It has been the place for romantic strolls with proposals at the peak, family outings where nanna complains it’s too steep, and tourist gatherings where the view has been so stunning they can barely speak.
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This March one of the region’s biggest tourism drawcards – the Illawarra Fly suspended 20 metres above the forest floor at Knights Hill, near Robertson – is celebrating its tenth year anniversary.
“The Illawarra Fly is a tremendous example of what can be achieved by a tourism asset with operators who have commitment and vision,” Destination Wollongong General Manager Mark Sleigh said.
In 2005 Kiama Council received a development application for an idea expected to attract thousand of visitors per year and inject around millions into the regional economy.
Operators Merlin Entertainment today estimate the treetop walk, and its recent addition of a zip line, welcome more than 60,000 visitors per year. The majority hail from outside of the region and boost the economy by around $2 million annually.
The eco-tourist attraction was the first of its kind in NSW and used existing farm tracks for construction so no trees needed to be cut down. Around 160 tonne of steel was used, manufactured locally at BlueScope Steelworks in Port Kembla.
“One of the great strengths of the attraction is that it continues to evolve, with new reasons to visit added regularly making it attractive to both returning and first time visitors to the region,” Mr Sleigh said.
“The zip line in particular is a perfect example of what can be achieved with sensible eco-tourism projects, activating the escarpment in an exciting and adventurous way.”
In 2014 the region’s first zipline was launched at the attraction, featuring a series of integrated cables spanning 247 metres which allows guests to sail through the treetops.
The sky-high Zipline Tour was similarly designed in such a way to have minimal impact on its natural surroundings and be environmentally sustainable.
The zipline was installed manually so no machinery or vehicles had to be brought in; and the individual cloud stations were attached to the trees in such a way that they can continue to grow through the equipment.
General Manager of Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventures Kieran McMahon said a range of native animals can sometimes be seen around the park, including wombats, swamp wallabies, long-nosed bandicoots, possums, gliders, lyrebirds, satin bower birds, powerful owls and tawny frogmouths.
Sunday March 18 the Treetop Adventure Park will host a family fun day in celebration with ticketing discounts, sausage sizzle, popcorn, face painting, ranger talks and jumping castle.