Around Shellharbour
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Around Shellharbour The Shellharbour region south of Wollongong is attracting ever- increasing numbers of residents but there are still plenty of natural areas to be enjoyed. At its northern boundary, the entrance to Lake Illawarra features numerous small islands worth exploring, while to the south the Minnamurra River makes a picturesque exit to the Tasman Sea. The coastline in between is spectacular, with attractive beaches and wild headlands wrought by volcanic activity. Inland, Macquarie Pass breaches the Escarpment along a route long used by Aboriginal people and the regenerating rainforest is quietly obliterating signs of early attempts to disturb it. These diverse environments offer habitats for a variety of birds and animals, so walkers might want to take a pair of binoculars with them, plus a snorkel and mask if visiting beautiful Bass Point. Premier Illawarra buses link the region with Wollongong and Kiama and can be used to access several of the coastal walks. Bristol Point 113 22 Lake Illawarra Entrance: 22 Lake Illawarra Entrance: two islands walk Walk directions Follow the sandy path two islands walk Head to Perkins (or to get to the Windang 1 Windang) Beach via the Foreshore Park near the sand path behind the SLSC SLSC. Walk through the Lake Illawarra was once a deep, and walk to Berrwarra park (which has toilets, freshwater lagoon. When sea At a glance Point, the southern tip of BBQs and a playground) on the Windang peninsula, a boardwalk above the inlet levels rose some 6,000 years ago Grade: Easy which stretches some 7 and then on a pebblecrete following the last great ice age, Time: 2 hrs 30 mins kilometres north to Red path. There’s a coffee shop the lake became a broad bay that Distance: 6.5 km one way Point. It seems that sand nearby. The path continues was gradually cut off from the sea Conditions: No shade; tide is no longer accumulating under the road bridge to by the sand bar that today forms affected here and the beach is little Edith Lacey Park. the Windang Peninsula. In 1796, Getting there: slowly being eroded. Stroll around the sandy entrance Walk up some steps to Matthew Flinders named the lake Bus: Premier 51/53 from Wollongong stops on the north to Lake Illawarra. 3 cross the bridge on a viewing platform at the ‘Tom Thumb’s Lagoon’ after his ship; side of Windang Bridge footpath, keeping a watch island’s western edge, it’s thought that the lake entrance is Car: Drive south to Windang from When you reach the for birdlife on the lake: overlooking Bevans and Flinders’ ‘Canoe Rivulet’. This easy Wollongong; immediately before 2 northern breakwater over 75 different aquatic Cudgeree Islands. Mounts waterside wander from its tip will Windang Bridge, turn left onto you’ll pass a fenced birds visit it. Once over Keira and Kembla can be Fern St; turn right into Waratah St, site designed to protect the bridge veer right, over seen in the distance. appeal to all ages, with swimming passing the tourist park, to reach shorebirds: this is the only Pelican View Reserve, to opportunities at a patrolled beach the Windang SLSC car park at the place in the Illawarra where cross another footbridge The island path road end or in the safe shallows of Lake the endangered Little Tern onto Picnic Island, fringed 4 returns to the Illawarra. Picnic Island is a fantastic nests. by mangroves. A sandy footbridge, after which ‘hide’ for birdwatchers and Windang Island caters for those with a foot track rounds cross over the grass and Lake 3 WINDANG the island go left on the footpath/ geological bent as well as for the photographer hoping to capture great Illawarra Judbowley Fern St – a bird cycleway, walking under coastal scenery. Point Tidal sanctuary the southern approach Flats – to to the road bridge. The Windang 4 Picnic Beach reach path goes through the Island Tourist a extensive parkland of Windang Park Foreshore Reddall Reserve – a 1988 Park bicentennial project – Rd Berageree P Island 5 Pine 1 Perkins boasting all amenities T (Windang) T Tree SLSC including change Park Beach rooms and a kiosk open on weekends. Berrwarra Kurrakwah Reddall Point Bay Shellharbour 2 Windang WARILLA Tom Thumb Entrance Island 6 N Pde 8 7 0 500m Windang T Bay 114 115 22 Lake Illawarra Entrance: two islands walk 22 Lake Illawarra Entrance: two islands walk with the mainland at all but high tide. Take care not to get stuck on the island! According to a 6 Dreaming story, Windang Island is the abandoned canoe used by the Thurawal people to reach the continent. To your right, Windang Bay is protected by the sandspit and Warilla Beach sweeps south to To the east, a shallow it a safe haven for young Barrack Point. You’ll 5 arm of the lake children to paddle. Follow pass a photogenic set entrance is formed by the the southern lake entrance of carriage wheels long, near-shore Berageree breakwater and sand to embedded in the sand; Island. Boats are barred reach the built-up spit a rail line was built here from this channel, making connecting Windang Island in the 1890s to carry rock quarried off the Shellharbour is tucked the side trips and loops, island for breakwaters. in behind the Cowrie is about 2 kilometres. Cross some purple-hued Island headland and Bass Alternatively, in season rock of volcanic origin Point lies beyond, with and, you could wade/swim – tufaceous sandstone Saddleback Mountain across the shallows of the – and walk around the prominent inland. The lake’s entrance, well in island’s shore platform. direct return, missing out from the breakwaters. On the island’s far Illawarra environment – Walking the lake side, look out for the 7 Often referred to as the ‘Jewel igneous intrusion or dyke of the Illawarra’, Lake Illawarra that runs along the rock is one of the region’s great platform for 100 metres natural assets. At 35 square or more. Back near the kilometres, it is the second sandspit, climb the wooden largest saltwater lake in NSW steps to the viewing and offers opportunities for platform for expansive fishing, prawning, swimming, coastal views. snorkelling, boating, waterskiing and windsurfing. And for To the north walkers? Sadly, as the Illawarra’s population has grown, sections is the Illawarra 8 of its 37 kilometres of foreshore have been affected by unsympathetic Lake entrance with the development, but there are stretches where the walker is made to feel very escarpment beyond, the welcome. From Hooka Point, near Berkeley, you can follow a shared cycle/ long sweep of Perkins walkway clockwise around, across the lake’s inlet, and as far as Yangar Beach and the Five Point at Oak Flats. A short street walk to Albion Park rail station, a train to Islands off Port Kembla’s Unanderra and bus 34 will take you close to your start point: a walk of about Red Point. To the south, 23 kilometres. Haywards Bay area is currently being developed and Yallah beyond Barrack Point, Bay poses an obstacle, but a full circuit of the lake may one day be feasible. 116 117 23 Shellharbour 23 Shellharbour village Walk directions Pass the saltwater village Take the beach access 2 Beverley Whitfield 1 path to the north of Pool, open all year. In Shellharbour’s South Beach. 1895, efforts were made The small, historic port of A large marina is proposed to shape Shellharbour as Shellharbour should in no way be At a glance for directly south of the a holiday destination: the beach. Across the bay is rock baths were established confused with the commercial Grade: Easy Bass Point, the location of and Norfolk pines planted. centre of Shellharbour City: the Time: 2 hrs Walk 24. Turn left and walk A short way further on former is a delightful place for a Distance: 5.5 km circuit around the point on the are a row of old-fashioned A jetty and boat store stroll. This protected cove was Dogs: On leash shore platform. The tourist picnic shelters. Walk 3 were built here in 1859 once known as Yerrowah and was a Getting there: park on the headland stands around more rocks to a but within a few years a popular meeting place for the Wodi Bus: Premier 53 links Wollongong on a midden of shells and sand beach, backed by larger jetty was needed and station to Shellharbour Beach other inedibles, a legacy Little Park, and then to the harbour entrance was Wodi people. Colonial graziers and Car: Leave Shellharbour Rd to of the indigenous people the pretty harbour of deepened to allow the entry timber-getters arrived at the turn of turn east into Mary St at the who camped in the area for Shellharbour. of steamers. The concrete the nineteenth century and the port lights; turn left at Darley St, and thousands of years. Cross breakwater was added in was shipping out cedar from the right into John St to reach a the stony beach. 1879. Colonies of figbirds council car park at Bassett Park TO and little corellas often 1820s. On this short walk you can BARRACK POINT roost in the ancient fig trees appreciate the natural charms of the adjacent to the harbour. harbour and sight some local history. Walk around the harbour on the path to gain access to the rocks to the north. Shellharbour Rd A fish-cleaning basin N near the end of Towns T 5 SLSC Blackbutt Rd Wollongong St Street often draws Reserve T 0 250m the interest of local T pelicans: watch out Beach when walking Wentworth below their light-pole P 4 perches! 6 Grey 3 Cowrie Mary Island Rd Park Shell Harbour Shellharbour St Towns St 7 P Reserve Beverley Sophia St St Shellharbour Wilson St 2 Whitfield Pool Boollwarroo Addison SHELLHARBOUR St VILLAGE Shellharbour Beachside P Tourist 1 Park Darly St T Bassett Shellharbour Park South Pde Beach 118 119 23 Shellharbour village 23 Shellharbour village the bluff of Barrack Point and the inlet on its north known as Little Lake.