Wollongong beaches were bustling with visitors from the Wollondilly shire on Tuesday, making the most of a free bus service straight from bush to beach.
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Beach-goers from Bargo to Wilton boarded buses in the morning with towels and sunscreen a-plenty to spend a day in the sand, and the service was so popular, they needed an extra bus, visitors said.
Young people like Thirlmere's Rheya Mason, 17, and Tahmoor's Mia Martin, 13, jumped at the chance to explore Wollongong and spend a day on the Blue Mile.
The pair were among crowds of young people who made the most of their beach trip, cooling off with ocean swims, braving the jump off Wollongong Harbour's jetty and capping the day off with lunch at the kiosk.
"We'll be coming back next week," Mr Mason said.
The free 'beach bus' service has been a summer staple for Wollondilly shire residents for a decade, ferrying them to the ocean every Tuesday in January to escape the summer heat.
Wollondilly shire resident Yvonne Wooldridge is a regular on the beach-bound bus, which she said has always been popular among the region's young people.
"I think it's a wonderful thing for the children up in Wollondilly," Ms Wooldridge said.
"They're all so well-behaved."
Ms Wooldridge boards the Beach Bus every January, making the free trip from Bargo to Wollongong for a relaxing day on the coast, punctuated by a leisurely beach read and a stroll down to the coffee shop.
On the way home, the bus even drops her to her front door, she said.
Thirlmere local Bernie Smith boarded the beach bus for the first time on Tuesday, and joked the free trip left him with a few extra coins to spend on ice-cream at the beach.
Mr Smith said the bus was a positive for both passengers looking for a summer day out and the Wollongong economy, bringing people to the area.
The buses have been running for ten years and are a joint venture by Wollondilly Shire Council, Picton Buslines and SIMEC Mining.
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