Minibus Hire Across Australia

Wollongong Minibus Hire for the Coast and the Escarpment

Squeezed between the escarpment and the sea, Wollongong packs a lot into a short stretch of coast. A minibus with its own driver means you can stop at every lookout on Grand Pacific Drive and leave the parking to someone else.

Grand Pacific Drive at your own pace

The drive starts high up at Bald Hill Lookout in Stanwell Tops, where the clifftop car park fills quickly on fine weekends, then drops to the coast and runs over the Sea Cliff Bridge. Both are within about 30 to 40 minutes of the city, so an early start gets you the views before the crowds.

Head south instead and Kiama Blowhole is roughly 40 minutes away, with coach parking right at the site. It's an easy half-day on its own, or pair it with lunch in Kiama before looping home.

Minibus with side door open for boarding
Minibus with side door open for boarding

Flying into Wollongong

Places your group will want to see

  • Kiama Blowhole — Blowhole Point Road, Kiama; coach parking at the site
  • Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventures — Treetop walk at Knights Hill; parking for up to ten coaches and caravans
  • Wollongong Harbour and Flagstaff Hill — Belmore Basin, lighthouses and the fishing fleet
  • Bald Hill Lookout, Stanwell Tops — Clifftop lookout at the northern start of Grand Pacific Drive; car park busy on fine weekends
  • Sea Cliff Bridge (Grand Pacific Drive) — Coastal bridge on Lawrence Hargrave Drive north of Wollongong
  • Nan Tien Temple — 180 Berkeley Road, Berkeley; open Tuesday to Sunday and public holidays, 9am-5pm; dress code applies (no sleeveless tops, shorts, short skirts or thongs)

Where groups usually stay

  • Kiama
  • Shellharbour
  • Thirroul and the northern beaches
  • Wollongong Harbour and Flagstaff Point
  • Wollongong city centre / North Beach

Temple visits and treetop walks

Nan Tien Temple at Berkeley is open Tuesday to Sunday and on public holidays, but group tours need arranging with the temple in advance and the last arrival is 4.30pm. There's a dress code as well, so mention it when you send the invitation: shoulders and knees covered, and no thongs.

Illawarra Fly at Knights Hill is about an hour's drive, with space on site for up to ten coaches. The way in matters: coaches can't use Jamberoo Mountain Road from Robertson, and nothing over 11 m can come up from Jamberoo. A smaller vehicle keeps more options open, but the route is still confirmed with the attraction before the day.

Up to the Southern Highlands

Bowral is about 70 km inland, an hour and a quarter up the escarpment, and makes a lovely day of gardens, cafes and country towns. If Macquarie Pass is closed, the detour for heavier vehicles runs via Mount Ousley Road and Picton Road, so leave a little slack in the timings.

Flying in

Most visitors fly into Sydney, which is about 80 minutes away by road along the M1 Princes Motorway; the Sydney toll roads on the way are all cashless. Shellharbour Airport at Albion Park Rail is much closer, about 18 km south, but has only a few scheduled flights, from Brisbane and Melbourne.

The city's bus layover on Atchison Street is set aside for route buses, so where your vehicle waits during a long visit is agreed ahead of time.

Your questions

Can we walk the Sea Cliff Bridge and be picked up further along?

That's one of the best reasons to have a driver. You're dropped near one end, walk out over the water, and meet the vehicle at a spot agreed further along the drive.

What should we wear to Nan Tien Temple?

Cover your shoulders and knees, and swap thongs for proper shoes. The temple is open from 9am to 5pm, Tuesday to Sunday and on public holidays.

How far is Sydney for a concert or a game?

The city centre is about 85 km away, usually 75 to 90 minutes on the M1. Allow extra time for the trip home after a big night.

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