A classic section of the Coast Walk. There and back. Normally busy but quieter on a Friday. Well made path and fairly flat. A later start enabling those from the deeper south to come.

Friday 5k and koffee, at Bundeena

Easy coastal ride. Cycle path and best beach scenery. Mostly flat and relaxed riding. A couple of stops. Coffee at Thirroul then return by the same route

Start 8:30 am  Arrive by 8:15 for briefing.

Fire trail and track from Bundeena Rd to coastal track. Track head starts 8.4km from turn off onto Bundeena Rd from sir Bertram Stevens drive in royal national park. This walk is exploratory, but I do not expect difficult conditions. Bring morning tea and lunch. Look for whales at coast.

Level to start, then down steeply to the river. Follow the river through beautiful rainforest, then cross Lady Carrington Drive to the Forest Island Path and the Couranga Track.  The Couranga Track is very rough underfoot and goes steeply up in places.  Three river crossings and a car shuffle are involved.  See various vegetation types.

Ride along shared pathways past Shellharbour hospital, through Blackbutt Forest and to Shellharbour for coffee at the Sands. Return via Barrack Point, Warilla beach and Reddall Reserve. A bit of a climb to the top of the Forest.

A coastal ride with great views of ocean and escarpment. Shared path except on the hill as we approach entry into Thirroul.

Coffee at Thirroul Beach.

Return via the same route

Ride through Minnamurra wetlands, the headland, Kiama Downs and Gainsborough to Swamp Road cycleway then Jamberoo Road and into Jamberoo.
Some steep sections.

Walk from Port Kembla surf club along the bike track/path. Detour at Fishermans Beach and walk along the beach at low tide and around the point.  Steep climb back to the bike track. Continue to the Maritime Centre for morning coffee at Lo Stretto Cafe. Then return along the coastal path to Port Kembla Beach.

PLASTIC FREE JULY CLEAN UP

At the request of Wollongong Council, we will be picking up rubbish on the shores of Gooseberry and Hooka Islands (part of our playground).

A reconnaissance has been conducted, there is enough rubbish to help.  As many paddlers as possible are invited to offer to help.

Bags, gloves etc will be provided by Council.  Paul’s boat will be used to carry the rubbish back to Berkeley.

Contact the leader if  you require any further information.

When: Friday 18 July 2025, 9.30 to 1.30pm

Where: Shellharbour City Library, The Palingjang Room, 76 Cygnet Ave, Shellharbour City Centre

Parking: Free parking is available in the basement of the building

Why: To save a life or to obtain timely help for fellow Ramblers, friends, family or members of the public.

We need a minimum number of attendees to run this First Aid Course, and we would be very grateful for your attendance.

Course fee is $110, subsidised 50% by the Illawarra Ramblers for financial members.

Registration by payment of $55 is required by Friday 11 July 2025, earlier if possible!

Contact: Colleen Barclay (see Members List) for bank account details and other information.

Walk from Byarong Park in an anticlockwise direction round the mountain.  Around 500 steps on total. Possible side trip to Robertson’s Lookout.

Walk the Mt. Kembla Summit and Ring Track. Tracks through eucalypt and Rain forests with extensive views of the Illawarra coastline. Some points of historic interest. Short section on a quiet road. Optional extra easy walk on the Miners Memorial Pathway.

The further north you live, the greater the kudos.

Catch the all stations to Kiama train leaving Thirroul at 7:33, Woonona 7:38, North Gong 7:49, Oak Flats 8:21. Coastal scenery much of the way. Cycleway almost all the way. A great day on the bike. Peel off whenever it suits. Will follow the coast at all options.

Coffee at Shellharbour Surf Club

Pot pourri walk of scenery, history, sport and well executed redevelopment.

This walk has it all, from the redevelopment of the old Prince Henry Hospital, the associated cemetery, the extensive WW2 fortifications, NSW golf course hole teeing off over the waters of Botany Bay and why we speak French with an Australian accent.

Walk from Little Bay to La Perouse, via Cape Banks, Henry Head and Bare Island fort in Botany Bay NP. Mostly raised walkways, some rocks/sand/roads. A variety of interesting sights including spectacular coastal headlands/beaches/posh golf courses & houses/historic buildings/armaments. Bring own lunch/snacks/drinks as no cafes for 4 hours! (how will we cope). Minimal shade. Free time in La Perouse at end of walk (yes cafes).

 Train, tram and bus to Little Bay and reverse order back from La Perouse.

If not too sunny we will have lunch at Cape Banks and maybe watch some golfers teeing off into or over Botany Bay waters. See URL below for more information.

References

Prince Henry Hospital and its redevelopment

 https://princehenryhospitalmuseum.org

The museum will not be open on the day of the walk but the website has a great picture of the old hospital. And will give some idea of how the redevelopment has retained many of the old buildings.

https://phca.com.au/about-prince-henry/did-you-know-heritage-significance/

The cemetery (somewhere in the cemetery there is a reference to the aboriginal significance of the site)

https://princehenryhospitalmuseum.org/leprosy/

NSW Golf Course

Hole 6 https://www.nswgolfclub.com.au/cms/course/hole-6/

starting at about the four minute mark https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1cbbjIpSEg

La Perouse

https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/la_perouse

Bare Island

https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/venues/bare-island-fort

The museum at La Perouse is currently undergoing refurbishment

Morning paddle on Lake Illawarra. Paddle is weather dependent, so starting point may change.

Contact leader for details .

To celebrate National Tree Day, the Illawarra Ramblers are showcasing one of their favourite walks. Visitors welcome.

From the Wodi Wodi track entry on Lawrence Hargrave Drive 400 metres north of Coalcliff station we will ascend Mt Mitchell,  altitude 290 metres, (quite a few steps), noticing the change in vegetation, and at the top  take in the magnificent views in all directions except west. From there we will head west, then north passing  the now unused dams which at one time supplied water to Coalcliff’s coke making facility.  We’ll continue to notice the change in trees as we head past the Christian Conference centre emerging out of the forest above Stanwell Park station and heading down. Public Transport recommended. No trackwork scheduled.

Bring morning tea/nibbles etc for a break at the top. A light lunch to prepare for trip down. Hopefully coffee on arrival in Stanwell Park. We’ll encourage the shops to stay open. Those with cars at Coalcliff walk 1k on shared path back to their car.

Visitors please email us at illawarraramblers@gmail.com indicating your interest and previous walking experience, or if seeking more information.
If rain is forecast please look at website from  7:30 on the day to check if the event is taking place.

Walk around North Head. If I have the timing right the wildflowers should be in profusion.

Great scenery too.

Train, then ferry to Manly, and the reverse for the return trip

Meet on the train, or Circular Quay or Manly wharf

Morning paddle on Lake Illawarra. Paddle is weather dependent, so starting point may change.

Contact leader for details .

Four nights away staying at Hat Head near Kempsey. Two days walking at Hat Head NP,  one day at Arakoon NP.

Staying at tourist park with cabin or camping/caravan accommodation.  All grade 3 moderate pace walks on track with some rocky and beach terrain plus hill climbing at times.

Nearly fully booked at time of writing so don’t be slow to register.

Wildflowers at Barren Grounds were excellent in August 2024 so I hope that they will be on display at the scheduled time for this walk.

Griffith track loop, which the website lists as 8km. Maybe with optional side walks closer to 10km.

Very leisurely pace if the wildflowers are on display.

Optional side track for panoramic views.

Great walk even if there are no flowers on show. Track is generally wide and an easy walk.

Four nights staying at Fingal Bay, Port Stephens. Three days walking the Tomaree Coastal Walk and nearby.

Staying at tourist park with cabin or camping/caravan accommodation.  All grade 3 moderate pace walks on track with some rocky and beach terrain plus hill climbing at times.

Nearly fully booked at time of writing so don’t be slow to register.

Morning paddle on Lake Illawarra. Paddle is weather dependent, so starting point may change.

Contact leader for details .

Rare opportunity. This walk kindly organised by Glennis Wellings is on Energy Australia’s Southern Precinct private property. A security clearance will be required. Bookings  (maximum 12) will close at 7pm Wednesday 9th to ensure security details are completed in time. Glennis will give a history of the ponds and there will be a small catalogue of birds potentially to be seen as a souvenir.

Please bring your own morning tea and bring suitable binoculars, (if on hand), for finding birds.

Please complete your registration by email. Your email address may be needed for registration.

Note: Date subject to change. Those registered will be advised. 

Koffee afterwards will be at the Yallah Bay Woolshed.

Registered Illawarra Ramblers Club members only.

A weekend of walking down south. Saturday will be Pigeon House Mountain, a fairly steep climb that involves ladders up to a spectacular view. In the past people have stayed in caravan parks . A dinner together on Saturday night is an option. See Sunday for the next days walk.

A fairly flat but beautiful walk out to Rusden head where there are great views of the Budawangs. May incude a short diversion to see Carriage Cave

Morning paddle on Lake Illawarra. Paddle is weather dependent, so starting point may change.

Contact leader for details .

Morning paddle on Lake Illawarra. Paddle is weather dependent, so starting point may change.

Contact leader for details .

From Otford, follow the clifftop coastal track to Burning Palms beach via the Palm Jungle. Return via Burgh Ridge and Garrawarra Farm.

Morning paddle on Lake Illawarra. Paddle is weather dependent, so starting point may change.

Contact leader for details .

The Big Bike Film Night is an assortment of short films of adventurous cycling from around the world. Previous film nights have shown jaw dropping mountain bike adventures and the scenery has been amazing.

For Details See Big Bike Film Night Details

Out and back ‘fairly flat’ walk. From the Meryla Pass car park, we will follow Wombat Hill Lookout trail and turn off to Rebecca’s View Trail for Morning tea. Return to Wombat Hill Lookout trail and follow out to Morton Trig for lunch. The last 400m is rough/off track. Lots of views over Wombat Hill and Lake Yarrunga. After lunch, return walk on Wombat Hill Lookout trail to cars. Joint Walk with Shoalhaven bushwalkers.

Morning paddle on Lake Illawarra. Paddle is weather dependent, so starting point may change.

Contact leader for details .

Starting just before sunset, riding around eastern Lake Illawarra and the lake estuary, past Barrack Point to Shellharbour surf club, by which time the full moon will have risen.

On return we will cross Windang bridge for a meal (probably Chinese) at Club Windang, before riding back to Central Park under, hopefully, full moonlight.

Much of the route will be  already lit by street lighting.

Make sure you have working headlight and tai light

The ride is totally on shared path.

Morning paddle on Lake Illawarra. Paddle is weather dependent, so starting point may change.

Contact leader for details .

Wonderful Wondabyne is a remote location beside Mullet Creek feeding into the Hawkesbury River. There is the smallest of railway stations but no road access.

The plan is to catch the train to Wondabyne, walk uphill to a track fork near the top of a 160 metre climb, take in the air, congratulate ourselves on the achievement and turn around and go back down. Longer walks are available but they are for another day. We’ll then sit on the platform by Mullet Creek, wave down an oncoming train which will honk its horn to advise that it has seen us, and will stop.

We’ll hop off the train at Hawkesbury River for Koffee at the King Tide Kafe 150 metres from the station and catch the next train. ETA back in Thirroul 5:10pm or 6;02, Wollongong 5:22 or 6:14. A full day out for a 5k walk.

Details will be provided in due course.

Morning paddle on Lake Illawarra. Paddle is weather dependent, so starting point may change.

Contact leader for details .

Morning paddle on Lake Illawarra. Paddle is weather dependent, so starting point may change.

Contact leader for details .

Commencing from Warwick Farm station, via Cabramatta, Parramatta, checking  out part or all of the new shared path adjacent to the light rail to Carlingford (up to extra 8.2km). Then onto Olympic Park and by the banks of the Cooks River to Wolli Creek. Train back to Macarthur. A full day out. Early coffee at Cabramatta. Lunch near Rydalmere.

Near flat  all the way, except for the downhill parts.

Graded higher because of length of ride.

Morning paddle on Lake Illawarra. Paddle is weather dependent, so starting point may change.

Contact leader for details .

Cycle 8 great rides mostly rail trails.  Including some long downhill runs (with shuttle returns).    Staying at Beechworth, Bonegilla and Rutherglen.  Accommodation is being held, but not for long and numbers are limited.  You need to decide soon.  Contact Peter Aubourg for further details.

Morning paddle on Lake Illawarra. Paddle is weather dependent, so starting point may change.

Contact leader for details .

A Bicycle NSW charity event, this year raising money for Lifeline. 2 Options, a 10k short ride or a 50k ride. Bookings to be made via Bicycle NSW. Use “Launch Entry price” of $68. Check Bicycle NSW Website for full details and conditions & details.

Rather than drive up early, suggest plan a Saturday night out in Sydney, going up by train if no trackwork  and stay at ‘budget motel’ within reach of St Leonards Park

After booking via Bicycle NSW please register with John to enable receipt of info re updates and associated activities.

Morning paddle on Lake Illawarra. Paddle is weather dependent, so starting point may change.

Contact leader for details .

Morning paddle on Lake Illawarra. Paddle is weather dependent, so starting point may change.

Contact leader for details .

Morning paddle on Lake Illawarra. Paddle is weather dependent, so starting point may change.

Contact leader for details .

To be held at the Warilla Bowls & Recreation Club.  Further details will be provided nearer the time.