Tourism gems from the Illawarra and surrounds have made it into Lonely Planet's newest guide, which highlights the nation's top 500 spots to see.
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The Sea Cliff Bridge was at the much coveted end of the list at number 26, the region's highest entry in the Ultimate Australia Travel List.
The top five experiences in the new book included the Three Capes Track in the Tasman National Park, Victoria's Great Ocean Road, The Great Barrier Reef, Tasmania's MONA and Uluru at number one.
Other local experiences listed included Sublime Point at 211 and the Kiama Blowhole at 315.
The head of local tourism body Destination Wollongong said the pandemic has changed the way that we travel and helped people appreciated how many unique experiences there were in our own backyard.
"It is timely given the changes in the way we travel, that Lonely Planet have branched out and produced a new Ultimate Australian Travel List," Mark Sleigh said.
"It comes as no surprise that Sea Cliff Bridge features so highly in the rankings, being a stunning piece of infrastructure enjoyed by visitors and the community alike.
"The stunning vision which will be viewed by over 300 million people around the world when the Peloton charges towards the bridge in September for the UCI Road World Championships will present Wollongong on the world stage like never before."
Experiences in nearby Southern Highlands and along the South Coast also featured in the book, such as: Bowral's Bradman Museum, Fitzroy Falls, the Royal National Park, the Southern Highlands Wine Trail and South Coast Oyster Trail.
Mr Sleigh said the promotion of such landmarks would generate expenditure in the local economy "for years to come".
"These signature attractions give visitors a reason to engage with a destination and stay and spend additional dollars at other small businesses along the South Coast [and Highlands]," he said.
When compiling the list, Lonely Planet producers asked their Australian writers, editors, designers and cartographers to reveal their favourite spots.
Each was voted on and given a score - taking into account sustainability practices and indigenous heritage.
"So many guides are about places, but this is about the unexpected hidden gems - the most memorable, beautiful, and totally compelling experiences," said Chris Zeiher, Senior Director Trade Sales and Marketing for Lonely Planet Publications.
"We're thrilled to launch this and can't wait to get the conversation started about the ranking and everyone's favourite places."
The result is a compilation of obvious tourism sites, eclectic experiences, museums, galleries, wineries, little known alleys, pubs, and places to surprise and inspire.
Extracts from the Ultimate Australia travel list
#26 Sea Cliff Bridge
Tharawal Country
Australia's answer to the French Riviera's Grand Corniche, the Illawarra region's Sea Cliff Bridge might only be 665m long. But this marvel of modern engineering, opened in 2005, is one of Australia's most iconic coastal drives nonetheless.
Mirroring the natural curves of the Illawarra Escarpment's coastal cliffs, this spectacular bridge system linking the towns of Coalcliff and Clifton is a highlight on the Grand Pacific Drive, which takes in 140km of dramatic coastal scenery south of Sydney.
The drive along the Sea Cliff Bridge is so quick, however, that to truly appreciate this $54 million construction project, you need to walk it. Park at the southern end of the bridge and take a stroll on the walkway hugging the ocean side of the roadway, high above the Tasman Sea. Along the way you'll find an information board that tells the story of the area, and charts the making of the bridge. Allow around 30 minutes for the return stroll.
Built to replace a section of Lawrence Hargrave Drive that was permanently closed in 2003 due to regular rockfalls, the Sea Cliff Bridge didn't only restore much-needed road access to Wollongong for locals. It has also become one of the nation's most in-demand filming locations for television commercials - and even a Bollywood film, 2010's We Are Family. Note permission from Wollongong Council is required to take your own drone
See it: Bus stops are located on either side of the Sea Cliff Bridge. It's a steep, 15-minute walk to the northern end of the bridge from Coalcliff train station.
#72 Don Bradman Museum
Gundungurra and Tharawal Country
The charming NSW Southern Highlands town of Bowral is where the late, great cricketer Sir Donald Bradman, Australia's most legendary sporting hero, spent his boyhood. Today, you can retrace the career of the famous batsman at the Bradman Museum, which has an engrossing collection of Don-centric memorabilia.
The museum forms part of the International Cricket Hall of Fame, with displays on everything from the Ashes to the physics of cricket, and the way the game has been captured by the media over the decades. In 2020, Shane Warne's baggy green cap joined the ever-expanding collection. The complex also has a pretty cricket oval and a light-filled cafe.
See it: Ask staff for a free map of the Bradman Walk, a leisurely 1.7km trail taking visitors to the cricketer's childhood homes, school, church and other local attractions.
#211 Sublime Point
Tharawal Country
Its name sets a certain level of expectation, but this lookout on the edge of the Illawarra Escarpment, just south of Sydney, doesn't disappoint. With sweeping views of the Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area and the picturesque beaches of the northern Illawarra region beyond, it's a blockbuster viewpoint. Bring your hiking shoes and immerse yourself in the coastal rainforest of the conservation area on the challenging, 700m one-way Sublime Point Walking Track.
See it: Sublime Point is located just off the Princes Hwy, in Madden Plains. There's ample parking, barbecue facilities and a cafe.
#273 Southern Highlands Wine Trail
Gundungurra and Tharawal Country
An easy day trip or weekend away from Sydney, the NSW Southern Highlands isn't only home to a wealth of historical attractions and some seriously posh nosh and lodgings. These rolling green hills are also home to one of Australia's most exciting young wine regions.
With its first vines planted in 1983, Joadja Estate, in the hills above Berrima, is the region's oldest continuous vineyard and winery. There are now more than 60 vineyards in the Southern Highlands, the region's cool-climate conditions particularly well suited to varietals including pinot noir and pinot gris. However, you can also sample chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, riesling, merlot, cabernet sauvignon and more.
Sip it: Download a wine trail map from the Southern Highlands tourism website and work your way around the region's 15 cellar doors at your leisure, or sign up for a wine tour.
#315 Kiama Blowhole
Tharawal Country
A tourist draw for well over a century, Kiama's blowhole sits on a small headland near the centre of the NSW South Coast holiday town. Girded by basalt columns and wave-thrashed rocks, the marine geyser - its foundations formed by a lava flow some 260 million years ago - is known to spurt seawater more than 30m into the sky from a 2.5m opening in the rock face. With multiple accessible viewing platforms, the spectacle can be enjoyed by all.
At the southern end of town, off Tingira Cres, the Little Blowhole is more consistent, if not as exciting to witness.
See it: Floodlit at night, the Kiama Blowhole is at its most dramatic during a southeast swell.
#417 Royal National Park
Dharawal Country
When a national park is dubbed 'Royal', there's a good chance it's a special place, and this historically important haven south of Sydney lives up to all expectations. Right on the city's doorstop, the prime stretch of wilderness encompasses secluded beaches and vertiginous cliffs, and wildlife includes swamp wallabies, lyrebirds and flocks of yellow-tailed black cockatoos. The 150-sq-km park was established in 1879, making it the world's oldest national park after Yellowstone in the USA. Before its pioneering elevation to regal status, Royal National Park was the traditional home of the Dharawal people, and there are numerous Aboriginal sites and artefacts. Negotiate the spectacular two-day Coast Walk to the park's serrated coastline.
See it: Catch a train to Cronulla and continue by ferry to the park's main town of Bundeena.
#446 Jervis Bay
Tharawal Yuin Country
Wide, sheltered Jervis Bay is the darling of the NSW South Coast, its gorgeous, low-rise coastline heaven for low-key family holidays, water sports and seaside camping trips, particularly during the warmer months.
Jervis Bay Marine Park encompasses most of the crystal-clear bay, protecting a cornucopia of marine life including whales, dolphins, fur seals and more. Dolphin- watching cruises run year-round, with whale-watching tours operating from May to November. There's also good scuba diving and snorkelling throughout the year, particularly during whale season, when you can swim alongside whales and seals. Just offshore, sea critters you may spot amongst the rocky reefs include stingrays, docile Port Jackson sharks, octopus and plenty of fish.
Towards the southern end of the bay, Hyams Beach is famed for its powder- white sand. But there are plenty of other beautiful beaches fringing Jervis Bay Marine\ Park. Admire the coastal scenery on the 2.5km White Sands Walk and Scribbly Gum Track in Jervis Bay National Park that links
Hyams Beach and Greenfield Beach. And on the Beecroft Peninsula, which cradles the northeastern corner of the bay, don't miss the romantic cove of Honeymoon Bay.
See it: If you're planning to camp, book your spot well ahead.
#462 South Coast Oyster Trail
Yuin Country
Succulent oysters are grown from tip to tail of the NSW coast, but the 175km stretch from Batemans Bay to Pambula in the state's south is oyster heaven. Start your journey by sampling rare native angasi oysters at the Oyster Shed on Wray St, on the banks of the Clyde River, before shucking your way south. The Oyster Farmers Daughter cafe is a scenic spot to enjoy Sydney rock oysters alongside Narooma's idyllic Wagonga Inlet, and you can tour an oyster farm at Wheelers in Pambula.
Shuck it: Held on the first weekend of May, the Narooma Oyster Festival is the ultimate opportunity to taste the region's shellfish bounty.
#485 Guula Ngurra
Gundungurra Country
'Guula Ngurra' means 'Koala Country' in the language of the Gundungurra people - a fitting name for this national park created in 2020 to protect vital koala habitat. The 33-sq-km park in the NSW Southern Highlands also provides a sanctuary for other threatened species including the endangered glossy black cockatoo, as well as rare vegetation.
Formerly part of Bangadilly National Park, the 3km Mount Penang Loop Walk makes a scenic circuit in the southeastern fringe of the park.
See it: The national park is located 25km northwest of Bowral.
Lonely Planet's Ultimate Australia Travel List, $39.99 RRP. www.shop.lonelyplanet.com
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