About Wollongong
Wollongong has a tranquil, coastal feel to it with a huge amount of outdoor activities available thanks to the surrounding national parks and 17 patrolled beaches. These attributes mix perfectly with an energetic social, cultural and food scenes within Wollongong. Wollongong happens to be Australia’s 10th largest city, meaning that there is always something happening in Wollongong.
On weekends, we recommend heading to North Beach as it’s littered with cafés and restaurants keen to serve you beautiful coffee or the best of local cuisine. Maybe you could go for a shop at the many boutique shopping outlets, get involved in the community activities, or simply relax at the beach. Or you could do all of the above because Wollongong has so many options for getting around!
Culture
The Illawarra region of NSW has encouraged creative thinking since early times. In 1894, Lawrence Hargrave, the legendary aviator, successfully lifted off the ground using box kites on Stanwell Park Beach – what an amazing feat. Stanwell Park Beach beach is still very popular for handgliders, paragliders and swimmer alike.
Many artists over the years have also always been drawn to the Wollongong area, including famous artists like Norman Lindsay, Arthur Streeton, Margaret Preston and Brett Whiteley. The Wollongong City Gallery’s exhibitions change often—and it has on show a permanent collection of contemporary Aboriginal art which is very popular with local residents and city folk alike.
The gallery is part of the CBD’s cultural precinct—also home to the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre. Wollongong Conservatorium of Music overlooks the Botanic Gardens, next to the uni, and WIN Sports & Entertainment Centre hosts international concerts.
Shopping
Crown Street Mall is Wollongong’s biggest shopping area where you can find Wollongong Central Shopping Centre, David Jones, Myer, Rebel Sport and greater than 300 specialty and boutique stores. And there are plenty of regional shopping centres as well as regular markets and street stalls.