of the trail is temporarily closed for repairs, though the lookout is still reachable by car.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Botanical garden with flora from all over Australia, including a planted rainforest area and lots of grevilleas.
An iconic road bridge that hugs the cliffs between Wollongong and Sydney, with beautiful ocean views. Pedestrians can walk along the bridge, and the flat rocky area below has interesting marine life at low tide – meander down and look for crabs, sea snails, and if you're lucky, seals, manta rays, and octopuses.
Science Centre and Planetarium
Two-storey museum with lots of stuff to do for kids aged 1 to 15 (and their parents, of course). Don't miss the 3PM Planetarium show.
A usually uncrowded open space, with duck ponds and short walks. Bring some bread for the ducks, and a picnic.
SFX
This is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wollongong. A wooden chapel was built in 1836, and a larger, more permanent church was constructed three years later. St Francis Xavier was designated as the Cathedral for the new Diocese of Wollongong in 1951, with the diocese officially being established on 11 February 1952.