SHELLHARBOUR

Business Directory and Tourist Guide

WELCOME TO SHELLHARBOUR

With long sandy beaches, rural tranquility, modern shopping, award winning restaurants and cafes,
multitude of affordable accommodation and an array of natural attractions and adventure activities... Shellharbour is that perfect holiday destination.

SHELLHARBOUR VILLAGE & BOAT HARBOUR

This coastal village is an historic precinct incorporating the foreshore and harbour. Take a walk along the shared pathway or drop a line and try your luck with the fish.

Enjoy many of the facilities such as the children’s playground at Little Park, picnic shelters, the saltwater swimming pool and amenities.

The Village is fast becoming the Eat Street of the region as it boasts award winning restaurants, alfresco
cafés, great fish and chips as well as boutique shopping and a range of health, well-being and beauty services.

LAKE ILLAWARRA

Lake Illawarra is a perfect spot for a family picnic, there are plenty of picnic and barbecue facilities as well as children’s playgrounds, a kiosk and amenities. The lake is also ideal for water activities such as sailing, water skiing, jet skiing and rowing with the most popular being fishing 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.

BASS POINT

Bass Point Reserve features one of the few diverse littoral rainforests in the region.

Located within the reserve is Bushranger’s Bay – an Aquatic Reserve that is one of the most popular scuba diving and snorkelling 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 flora and fauna and don’t miss the magnificent coastal views from the Bushranger’s Bay and Maloney’s 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

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 officially declared a National Surfing Reserve.

The park is also popular for other activities such as scuba diving, snorkeling and fishing and is an ideal place for family picnics with BBQ facilities and amenities. Campsites are also available, allowing visitors to stay in the natural surroundings of Killalea.

BLACKBUTT RESERVE

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 children’s playgrounds and amenities. All year round it’s one of the area’s most popular family gathering places. A feature is an open-air amphitheatre depicting various Australian wildlife and flora.

MACQUARIE PASS NATIONAL 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 cliffs.

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 flows 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.

WENTWORTH COTTAGE PARK / CARMODY'S LOOKOUT

Enjoy uninterrupted views over Shellharbour, Lake Illawarra and the Pacific Ocean from Carmody’s Lookout.
The park has heritage significance as the site of Wentworth Cottage, the home of D’Arcy Wentworth, who was one of Shellharbour’s 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 children’s playground.

ILLAWARRA REGIONAL AIRPORT

The region’s 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 flights as well as helicopter joy flights over the Illawarra region. If that’s not enough to get the adrenaline pumping try some aerobatics in a Bi-Plane or skydiving from 14,000 feet, or take the controls and learn to fly.

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 a F1-11 Fighter Bomber and the world famous ‘Connie’ Lockheed Super Constellation, the airline of the 1950’s.

TONGARRA MUSEUM

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 Museum’s 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 Monday and Wednesdays 10am – 4pm. Admission is free.

ILLAWARRA LIGHT RAILWAY MUSEUM

Railway history can be explored at the Illawarra Light Railway Museum where you can view a large range of railway memorabilia. Located in a bush setting, the museum offers free entry into the grounds and free usage of picnic areas. The museum is open for inspection on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10.00am– 3.00pm. There is a fee for the train rides that are available on the second Sunday of each month (including the Sunday of public holidays) from 10.30am – 4.30pm. Diesel trains are available during school holidays on Tuesdays & Thursdays.

A kiosk and souvenir shop are also on site for your convenience.

BEACHES

Shellharbour’s five 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 Pacific Ocean.

For those keen surfers, there are some perfect surf breaks suiting all skills levels from the inexperienced to the professional.

Surfing schools are also available to give those required a surfing lesson.



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

Ph: 1300 65 6169 or 4221 6169
E: tourism@shellharbour.nsw.gov.au www.visitshellharbour.com.au

Shellharbour Visitor Information Centre

Cnr Addison & Wentworth Streets
Shellharbour Village NSW 2529