New South Wales · Australia
Where to stay in Wollongong
Wollongong is a city in New South Wales, Australia, home to about 262,000 people. This guide covers 2 aparthotels in Wollongong, with about 101 rooms between them.
- Places to stay in this guide
- 2
- Best months
- April, May, September and October
- Nearest airport
- SYD61 km · Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport
- Currency
- AUDAustralian dollar
- Time zone
- Australia/Sydney
- Language
- Auslan, Australian English, English
About
About Wollongong
Wollongong is a city in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the narrow coastal strip between the Illawarra Escarpment and the Pacific Ocean, 85 kilometres south of Sydney.
Geography defines Wollongong, as the city is never more than roughly 6 km at its widest but stretches over 40 km from south to north. Its growth was limited by mountains, which are not so much high as steep, and the sea, Wollongong has grown to include a whole chain of coastal towns, from Dapto and Port Kembla in the south to Bulli, Austinmer, and even up to Stanwell Park in the north. Continuous development has stretched the urban area along the coast as far as Kiama in the distant south but those areas are serviced by the growing centre of Shellharbour.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Wollongong
See
The escarpment next to Wollongong provides spectacular views over the coastline and city.
- Bulli Pass
- Mount Keira Lookout
- Mount Kembla Lookout
- Science Space
- Nan Tien Temple
- St Francis Xavier Cathedral
- WIN Sports & Entertainment Centres
- Inside Industry - Port Kembla Steelworks
- Wollongong Head Lighthouse
- Sea Cliff Bridge
- Wollongong Botanical Garden
- Illawarra Grevillea Park
Do
During the summer months, Wollongong has 17 surf beaches to choose from, each with less crowds and more space than most Sydney beaches. All have free foreshore parking, and most are accessible by public transport and bicycle. To the north of the city try...
- North Beach
- City (South) Beach
- Austinmer
- Towradgi
- Port Kembla
- Windang
- Cycle
- Mount Keira Ring Track
- Mountain Bike
- Hiking
- Sublime Point Walking Track
- Cockatoo Run
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Places to stay in Wollongong
2 places to stay from the chains this guide covers, each linked to its own website.
| Place to stay | Rooms |
|---|---|
| Adina Apartment Hotel Wollongong aparthotel | |
| Quest Wollongong aparthotel | 101 |
Schematic: the city centre in orange, each place to stay as a dot, distance rings in kilometres.
When to go
The best time to visit Wollongong
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Wollongong are April, May, September and October. January is the warmest month, with average highs of 28 °C; February is the wettest, with about 145 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Wollongong: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD), about 61 km from the city centre in a straight line.
Getting in
The quickest way from Sydney is to take A1/M1 south. You leave Sydney, and enter greater Wollongong just before the motorway starts. It's about a 50 minutes drive to this point, and around another 20 minutes down the motorway to the Wollongong CBD. Expect to take longer in the afternoon peak, Wollongong is a part of the Sydney commuter belt. If you have a little longer, you can take a route via the Bulli Pass and the Wollongong Northern Beaches. At the end of the motorway the Bulli Pass road throws itself straight down the escarpment and along the coast.
Getting around
Wollongong bus services form part of the Greater Sydney public transport network. You can either use the Opal card or a contactless debit/credit card when boarding the bus – tap the card when you get on and off so you're charged the correct fare. Most bus routes have a service every hour or every 30 minutes.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
SYD · Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Wollongong
Eat
Everything about Wollongong's eateries is excellent. Most restaurants are located on either Keira St or Corrimal St, but don't be afraid to venture down a laneway, or further north or south to the outer suburbs, to find great food. There is something for everyone.
Drink
A growing city, Wollongong city holds a wide variety of bars. Generally, pubs close to the city but not in the actual CBD/North Wollongong proper tend to have unsavoury reputations. Wednesday nights are 'uni nights', and at places such as Castros and the Grand feature drink specials and cheap or free entry - expect a lot of young patrons.
Stay safe
There are some cases of drink-spiking so never leave your drink unattended. If you believe your drink has been spiked, speak to the security staff immediately. They will determine whether you have been spiked or not and if so will call an ambulance for you to ensure your safety. Alcohol-fueled violence is common in town at night, primarily in Crown Street Mall and around takeaway food shops. Also beware of groups of young men in cars at City Beach (South Beach) at night and the Lagoon carpark. Do not wander around Unanderra and Dapto at night - both are unsafe, and sometimes during the day. Figtree can be nearly as bad, and Thursday nights in Crown Street Mall are often similar.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Good to know
Accessibility, parking and families in Wollongong
How many places to stay in this guide offer each, in their operators' own words.
of 2 places
of 2 places
of 2 places
Questions
Wollongong: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Wollongong?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Wollongong are April, May, September and October. January is the warmest month, with average highs of 28 °C; February is the wettest, with about 145 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Wollongong?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD), about 61 km from the city centre in a straight line.
What currency is used in Wollongong?
Australian dollar (AUD).
Nearby
Destinations near Wollongong
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.