And let's face it, with the cost of living skyrocketing, not everyone can afford expensive weekend activities.

With this in mind, we have compiled a list of the 20 best free activities in and around the Illawarra. So whether you are a local or in town for the 2022 UCI Road World Championships, we have your weekends sorted. The hardest thing will be working out which one to do first.

There are numerous fabulous beaches in and around the Illawarra.

All offer a great day out for young and old alike and you don't even have to get in the water to enjoy yourself.

While it is always recommended to visit only patrolled beaches when lifeguards and lifesavers are on duty if you are planning to swim, the good news is there are plenty of other things to do.

Some of the area's best beaches are off the beaten track. Among them is Garie Beach, just north of the Illawarra in the Royal National Park.

The beach is patrolled during the summer months by its own surf lifesaving club, and it is a wonderful place to visit all year round.

The beach is great for swimming, whale watching, fishing, surfing and walking. It is also a great spot for bird watching, and you may spot an albatross, sea eagle, or rare peregrine falcon as they cruise on the updraft from coastal breezes.

Pack a picnic lunch and make the day of it. You can also explore the rainforest gullies near the beach and check out the view from Governor Game lookout before heading home.

Details: Click here

Read more: 15 of the best lookouts in and around the Illawarra during 2022 UCI Road World Championships

There is nothing kids love better than a trip to a park or adventure playground, and here in the Illawarra-Shoalhaven, families are spoilt for choice.

Best of all, a trip to a park or playground is free.

You can stay for as long as you like. Why not pack a picnic and make a day of it?

You can even bring your swimmers if it is a warm day and the park is close to a beach or waterway, or if the playground has some kind of water feature.

Some even have their own mini learn-to-ride tracks so kids can zoom around on their bike or scooter safely.

Reddall Reserve, on the shores of Lake Illawarra, is perfect for young children who will no doubt enjoy the ship-themed combination activity centre; timber and rope balance activity; water play areas, which include a water table with hand pump; adventure trail; basket swing and single swings and alligator crossing.

There is also a bike track around the entire playground.

The whale-watching season runs from April until November. During that time, you can spot whales as they migrate along the east coast of Australia.

According to the Australian Government's Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, eastern humpback whales follow a migration pattern each year during this time.

After a summer of feeding in the Antarctic water, they first head north to mate and give birth in the warmer sub-tropical waters off Australia's north-east coast, with the majority of humpbacks making the trip between June and August.

They can then be spotted again even closer to the coast as they make their way back towards the Southern Ocean from September to November.

The recovery of the humpback population after years of whaling led to a rise in the number of whales making the trek, which means more opportunities to spot them.

While whale watching cruises are big business, you don't need to spend money to spot one of the majestic creatures.

Simply make your way to one of the many vantage points and whale-watching platforms that offer a good view of the ocean and settle in to wait.

Sandon Point at Bulli is one well-known whale spotting vantage point. Others include Bass Point, Shell Cove; Gerringong Headland whale-watching platform; Minnamurra Headland, Kiama Downs whale-watching platform Hill 60 at Port Kembla, including the viewing platform and Marine Rescue headquarters; Bald Hill, Stanwell Tops and Flagstaff Hill, Wollongong.

If you are happy to travel a little further north, Cape Solander, in Kamay Botany Bay National Park in southern Sydney, is a well-known whale-watching hotspot with a good success rate of sightings.

It didn't gain the highest spot for the Illawarra region in the Lonely Planet travel guide, Ultimate Australia Travel List, for no reason.

The 665-metre long Sea Cliff Bridge on Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Coalcliff, is a highlight of the 140-kilometre Grand Pacific Drive, which stretches from the Royal National Park at Loftus all the way to Nowra.

The bridge has become an icon not just for Wollongong but the world, with tourists flocking to see it for themselves since it opened in December 2005.

You can either drive across the bridge, or take in the view on foot from the safety of the pedestrian walkway. There is even a viewing platform from where you can really take it all in.

Bushwalking is a great pastime that offers a chance to exercise as you get in touch with nature, often in places only accessible on foot.

It also allows you to immerse yourself in breathtaking surroundings and see flora and fauna you may not find anywhere else.

There are a number of national parks in and around the Illawarra, each with numerous walking tracks ranging from easy to difficult. You can choose from a short walk to an epic two-day adventure, or anything in between.

Cooks Nose Walking Track takes you through Barren Grounds Nature Reserves' rich heathlands towards the escarpment overlooking Kangaroo Valley.

The eight-kilometre return trek is steep in places but you will be rewarded with spectacular views.

In spring, you will see bursts of colour from the wildflowers, including red and yellow Christmas bells. Birdlife abounds, including the striated fieldwren, eastern bristlebird and ground parrot, and you might even see eagles riding the thermal air currents above Kangaroo Valley or a flock of black cockatoos.

Details: Click here

Picnics are a great way to get out and about, without spending up big. Best of all, you can pack a picnic brunch, lunch or twilight dinner and enjoy it just about anywhere.

Try visiting your local park, a beach, or even a national park. Or make your picnic part of a bigger day trip.

If it is a national park you are after, why not head to one of the biggest and best. The 151-square-kilometre Royal National Park borders the Illawarra to the north, and is the oldest national park in the country and the second oldest national park in the world (outside Yellowstone in the US).

It was added to the Australian National Heritage List in 2006 in a nod to its breathtaking and wide-ranging landscapes, from open grassland to oceanfront clifftops.

It has numerous picnic spots where you can relax and unwind, or if it is exercise you are after, why not add on a bushwalk along the many walking tracks.

The family-friendly riverside Currawong Flat picnic area offers fishing, paddling and picnicking along the banks of Hacking River. Located in the park's Audley precinct, it is close to the Royal National Park Visitor Centre, and is a great spot to spend a relaxing day, or as a pit-stop.

Pick a spot under the shade of the she-oaks and tuck into a picnic lunch as you soak up the scenic river views.

Remember to check for Alerts and plan your trip before you go.

Details: Click here.

Located in Keiraville, Wollongong Botanic Garden was established in 1964 but opened to the public for the first time in 1970.

It features a number of 'Living' or garden collections, including Australian open forest, Azalea bank and Middle Creek, dryland collection, flowering trees and shrubs, palm collection, rainforest collection, rose garden, Sir Joseph Banks glasshouse, succulents collection, Towri bush tucker garden and woodland garden.

There is also a creek that runs into a small lake, which is often teeming with bird life. You can cross over the Kawasaki Bridge which leads to a Japanese tea house.

A 'wellness trail' had been designed with well-being in mind. Starting at the south west corner of Mercury Lawn, there are seven short sensory exercises to experience along the way.

The garden also features an all-abilities playground, amphitheatre, duck pond with rotunda, insect hotels, outdoor reading rooms and sculptures.

There are barbeques and picnic areas as well as a cafe and car park.

There is also a Discovery Centre, Towri Centre and Tudor-style house, Glennifer Braem onsite.

Details: Open every day. For more information click here

Cycling and mountain-biking are not only great ways to get from A to B, but an awesome way to keep fit, or to just get outside in the fresh air and enjoy the natural beauty the Illawarra has to offer.

There are numerous cycleways, tracks and mountain bike trails in the area, including in our national parks.

One of the best is the Loftus loop trail in the Royal National Park.

This 10-kilometre return trip will take about 90 minutes to complete. The loop includes an eight-kilometre trail and two kilometres of designated bike track.

You can start or finish from the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service office or join at any location on the loop.

While classified as 'easy', it will get your heart rate up due to the terrain, which changes from flat, wide trails to steep, single-track areas that can be a little rocky under your tyres.

There are also some steep sections around Temptation Creek so if you are not an experienced rider it's best to walk this section.

Details: Click here

There is something truly magical about waterfalls. Watching water from a creek or river tumble over the edge of a cliff onto rocks or into a natural pool or even the ocean below.

Here in the Illawarra and surrounds, there are plenty of places where you can view a waterfall.

Perhaps the best known is Fitzroy Falls, an 81-metre waterfall located inside Morton National Park in the Southern Highlands.

Considered one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Australia, it plunges dramatically into the untouched valley below, and the area is surrounded by breathtaking scenery.

Drop into the award-winning Fitzroy Falls Visitor Centre to learn about the area's history, Aboriginal culture and wildlife.

A short walk later along a wheelchair-accessible boardwalk and you will find yourself taking in the scenic view of the waterfall from one of the escarpment lookouts.

Those eager to stretch their legs further can follow the West Rim, East Rim or Wildflower walking tracks.

Pack a picnic lunch or bring some snags to throw on the barbecue at the Fitzroy Falls picnic area, where you'll be able to hear the waterfalls in the distance. Keep an eye out for the resident lyrebirds or swamp wallaby.

Details: Click here.

Nan Tien Temple at Berkeley is not only Australia's largest Buddhist temple but the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.

Founded in 1965 by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, it is one of 200 branch temples of Fo Guang Shan, an international Chinese Buddhist monastic order that promotes 'Humanistic Buddhism', placing an emphasis on integrating Buddhist practices into everyday life.

"Nan Tien" in Chinese means "Paradise of the South" and after a few hours here it is easy to see why. Whether you want to just enjoy the peace of the temple itself, or take in the gardens or lotus pond, many visitors report coming away with a renewed sense of peace and calm.

Pack a picnic to enjoy in the grounds or if your budget allows, pop into the onsite dining hall, which offers a variety of healthy vegetarian foods based on traditional and modern recipes and is open to the public from 11am-2pm Tuesday to Friday and 11am-2.30pm on weekends and public holidays.

There is also a tea house which serves exotic teas, coffee and lunch or simply enjoy the tranquil setting which offers views of the garden while browsing the Buddhist artefacts on display.

Before visiting the temple, read-up on the many guidelines, which can be found here.

Details: Open 9am-5pm, Tuesday-Sunday, and public holidays. For more information click here.

There is nothing quite like seeing the grapes on the vine to signal you have arrived at a vineyard, and there are a few to choose close to the Illawarra.

Two Figs Winery at Berry is a boutique winery which has picked up awards including the region's best small cellar door.

The winery was established in 2003 by Shayne and Alison Bricker. Shayne left behind life as a corporate IT high flyer in the US before settling in Australia in search of a new lifestyle.

After settling on their property in the Shoalhaven, he decided to "make a bit of wine as a hobby," and the rest, as they say, is history.

The winery now produces around 5000 cases of premium, hand-crafted wines every year using fruit sourced onsite, including their chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon vines, and from nearby wine-growing areas.

The winery offers wine tasting by appointment.

To find other wineries in the area check out Southern Highlands Wine Trail and ring ahead to see which ones offer free wine tasting.

Details: Click here

Located just half an hour from the centre of Wollongong is the coastal town of Kiama.

Best known for its blowhole and little blowhole - the two cliffside caverns where seawater shoots into the air, the columns of Cathedral Rocks, or the beach which offers calm waters for swimming.

There are also plenty of other things to do and see while you are in Kiama, most of which are free. Why not traverse the coast walk, or take a stroll around the harbour then pay a visit to the Pilots Cottage Museum, which traces the towns maritime history.

Or simply browse the many shops. Pack a picnic lunch if you want to make it a day trip.

Details: Click here

Located in Budderoo National Park is the famous Minnamurra Rainforest.

Like a Jurassic world that time forgot, you will find subtropical forest and vines, wallabies and platypuses, bowerbirds and king parrots, and even waterfalls.

The onsite visitor centre is a great starting point for the Minnamurra Falls walk, a 4.2-kilometres return journey that will take one to two hours to complete.

Walking along an elevated boardwalk and paved tracks, you will get a bird's eye view of the spectacular rainforest, waterfall, trickling streams, moss-covered rocks and feathered ferns.

Viewing platforms allow you to take in views of the canyon and rainforest canopy, as well as the lower and upper portions of Minnamurra Falls themselves.

You can go it alone, or take a self-guided audio tour.

Pack a picnic lunch to enjoy in one of the picnic areas.

Details: Click here

Please note: The Minnamurra Falls walk is currently closed due to dangerous conditions. Before going, please check local alerts here.

Did someone say free beer? Craft beer and ale lovers are spoilt for choice when it comes to breweries, with at least a dozen right here in the Illawarra, and more a short drive away in the neighbouring Shoalhaven and Southern Highlands regions.

Among those that offer tastings is Resin Brewing at Bulli.

Located in the former heritage-listed guesthouse in Station Street, just metres from Bulli railway station, the independent microbrewery specialises in resin beers.

The 'brewpub' was the brainchild of Brendan Dowd and Stephen House.

They undertook a painstaking building process to retain the charm and atmosphere of the building while also ensuring the technology needed to brew beer was in place.

The long-time friends, who both previously worked in the field of environmental science, turned their love of home brewing into a business making resin beers from Australian hops and natural ingredients.

Each batch of beer is handcrafted in small batches. So far the brewery has eight beer varieties, including a stout, imperial stout, lager, ginger lager, hazy pale, mango cream sour, XPA, double oat cream IPA and a west coast IPA.

The duo's vision was to create a "destination brewery" where you can taste some beers before sitting down to a meal in the onsite restaurant. There is also an outdoor deck.

If you want to try one of the other breweries in the area, ring ahead and make sure they offer free tastings.

Details: Resin Brewery is open seven days. For more information click here.

Many of us have only ever dreamed of taking a dip in a natural pool or waterhole.

But here in the Illawarra and its surrounds, there is no reason why that dream cannot become a reality, with at least a dozen places where you can do just that.

Blue Pool is located in Budderoo National Park, and according to Bushwalk the Gong, is easily accessible by using Jamberoo Mountain Road at the Carrington Falls turnoff from Robertson.

To access the pool, you can park and start your walk from either Blue Pool or Nellies Glen.

If setting off from Blue Pool car park, follow the signs for about 100 metres before crossing the little creek. From there, the path continues either straight ahead (to Missingham lookouts) or to the left around the Blue Pool.

You won't be able to resist the temptation to take a dip in the beautiful blue waters, which no doubt inspires its name. The pool flows from the Kangaroo River, which also feeds Carrington Falls.

When the path stops, you can follow the creek down from Blue Pool, going from rock to rock, downstream to the small cascades and puddles, which are great for kids.

Watch for tadpoles, or listen out for frogs and birds.

Wollongong Art Gallery opened in 1978 and is managed by Wollongong Council.

It is one of the largest regional art museums in Australia.

It has four permanent collections which showcase the following art: Australian and early colonial; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Asian art and Contemporary.

These permanent collections document the Illawarra's history, while reflecting developments in art on a local, national and international stage.

It also offers a diverse program of ever changing exhibitions and activities highlighting the unique energy and creativity of the Illawarra region, and its partner institutions around Australia and the world.

Details: It is open Tuesday to Sunday, hours vary. For more information click here

Whether it is gin, whiskey, vodka or another beverage you are after, there are a number of boutique distilleries in the Illawarra and beyond.

Among them is Headlands Distilling Co - Wollongong's first distillery. Started by four friends in 2015, they have overcome a number of setbacks and hurdles to produce a range of whisky's gins and vodkas, as well as hand sanitiser - courtesy of a little thing called the coronavirus pandemic.

Starting off by producing spirit for their whisky, which they barrelled in 2016, they then set their sights on creating their Seacliff vodka and a range of gins and specialty products.

In 2019 they released three new products, including a range of gins. 2020 saw the release of their first single malt whisky. That same year they won a number of medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Those interested in learning how a distillery works can attend a free tour with tasting each Friday and Sunday, where you can see all the equipment and learn about how each piece is used. You will also hear about their 'grain to glass' philosophy and taste native botanicals.

Details: Click here

There is something almost magical about a lighthouse. While they serve an important purpose, emitting light to serve as a navigational aid to boaters, they also offer a step back in time to a period when there was not the high-tech gadgetry we have today.

There are a number of lighthouses in the Illawarra area and beyond, with Wollongong home to not one, but two lighthouses.

The first is Flagstaff Point Lighthouse. The newer of two lighthouses on Wollongong Head assists the passage of vessels into Port Kembla.

Completed in 1936 by the Department of Shipping and Transport, at the time it was the first new lighthouse in NSW in more than 30 years, and was also the first fully automatic flashing lighthouse in NSW.

It flashes both a white light and a red light, the latter to indicate reefs and headlands.

The lighthouse was never manned, but a harbour master would attend when needed.

Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse, also known as Wollongong Harbour Lighthouse, is a historic lighthouse situated on the southern breakwater of the heritage-listed Wollongong Harbour.

It was commissioned in 1872 and built to a height of 12.8 metres. It was initially powered by vegetable oils and before it was switched to gas.

It is no longer in operation but is somewhat of a tourist attraction today.

Mount Keira is one of Wollongong's biggest landmarks, both figuratively and literally, towering 463.9 metres high.

Located just four kilometres from Wollongong's Central Business District, it forms part of the Illawarra escarpment and provides sweeping views over the city.

Mount Keira ring track is a 5.5-kilometre trail that will take 3.5 to 4.5 hours to complete. Along the way you will encounter lush forests and terrain, from cool sub-tropical bush to lofty red cedars and rocky outcrops.

The trail starts near the Byarong car park where there is also a great picnic area.

While you are there make sure you make your way to the Mount Keira lookout, located on Mount Keira Road.

OK, we know petrol is far from free but in the scheme of things, packing yourself, the kids and maybe a dog in the car and hitting the road for an hour or two is still 'free' in our book.

There are a number of scenic drives you can choose from but our pick has to be the Grand Pacific Drive. Many believe it rivals the Great Ocean Road. Heck, it even has its own website!

The 140-kilometre scenic coastal drive starts or ends, depending the direction you are going, in the Royal National Park. It then takes you through lush rainforests, over the Sea Cliff Bridge and through the coastal townships of Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama and the Shoalhaven region, on to the stunning South Coast.

Along the way there are plenty of places to stop off, and natural wonders to enjoy as you sail past beautiful beaches and the sparkling blue Pacific Ocean.

Don't forget to get out and stretch your legs and take in the view from one of the lookouts you will pass along the way.

Pack a picnic lunch to enjoy in one of the many parks, many overlooking the water.

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