Part of Budderoo National Park west of Kiama, Minnamurra Rainforest is a subtropical, dry, riparian and temperate rainforest. Only a 30-minute drive from Wollongong, it’s a great place to experience the Australian bush.
Parking is available near the visitor centre, for a small fee. Alternatively, if you have an annual pass for NSW National Parks and Wildlife, parking and entry are free. Advice on the walks and information on the area is available at the visitor centre.
Two walks are available, the Lyrebird and Falls walks. It is possible to do Lyrebird and extend it to the Falls. Each takes around an hour to complete, so two hours for both. Unfortunately on our visit, heavy rain had closed the Falls Walk, so we only did Lyrebird.
The track follows the Minnamurra River, crossing it four times as you walk along its valley. The majority of the track is board walk to is easy to walk, although it is steep in places. The track also has up and down grades as you move along the valley and is rarely flat. Even so, we found it an easy walk, taking us under an hour, even with constant stops to admire the scenery.
At two points suspension bridges cross the river, providing great photo opportunities and views along the river.
Don’t rush the walk, but look at the plants growing along the path. We found some amazing looking mushrooms growing there.
Minnamurra RiverSuspension bridge over the Minnamurra RiverSuspension bridge over the Minnamurra RiverThe boardwalk that makes up most of the trackSuspension Bridge over Minnamurra RiverSmall creek along the walkMushrooms growing on a fallen logA creek flowing through the rain forestMinnamurra RiverRain forest along the walk
To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.
Located at the foot of Mount Kiera, the Wollongong Botanic Garden is a great place to spend time to relax and unwind. Entry is free and the gardens are open every day except Christmas Day. We parked in one of the dedicated car parks, then spent an hour walking through the different themed area.
Our first stop was the beautiful pond and rotunda. Surrounded by flowering plants and palms, it was a nice place to stop and watch the waterbirds. One was even building a nest in the lilies, dragging nesting material across the pond from its edge.
A small stream flows through the gardens, feeding into the pond. By following it upstream, we came across the Japanese themed red bridge. Built as a gift of friendship it symbolises the connection with Wollongong’s sister city in Japan, Kawasaki.
From the bridge, we followed the path through the Australian rain forest section. This is the largest section in the gardens, showcasing a range of rainforest plants as well as those from the Illawarra region.
One of the highlights of the gardens is the succulent section, because of its amazing variety of plants. This garden is positioned on a built-up mound with sandy soil, because the succulents and cacti require good drainage. Large boulders have also been added to form rocky outcrops and slopes.
While walking, look out for interesting sculptures, like the insect hotel and Mercury Fountain.
Overall, a great place to visit and relax.
The pond surrounded by flowers and palmsThe rotunda in the pondKawasaki Bridge over the creekCreek CrossingMiddle Creek GardenThe Mercury FountainOne of numerous beautiful treesPathwayOne of numerous beautiful treesDryland area – in the rainSucculent GardenSucculentInsect Hotel
To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.
Delayed since 2020 due to Covid, Wings Over Illawarra was able to get into the air on the weekend of 27/28 November 2021. Held at Shellharbour Airport, south of Wollongong, the air show was well organised, with plenty of parking and helpful volunteers.
We stayed at a nearby hotel the previous night, because the show was a four-hour drive from home. Our previous visit here in 2018 convinced us that Gold Tickets would be a good idea and we were not disappointed. Not only did they give us great seats and excellent onsite parking, but we got early access to the site. This let us wander around the static displays before the crowds arrived, allowing us to take photos without too many people around.
Weather
Unfortunately, the weather on the day was overcast with showers, but the organizers did a great job getting as many flights happening as possible. Some of the warbirds did not fly, as the risk was too great, but we were able to see them close up because they were parked in front of the Gold Ticket area.
Static Displays
After getting a coffee, we went for a walk through the aircraft on static display. The RAAF had a Lockheed Hercules C-130J on display, which we were able to walk through. The air force also had an F/A-18 Hornet, but it was on the flight line ready for a display.
The Royal Australian Navy and Army contributed helicopters, with the Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk demonstrating its flying abilities later in the day.
HARS (previously Historic Aircraft Restoration Society) is based at the airport and had their collection on display. They have an excellent collection, with the MiG-21 being a new addition since our last visit.
Lockheed C-130J Hercules
Eurocopter MRH-90 Taipan
De Havilland Canada CaribouDouglas C-47 Dakota A65-95CAC Sabre A94-901MiG 21U in Indian Air Force coloursDassault Mirage IIIO
War Birds
The highlight of many air shows are the war birds giving flying demonstrations. The Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk, Lockheed Neptune and CAC Wirraway put on a great display Despite the weather. Unfortunately, the Avenger, Corsair and P-51 didn’t fly on the day, but were still displayed for people to see.
Vought Corsair with folded wingsCurtiss P-40 Kittyhawk
Flying Displays
Apart from the war birds, flying displays were put on by the RAAF with their F/A-18, the Navy’s MH-60R Seahawk and the Sky Aces aerobatic team. These were great to see and our seats in the grandstand gave us an excellent view.
Lockheed P-2H Neptune A89-273F/A-18A Hornet A21-8Sikorsky MH-60R SeahawkPaul Bennet in his Wolf Pitts
Vehicle Displays
On the far side of the airfield was a small static display of vintage vehicles and current Australian Army vehicles. This was a fun and interesting area to walk around, as it offered something different to see.
1939 ChevroletBushmaster
What Did We Think of Wings Over Illawarra 2021?
We had a great day here watching the flying and walking around the displays, despite the gloomy weather. The following day had much improved weather, so the full flying agenda took place. Displays by HARS and access to their museum was a great part to the show.
