Leaving Sydney - Wollongong & Wingdang, Shellharbour and Kiama

Leaving Sydney - Wollongong and Wingdang!

So after a week of experiencing the sights, sounds, tastes, waves, history and hospitality of Sydney, we finally left and made our way further south! Our first stop was Wollongong.

Well, our first stop was a random dude's house in the middle of Sydney's suburbs. Jono, our housemate in Mooloolaba, had brought down our RACQ card (breakdown cover) but hadn't had a chance to meet us due to his busy schedule, so he left it at a mates house. A mate he didn't know the address of. So when Charlotte and I went to collect it, we were sent to 'Somewhere in this suburb' with no knowledge of what address to go to. We drove towards the general area of the enormous city that is Sydney while Jono frantically google mapped where he thought the house was. One minute before we arrived, he informed us the house was 'Next to the hipster pub on this road and up some steps by a postbox with a creepy face on it'.

Right.

The random dude wasn't answering his phone and we needed this card, so we parked off and I ran off trying to find the house. I eventually did, knocked on the door, and this guy come shuffling to the door in total confusion before handing us a battered envelope that, fortunately, did contain our breakdown cover details. JOB DONE.

So after that adventure, we headed down to Wollongong!

Wollongong is a seaside town on the 'Coal Coast', an industrial valley that drops off by the sea down some sheer cliffs in front of a steep and imposing mountain range covered in national park. We wandered up to the lighthouse at Flagstaff Hill in what I can only guess was about 2 degree, windy weather, and had an explore!

 Flagstaff Hill looking over Wollongong!

 After that brief explore, we then ventured further down the coast towards Windang Island. This is an exceptional surf spot - famous for surf and...sharks. So I didn't go in, but we did go and watch the surfers! And played on some playpark equipment!

 The rock wall at Wingdang Island

After watching the surf there, we went down to a cute little town called Shellhabour. We stopped and had a look around, it was a typical little coastal town with quaint cafes, surf shops and bakeries. There is also a well-known reef break in the town (off the rocks in the below photo)

After that, we ventured further down to Kiama, an unremarkable little town with a nice lighthouse and one unique feature - a rather powerful blowhole at the point!