10.

ILLAWARRA LIGHT RAILWAY MUSEUM 48A Tongarra Road, Albion Park Phone: 4256 4627 www.ilrms.com.au Railway history can be explored at the Illawarra Light Railway Museum where you can view a large range of railway memorabilia. Located in a bushland setting, the museum oers free entry into the grounds and free usage of picnic areas. The museum is open with train rides on the second Sunday of each month (including the Sunday of public holidays) from 10.30am - 4.30pm as well as during school holidays on Tuesdays and Thursdays. A kiosk and souvenir shop are available at this time for your convenience. Inspections of the museum only are available on the working days - Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10.00am - 3.00pm. 11. CYCLEWAYS Cycling is a great way to explore the lovely scenery from Lake Illawarra to the rural countryside. Shellharbour has an extensive network of cycleways. Maps displaying self-guided cycling tours of Lake Illawarra, Shellharbour and Kiama are available for you to download at www.tourismshellharbour. com.au or by calling Tourism Shellharbour on 02 4221 6169 or 1300 656 169. 12. SCENIC DRIVES Grand Pacific Drive This magnicent drive encompasses 140km of some of the most spectacular scenery and coastline in New South Wales. From the Royal National Park (worlds second largest National Park) it takes the scenic coastal route along Lawrence Hargrave Drive, traveling over the Seacli Bridge which is an attraction in itself to Wollongong and through to Shellharbour, Kiama and Shoalhaven. The drive takes you through coastal rainforests, quaint seaside villages, and past rolling hills, wineries and dairy farms of the south. From here you can experience the beyond to the Southern Highlands, greater South Coast or onto Canberra! Grand Pacic Drive is also a great appetiser to the Sydney to Melbourne coastal drive. Tourist Drive 8 Start this drive at Illawarra Regional Airport just o the Princes Highway at Albion Park Rail and take a microlight or scenic ight over the Illawarra or visit the HARS Aviation Museum and explore the history of aviation. Continue south along the Princes Highway and turn right onto Tongarra Road where more history can be seen at the Illawarra Light Railway Museum. You can also enjoy a ride on steam and diesel trains and view the railway memorabilia. Turn left into Russell Street and visit Tongarra Museum, a great place to nd out more about Shellharbours history with changing exhibitions on display. Continue through the lush green pastures of Albion Park and visit

Dee Kramers Gallery situated at the base of Macquarie Pass National Park where you can take home a memory of your visit to Shellharbour. The images capture the natural beauty of our city. While you are here take a wander through Macquarie Pass National Park and see the water drop from the Cascades Waterfall and walk through the deeply timbered ridges and rainforest gullies, continue the drive up scenic Macquarie Pass which will lead into the Southern Highlands.

13. HERITAGE TRAILS There are two heritage trails available that provide information on our fascinating past. Discover heritage buildings and sites that still exist. Walk around and explore it, and see the area through new eyesyoull be amazed at what you will nd out. The Shellharbour Village Heritage Trail starts at Little Park on the harbour foreshore and makes its way along Addison Street to Sophia Street. Historic plaques are located opposite original sites, and provide a brief account and image of the buildings of our past. Tour takes approximately one hour. The Albion Park Heritage Trail begins and ends at the Tongarra Museum (Russell Street) and takes approximately two hours. Discover the rich history of Albion Park and see the sites and heritage buildings left behind by our pioneers. Collect both Trail brochures from the Shellharbour Visitors Centre (Ground Floor, Councils Administration Building) and discover the rich history of both townships. 14. BEACHES Shellharbours ve golden clean sandy beaches stretching from Lake Illawarra down to Mystics at Minnamurra, are certainly an attraction in themselves. Enjoy a leisurely stroll, a dip in the crystal clear waters, relax and soak up the sun or watch the sunrise over the Pacic Ocean. For those keen surfers, there are some perfect surf breaks suiting all skills levels from the inexperienced to the professional. Surng schools are also available to give those required a surng lesson.

TOP 14

FREE

THINGS TO SEE

& DO IN SHELLHARBOUR

For more information about any of these interesting, fun, free activities and other great things to see and do in the City of Shellharbour contact the friendly team at Tourism Shellharbour.

Phone: 1300 65 6169 or 4221 6169 Email: tourism@shellharbour.nsw.gov.au

ShellharbOur VisitOr InFOrmatiOn Centre

www.tourismshellharbour.com.au
Ask us also for a copy of the free Shellharbour City Visitors Guide.
WestonPrint Kiama Phone 02 4232 1999

hat could be better than a day out in Shellharbour on a budget? A day out in Shellharbour for FREE! Believe it or not, it is possible!
And if your friends or relatives land in town, here are 14 free things for you to see and do, all year round. 1. SHELLHARBOUR VILLAGE & BOAT HARBOUR Addison Street, Shellharbour Village This coastal village is an historic precinct incorporating the foreshore and harbour. Take a walk along the shared pathway, drop a line and try your luck with the sh. Enjoy many of the facilities such as the childrens playground at Little Park, picnic shelters, the saltwater swimming pool and amenities. The Village boasts award winning restaurants, alfresco cafs, great sh and chips, boutique shopping and a range of health, well-being and beauty services. 2. LAKE ILLAWARRA Reddall Parade, Lake Illawarra Lake Illawarra is a perfect spot for a family picnic, there are plenty of picnic and barbecue facilities as well as childrens playgrounds, a kiosk and amenities. The lake is also ideal for many water activities such as sailing, water skiing, jet skiing and rowing with the most popular being shing and prawning. If you prefer dry land then cycle or walk around the 24 km of cycleways or wander over to Windang Island at low tide and enjoy the views. 3. BASS POINT Boollwarroo Parade, Shellharbour Bass Point Reserve features one of the few diverse littoral rainforests in the region. Located within the reserve is Bushrangers Bay a Marine Aquatic Reserve that is one of the most popular scuba diving and snorkeling spots on the NSW South Coast. While enjoying the outdoors, take in the sun at some of the hidden beaches, take a walk and make the most of the natural ora and fauna and dont miss the magnicent coastal views from the Bushrangers Bay and Maloneys Bay viewing platforms. Take the Bass Point Indigenous Cultural Walk that highlights the importance of this reserve to the local aboriginal people who once used it as both a camping and meeting place as well as a place for collecting and sharing food.

There is also a memorial to the Australian servicemen who lost their lives while trying to bring stranded US sailors to shore from the US tanker Cities Service Boston as the ship ran into the rocks during a wild storm in 1943. KILLALEA STATE PARK Killalea Drive, Shell Cove Phone: 4237 8589
www.killalea.org.au

4.

A visit to Killalea State Park is a must, the spectacular natural beauty of this coastal park makes it a wonderful place to unwind or take a leisurely stroll around Killalea Lagoon along the sandy beaches to Minnamurra River. One of the best surf beaches on the South Coast of NSW is right here at Killalea and is commonly referred to as The Farm by the locals. In June 2009 it was ocially declared a National Surng Reserve. The park is also popular for other activities such as scuba diving, snorkeling and shing and is an ideal place for family picnics with BBQ facilities, childrens playground and amenities. Campsites are also available, allowing visitors to stay in the natural surroundings of Killalea.

7. WENTWORTH COTTAGE PARK/CARMODYS LOOKOUT Pioneer Drive, Blackbutt Enjoy uninterrupted views over Shellharbour, Lake Illawarra and the Pacic Ocean from Carmodys Lookout. The park has heritage signicance as the site of Wentworth Cottage, the home of DArcy Wentworth, who was one of Shellharbours most well known pioneers. In 1914 the cottage was bought by John Carmody whose family resided in the homestead for most of the last century. The park now features two mazes which occupy the site of the former cottage which was demolished in 1978, as well as a childrens playground. 8. ILLAWARRA REGIONAL AIRPORT Princes Highway, Albion Park Rail www.illawarraregionalairport.com.au The regions only commercial airport is located at Albion Park Rail. Watch the aircraft arriving and departing over the picturesque Illawarra Escarpment. There is also a multitude of activities to undertake at the airport (for a fee), including microlight and scenic ights as well as helicopter joy ights over the Illawarra region. If thats not enough to get the adrenaline pumping try skydiving or take the controls and learn to y. A visit to the HARS (Historical Aircraft Restoration Society) Aviation Museum is also recommended to see the fully restored operational aircraft on display such as the world famous Connie Lockheed Super Constellation, the airline of the 1950s. The Aviator Lounge Caf & Restaurant has stunning, uninterrupted views of the escarpment and oers extensive modern Australian cuisine and local wine. 9. TONGARRA MUSEUM Russell Street, Albion Park Phone: 4256 6698 The Tongarra Museum provides a fascinating insight into the history and heritage of Shellharbour City and its surrounds. Explore the history of Shellharbour through changing exhibitions of local Aboriginal and European culture. The Museums collection contains items associated with local history of Shellharbour City, including artefacts, photos, maps, books and clothing. Also each year the Museum produces one or two project exhibitions. The Museum also provides research facilities and material on local and family history. Open Wednesdays 10am 4pm and Saturday 9am 12noon. Admission is free.

5. BLACKBUTT RESERVE Shellharbour Road, Blackbutt Come and relax at Blackbutt Forest Reserve. This unique reserve contains a diversity of vegetation and wildlife and is the last remaining viable remnant of coastal plain forest within the Illawarra. The 250 hectare reserve contains many walking trails, extensive picnic and barbecue facilities as well as childrens playgrounds and amenities. All year round its one of the areas most popular family gathering places. A feature is an open-air amphitheatre depicting various Australian wildlife and ora. 6. MACQUARIE PASS NATIONAL PARK Illawarra Highway, Albion Park Macquarie Pass National Park preserves a section of the Illawarra escarpment. It consists of steep, densely timbered ridges and rainforest gullies, topped by a rim of superb clis. Two walking tracks are provided for great bush walking. The Cascades Rainforest Walk, a 2 km return walk that starts at the picnic area at the foot of Macquarie Pass takes you to the Cascades where the water falls from a height of 20 metres. The Glenview Track begins from the opposite side of the road and takes the track that crosses a creek which ows 400 metres downstream and plunges over the Cascades. It has several branch tracks through tall open forest providing the walker with the opportunity to explore other parts of the Park.