Illawarra Archives - Page 3 of 5 - Destination's Journey

30 December 202127 December 2021

Wollongong Botanic Garden

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 palms

The rotunda in the pond Wollongong Botanic Garden — The pond surrounded by flowers and palms

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

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27 December 202128 December 2021

Wings Over Illawarra 2021 Air Show

Wings Over Illawarra 2021

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 Wings Over Illawarra 2021 — Lockheed C-130J Hercules

Eurocopter MRH-90 Taipan Wings Over Illawarra Air Show 2021 — Eurocopter MRH-90 Taipan

De Havilland Canada Caribou Wings Over Illawarra Air Show 2021 — De Havilland Canada Caribou

Douglas C-47 Dakota A65-95 — De Havilland Canada Caribou

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 wings Wings Over Illawarra 2021 — Vought Corsair with folded wings

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.

F/A-18A Hornet A21-8 — Lockheed P-2H Neptune A89-273

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.

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.

18 February 202018 February 2020

Cathedral Rocks Kiama on the NSW South Coast

How to Get There

Located three kilometers, north of Kiama, Cathedral Rocks are an unusual volcanic rock formation, famous for their distinctive shape. We viewed them from two locations, up close from Jones Beach and further away from Cliff Drive.

Jones Beach has an excellent car park, with easy beach access, making it an ideal place to start your walk to the rocks. From the car park, walk to the beach and head south (or right as you face the ocean). This will take you to a small rocky headland, where you climb over rocks, until the Cathedral Rocks come into view.

Jones Drive provides a view of the Rocks from the opposite side, which is a great way to take some different photos. Parking is on-street, but there is plenty of room to leave your car. followed by a track down to the shore. We found that at high tide, the view was restricted, because it was not possible to walk out onto the rock platform. However at low tide, the view was great, just be careful of slippery rocks.

Jones Beach

A great place to visit in its own right, Jones Beach is wide and sandy, making a relaxing place to soak up the sun. Cathedral Rocks are to the south on the rocky headland and rock platform. Take footwear, as the rocks are sharp and slippery. We took Crocs, because they can be worn in water and protect feet from sharp rocks.

Cathedral Rocks

Standing above and surrounded by water, the rock formations look amazing, providing a great opportunity for photos. The rock platform gives many different vantage points to see the rocks as well as vantage points to see the rest of the coastline.

Cathedral Rocks Cave

While walking along the rock platform, keep an eye out for a small cave. You can see the Cathedral Rocks from here, while the cave entrance frames them. This gives another and different view.

Cliff Drive

With views from above Cathedral Rocks, as well as a path down to sea level, Cliff Drive offers alternate views to Jones Beach. If you choose to use the path and walk down to the rock platform, low tide is the best time to visit. This will allow you to walk further onto rocks to get a good view.

What Did We Think?

A great place to visit and enjoy the beach as well as climbing over rocks. Visiting at low tide will give a you a better view.

Our photos are available for purchase on

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

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Tag: Illawarra

Wollongong Botanic Garden

Wollongong Botanic Garden

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Wings Over Illawarra 2021 Air Show