A year from now, it will be possible to walk the coast line from the Royal National Park into Wollongong.
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After years of planning and several delays, construction on Stage One of the Grand Pacific Walk – a cycle and pedestrian link between Stanwell Park to the Sea Cliff Bridge – is due to begin.
Wollongong councillor Leigh Colacino has been lobbying for the shared pathway to be built since he was first elected in 2011. He said work would start this month.
“It’s been five and a half years, and it’s finally being built just in time for the end of our term,” he said.
“As a group of councillors, the majority of us have been persistent with it as time has passed and that’s why its finally happening.”
The project was given $5 million from the Port Kembla lease fund in 2014.
Cr Colacino said the walk would create new tourism opportunities by attracting international visitors and linking the many small bed and breakfasts dotted throughout the northern suburbs.
“I think this is too spectacular to not let the world look at it,” he said, standing at a little-known headland south of Stanwell Park. Whales and dolphins come by here all the time at this time of year, but no one really knows about it.”
“There’s no where else like this in Australia, where would can walk right along the coastline and look down at the waves breaking, and then go on to walk across the Sea Cliff Bridge,” he said.
“The idea is that you could catch the train to anyone of the stations and then walk as far as they want to go – you could spend a day doing this, or a few days.”
The walk from Stanwell Park to Wollongong is about 29km, and would take at least six hours of non-stop walking.
The project was delayed last year, when Roads and Maritime Services refused the council permission to go ahead, as work would take place along a main detour road for Bulli Pass closure.
Works will have to halt again when the pass is closed between August and November this year.
The northern and southernmost parts will be constructed between June and August, according to a council schedule.
Work will resume for another two months in November, and will be completed between February and May next year.
Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
