The Illawarra was a surfers' paradise at the weekend as high tides and wild weather caused big swells along the coast.
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With a deep and complex low-pressure system moving up the coastline from the Tasman Sea, the southerly swell topped three metres along Illawarra beaches, leading to some breath-taking and gravity-defying displays on the water.
The conditions drew a hardy group of surfers and bodyboarders at popular breaks including Shellharbour, Thirroul and Austinmer, as well as onlookers who braved the icy conditions out of the water to watch the action.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, temperatures hovered around the 16 degree mark for most of the weekend, with Wollongong recording wind gusts of up to 59km/hr.
The system is expected to linger in the region over the next few days before slowly moving away to the east.
A maximum temperature of 17 degrees is forecast for Monday, with a high chance of showers and southwesterly winds of 30-45km/hr. A hazardous surf warning remains in place.
