Grand Pacific Drive

Back to Sydney in the meantime, 1.400 km driven when we returned the car Sunday evening. But back to the beginning: we left our cottage in the morning, again: in the rain! Misty and sort of foggy. We drove on a different (mountain) road through Jamberoo (lookout see photo below) to Kiama and from there north along the coast, the so-called Grand Pacific Drive.

 

First stop on the coast was the Kiama Blowhole (right), next to a lighthouse. It has a 2.5 metre wide opening and has been recorded at heights of more than 30 metres. You can hear an impressive whoosh sound and often feel the spray of the ocean when it blows. Unfortunately, it rained and views were not really terrific, nor typically "Australian".

At Shellharbour City we stopped for fish (Barramundi) and chips, again - deliciously fresh! Continued to Port Kembla and Wollongong - a highly industrial area with coal mining, chemical and steel factories, spreckled with some beaches, but not very idyllic views (see photo on the left). Port Kembla is a major international industrial port and NSW’s primary hub for motor vehicle imports and grain exports. Since the 1890s it manages bulk and container cargo.

The "Grand Pacific Drive" is a a 140 km scenic coastal drive along the South Coast of NSW, but parts of it are not soo "grand", partly due to weather, partly because of the traffic and "thousands" of roundabouts and bumpers. Also, there are not too many viewpoints or pull-outs, the road mostly doesn't follow the coastline, but goes inland, passing little towns (looking very similar). Besides the beach villages not many observation points to pull out. Weekender traffic was pretty dense and the drive was slow. Best part in any case is the Sea Cliff Bridge, a 665 m curved cantilever bridge directly along the ocean, with a viewpoint: 

People watching the paragliders and enjoying the view (above).

Royal National Park, further north towards Sydney, was one of Australia’s first areas of land set aside for conservation. Again, rainforest landscape, very lush, but, again, the visitor center was mostly functioning as a souvenir shop and café not highly instructive. And, we didn't have time anymore for a longer hike.

The drive through the Sydney metro area on a mostly 8-lane fast road, was not really fun on a Sunday late afternoon. Due to dense traffic it took us over an hour to get from the National Park to the car rental station. So glad, to get rid of the car for a while - we were pooped!

We had booked an Ibis Hotel in walking distance from the rental car station, checked in, took a shower and took the train to Circular Quai. From there we bit goodbye to Sydney at the Sydney Brewery where we enjoy a well-earned cold drink and a pizza. Out to Uluru tomorrow!