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Kiama
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Of the coastal resorts south of Sydney,
KIAMA
is probably the most attractive - though if you want more than a day- or overnight trip to the beach, you'd be better off continuing down to Nowra and beyond. A small resort and fishing town, Kiama is famous for its star attraction, the
Blowhole
, a five-minute walk from the
railway station
on Blowhole Point. Stemming from a natural fault in the cliffs, the blowhole explodes into a waterspout when a wave hits with sufficient force. It's impressive, but also potentially dangerous: freak waves can be thrown over 60m into the air and have swept several over-curious bystanders into the raging sea - so stand well back. The
Kiama Visitor Information Centre
, nearby on Blowhole Point Road (daily 9am-5pm; tel 02/4232 3322 or free call 1800 803 897,
www.kiama.com.au
), supplies details of other local attractions such as
Cathedral Rocks
, a few kilometres to the north, whose rocky outcrops drop abruptly to the ocean. About 15km south of Kiama is
Seven Mile Beach
, a good sandy beach with its own small oceanfront
national park
.
West of Kiama, a steep road leads to Mount Saddleback Lookout , from where on a clear day you can get an incredible view of the entire coast - from the Royal National Park in the north to Jervis Bay in the south. Further west, about 14km from Kiama, is the Jamberoo Recreation Park (Sat, Sun & holidays 10am-5pm; $24), a mixed bag of offerings including chairlifts, bobsleds, giant waterslides and a barbecue area. Beyond Jamberoo you can head north to join the Illawarra Highway, and follow that inland to Macquarie Pass , the gateway to the Southern Highlands. The Macquarie Pass National Park is one of the southernmost stands of Australia's sub tropical rainforest; there's a car park on the road from where the Cascades Walk takes you on a 2km loop through the forest. Alternatively, Jamberoo Mountain Pass Road heads to Robertson on the Illawarra Highway via the Budderoo National Park where the Minnamurra Rainforest Centre (daily 9am-5pm, boardwalk and track closes 4pm; tel 02/4236 0469), offers an elevated boardwalk and walking track through cabbage tree palms, staghorn ferns and impressive Illawarra fig trees to the upper Carrington Falls . The impressive falls are 8km east of Robertson by road, and are worth a detour: a turn-off from the Jamberoo Mountain Pass Road leads to lookout points over the waterfalls. If you want to stay in this area you'll find plenty of motels strung out along the highway. Alternatives in Kiama include Kiama Backpackers , 31 Bong Bong St, very close to the train station and right near the beach (tel & fax 02/4233 1881, www.suresite.com/oh/k/kiama ; rooms $20-35, weekends $35-50, dorms under $20), a hostel whose owner sometimes offers free trips to the surrounding areas on a quiet day; and the Grand Hotel , on the corner of Manning and Bong Bong streets (tel 02/4232 1037; $35-50, weekends $50-70), which has budget-priced, old-fashioned pub accommodation - the pub restaurant serves decent filling meals lunch and dinner daily. The closest campsite to the centre is at Blowhole Point Holiday Park right near the Blowhole (tel 02/4232 2707; on-site vans $50-70, cabins $70-115), while Easts Beach Caravan Park , on Easts Beach a couple of kilometres south of Kiama (tel 02/4232 2124, fax 4233 1009, eastpark@ozemail.com.au ; cabins $50-70, en-suite $70-90), is handy for the beach with safe, sheltered swimming; there's a two-night minimum stay at weekends.
In
GERRINGONG
, 10km south of Kiama, there's a YHA hostel,
Nestor House
, on Fern Street, just 250m from Werri Beach (tel & fax 02/4234 1249; dorms under $20, rooms $35-50), or there's the
Werri Beach Holiday Park
(tel 02/4234 1285; on-site vans $50-70, cabins $70-115), which benefits from a great location at the northern end of Seven Mile Beach, between Crooked River and the sand. A further 10km south, easily reached by train on the Sydney-Nowra route,
BERRY
is a charming little town which has become a magnet for gay-owned cafes and restaurants and a popular
gay and lesbian
weekend destination. Three kilometres out of town, the gay-and-lesbian-friendly
Spotted Gums Cottage
(tel 02/4464 1779,
spotgum@shoalhaven.net.au
; $115-150) is a one-bedroom self-contained retreat with its own spa and five acres of native gardens; expect champagne when you arrive, and bikes to explore the area. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Australia,
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