Ask a Kiama local about the town, beaches and day trips

We say it kye-AM-uh. The first part rhymes with sky, the weight sits on the middle, and the end is soft and quick. Say it like that at the bakery and you'll sound like you've been coming for years. Then use our Kiama map guide to see how the harbour, the town centre and the quieter southern beaches near the apartments fit together.

Head for the escarpment, not the beach. On the Clover Hill trail in Macquarie Pass National Park, NSW National Parks says you will often see kangaroos on the sunny plains; it is a hard 6 km return walk of 2 to 3 hours. For a sure thing, Symbio Wildlife Park at Helensburgh has walk-through kangaroo enclosures, 48 minutes up the motorway. See our day trips from Kiama.

Plenty, in the rainforest and off the coast. Destination Kiama and Visit NSW both mention superb lyrebirds, eastern water dragons and swamp wallabies in Minnamurra Rainforest, so walk quietly there. On the coast, Visit NSW says dolphins can turn up year-round and whales pass between May and November. Check NPWS alerts before driving to the rainforest, and read our Minnamurra Rainforest guide and whale watching guide.

The big Blowhole needs a south-east swell, so on a flat day we try the Little Blowhole on Tingira Crescent, which Destination Kiama says is most active in a north-east swell. Or stay on Blowhole Point: swim in the rock pool, look over the lighthouse that has worked since 1887, and visit the Pilot's Cottage Museum on weekends from 11am to 3pm. See our Little Blowhole guide.

No. The rainforest is inland in Budderoo National Park, at the Rainforest Centre on Minnamurra Falls Road near Jamberoo, about 25 minutes' drive (18 km) from us. Minnamurra village is on the coast at the river mouth, about 11 minutes north. Both sit on the Minnamurra River, one upstream and one at the sea. Our rainforest guide and Minnamurra village guide cover each one.

No. Kiama Council states there is no free camping anywhere in the local government area, and camping is no longer available at the showground. For a tent, van or cabin, Council runs Kiama Coast Holiday Parks, including Werri Beach and Seven Mile Beach. If you'd rather have a roof and a kitchen, compare the options in our where to stay in Kiama guide.

Kiama Library at 7 Railway Parade, close to the station, has free Wi-Fi, public computers, printing and scanning, and quiet places to work. Kiama Library opens Monday to Saturday and closes on Sunday, so check hours before you go. Every apartment at Kiama Ridge Waters has its own Wi-Fi too, and our work stays page covers longer work trips.

Our first pick is Easts Beach, a 15-minute walk from the apartments, which sits between two headlands and is sheltered from much of the wind and swell. The 50 m Continental Pool at Black Beach is another calm option for laps. In a southerly, BeachSafe notes the southern end of Jones Beach is sheltered. See our Easts Beach guide and rock pools guide.

Easts Beach faces east, so the sun comes straight up out of the water, and it is a 15-minute walk (1.3 km) from the apartments. Leave early: first light is about 25 to 30 minutes before sunrise, and that is often when the colour is strongest. For a view from above, Saddleback Mountain lookout is a 9-minute drive. Our Kiama sunrise and sunset guide lists times by month.

Easts Beach is our local, and because campers reach it through the holiday park, it can feel private. Kendalls Beach, the next one north, is usually quiet too. North of town, Destination Kiama describes the Boneyard as a sheltered pebbly cove at the end of a short wooden footpath through forest, good for a picnic or a snorkel on calm days. See our Kiama Downs guide.

Go straight to the harbour, where Kiama Fisheries sells fish, prawns and oysters from the market beside the boats; it opens between 8.30am and 9.30am depending on the day. The Kiama Farmers' Market runs every Wednesday afternoon at Coronation Park on Manning Street. For wine, Crooked River Estate at Gerringong is about 10 minutes south. See our harbour guide and markets guide.

Kiama sits on Dharawal Country, and Kiama Council acknowledges the Wodi Wodi people as its Traditional Custodians. Destination Kiama notes that shell middens and stone tools at the Minnamurra River mouth show it was a gathering place for Dharawal people long before the village was built. Shellharbour Wild also runs an Aboriginal Cultural Whale Cruise in season. Read more in our Minnamurra guide.

Busy enough to plan around. Council adds lifeguards to Easts, Kendalls and Seven Mile beaches over the summer holidays, and NPWS says the Minnamurra Rainforest Centre can close when its car park fills, so arrive before 11am. Check NSW school holiday dates and book ahead. Our Kiama family holiday guide has a three-day plan, and our booking page shows which apartments are free on your dates.

We head to Kiama Library, which screens a free film for ages 15 and over on the third Friday of each month, then the Pilot's Cottage Museum on Blowhole Point if it's a weekend. The free Gerringong Heritage Museum is 10 minutes south, and a long winery lunch never hurts. Council's Kiama Leisure Centre has a heated indoor pool. Our rainy day guide has hours.

Yes. Transport NSW accepts contactless American Express, Mastercard and Visa cards, plus phone and watch wallets, on the Illawarra and South Coast trains. You pay the same Opal fare with the same daily and weekly caps, as long as you tap on and off with the same card or device. Concession holders need to link their entitlement first. See our Sydney to Kiama guide.

Kiama Council uses three lids: red for general rubbish, yellow for recycling and green for food and garden organics. The green bin takes food scraps, bones, coffee grounds and loose leaf tea, but not tea bags, paper towels, cardboard or compostable packaging, which Council lists as not accepted. Before check-out, sort your rubbish into the right bins, as our house rules ask.

Look up the beach on BeachSafe, run by Surf Life Saving, before you leave. It gives each beach a hazard rating out of 10, today's conditions and patrol times. Easts Beach rates 4 out of 10, while Werri can have up to 10 rips. Learn to spot a rip on BeachSafe's rip currents page, and read our Kiama surf guide for patrolled spots.

Yes, if you're 18 or over. Anyone that age fishing in NSW waters pays the recreational fishing fee unless an exemption applies. Through Service NSW it costs $7 for 3 days, $14 for a month or $35 for a year; check before you go, as fees can change. Under 18s pay nothing, and Kiama Charter Service says guests on its boat don't need their own. See our Kiama fishing guide.

Yes. Kiama is a declared area under the NSW Rock Fishing Safety Act, so anyone fishing from the rocks here must wear a lifejacket. Kiama Council runs a rock fishing safety program and has trialled cameras at rock fishing spots. With kids, we fish from the harbour walls instead, the calmest water in town. Our Kiama Harbour guide explains where.

Use the Bureau of Meteorology tide predictions. There is no Kiama station, so look at Port Kembla to the north and Crookhaven Heads to the south, then check the BOM coastal forecast for swell. Go near low tide in a small swell, as the channels between the rocks fill quickly, and turn back when the tide turns. Our Cathedral Rocks guide has the detail.

Not much. NSW National Parks says mobile coverage is limited at Minnamurra Rainforest, and you need reception to call Triple Zero (000), so tell someone your plans before you set off. If you want the NPWS audio tours, download them at the apartment first, as they play offline. Our Minnamurra Rainforest guide covers the walks, fees and current alerts.

Not from Kiama itself, as there are no regular whale cruises from our harbour. The nearest is Shellharbour Wild, a 1.5-hour cruise from the public wharf at Shellharbour Marina, Shell Cove. The operator suggests a jumper, a hat and sunscreen. Whales pass Kiama from May to November, and you can also watch for free from our headlands, listed in our whale watching guide.

Drive up Jamberoo Pass to Barren Grounds Nature Reserve, where the Illawarra Lookout track is a 2 km return walk of 30 minutes to an hour from a picnic area with toilets. Closer in, Saddleback Mountain lookout is 9 minutes away, and Hoddles Track climbs from there, about 7 km return; check NPWS alerts first. Pets aren't allowed in the reserve. See our Kiama walks guide.

Top Shop on Manning Street is our nearest grocer, a 14-minute walk (1.2 km) or a 2-minute drive. For a full shop, Woolworths at Kiama Village is the only big supermarket in town, about 4 minutes' drive. There's no Coles or ALDI in Kiama; the nearest are at Shellharbour, about 19 minutes north. Hours change, so check the Woolworths store page. See our Kiama shops guide.

Yes, the beaches are an easy walk. Easts Beach is 1.3 km away, about 15 minutes on foot, and Kendalls Beach is 1.4 km, about 16 minutes. The town centre is 2.3 km, roughly 27 minutes, and the Blowhole is about 35 minutes. Start with the Easts Beach guide.

No fee is published. Destination Kiama lists a car park and coach parking at the Kiama Blowhole without a parking charge, but in 2023 councillors voted to explore charging visitors, so check the signs when you arrive. Blowhole Point also has picnic areas, and its public toilets are always open. Or leave the car in the garage: it's about a 35-minute walk (2.9 km) from the apartments. See the Kiama Blowhole guide.

Yes. Kiama station on Railway Parade has a car park, a public toilet and Opal card top-up machines. Capacity, time limits and charges aren't published, so read the signs. The station is a 2.2 km walk from Kiama Ridge Waters, about 27 minutes, so your car can stay garaged.

The Sydney CBD is about 134 km away, roughly 1 hour 45 minutes by car. For visitors arriving from the north, Destination Kiama recommends the scenic route through Royal National Park and along Grand Pacific Drive. Trains also link Sydney and Kiama. See our Sydney to Kiama guide.

Shellharbour Airport is about 21 km from Kiama Ridge Waters, roughly a 20-minute drive. Wollongong is around 35 minutes and Gerringong is about 10 minutes by car. Every apartment has free garage parking for two vehicles, so you can park once and walk to the beaches and town centre.

Yes. Destination Kiama lists (02) 4237 7505 for taxis to and from the Kiama Coast Walk, and suggests Transport NSW or the TripView app for train times. Gerringong Bowling Club also offers a lunch special with a lift back to Kiama when you spend at least $20.

Yes. Destination Kiama suggests renting e-bikes from Kiama Cycles and riding back along the Kiama Coast Walk. At Kiama Ridge Waters, e-bikes shouldn't be charged overnight or left charging without supervision, and skateboards and scooters aren't allowed anywhere in the buildings, including the car park. Read the full house rules.

It's on Blowhole Point Road, Kiama. Kiama Council lists it as open 10am to 4pm every day except Christmas Day. Call 1300 654 262 or 02 4232 3322 for maps, walk tips and local events. The Blowhole, on the same point, is about a 35-minute walk from the apartments.

In an emergency, call 000 straight away. Kiama has no emergency department: the nearest is Shellharbour Hospital in Mount Warrigal, about a 20-minute drive. For urgent care that isn't an emergency, call healthdirect on 1800 022 222. See our guide to pharmacies, doctors and hospitals.

The Kiama Blowhole has a rock opening 2.5 metres wide, and its spray has been recorded at more than 30 metres high. It formed in basalt from lava flows about 260 million years ago. Destination Kiama calls it the largest blowhole in the world.

There is no set time, because the sea runs the show. The main blowhole is liveliest in a south-easterly wind with a south-easterly swell. On calmer days, or in a north-east swell, try the Little Blowhole instead. Check our Kiama weather guide first.

Yes, it is free to view, and Destination Kiama says you can visit 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Blowhole Point has a car park, public toilets, picnic areas, barbecues, a cafe and kiosk, a nearby rock pool and accessible viewing platforms.

Yes. Kiama Coast Holiday Parks says the Blowhole Point area is floodlit until 1am, which makes it a popular evening stop after dinner in town. Keep children close, as the spray can still drench you in the dark. See our Kiama at night guide.

The Little Blowhole is on Tingira Crescent, about a 20-minute walk (1.6 km) from Kiama Ridge Waters. It is smaller than the main blowhole but more consistent, and it is most active in a north-east swell. Like the main blowhole, it is free to view, any time of day.

Destination Kiama says the name is said to mean "where the sea makes a noise", a fitting nod to the blowhole. Local Aboriginal people knew the blowhole long before Europeans and called it Khanterinte. George Bass was the first European to write about it, in December 1797.

The Kiama Lighthouse was built in 1887 on Blowhole Point, about ten years after the man-made Kiama Harbour was created, says Visit NSW. It stands 36.5 metres above sea level, about a 35-minute walk (2.8 km) from us. Read our Kiama Lighthouse guide.

No. Visit NSW says there is no access inside the Kiama Lighthouse, and the site does not cater for people with access needs. You can still walk around Blowhole Point, photograph the tower beside the blowhole, and visit the Pilot's Cottage Museum, the former assistant keeper's house.

The Pilot's Cottage Museum on Blowhole Point Road opens Saturdays and Sundays, 11am to 3pm, plus selected public and school holidays. Entry is $4 for adults, $3 concession, and accompanied children are free. It covers Kiama's history, from Aboriginal times through cedar cutting, farming, quarrying, shipwrecks and tourism.

It is, if you stay behind the fences and on the viewing platforms. The council has put up fences and warning signs, yet people still stand too close, and freak waves have washed visitors off the rocks. Spray can drench you without warning, so keep children near you.

Cathedral Rocks are rock formations just past Jones Beach, and Bombo Headland is known for its eerie basalt columns. Both sit on the north section of the Kiama Coast Walk, which runs 8.5 km from Minnamurra River to the Blowhole. See our Cathedral Rocks guide for directions.

Collins Street is home to Kiama's historic terrace houses, built for local quarry workers in 1886. Classified by the National Trust and protected by a permanent conservation order, they now hold food outlets, craft and collectables shops and clothing stores, with the Sandstone Walk running behind them.

Yes. Destination Kiama says the town has been named NSW's Top Tourism Town three years running, and it is about 1 hour 45 minutes' drive from the Sydney CBD. Expect the Blowhole and lighthouse, a coast walk of about 20 km, Minnamurra Rainforest and nearby villages. Start with our free things to do guide.

Kiama has a mild coastal climate. Bureau of Meteorology averages from the Kiama Bowling Club station put January highs at about 25°C and July highs near 17°C, with July nights averaging 8.5°C. Rain falls year-round, about 1,250 mm in total. Our Kiama weather guide covers each month.

Yes. Winter days are mild, with July highs averaging about 17°C, and humpback whales migrate north past the headlands from May to July. Every Kiama Ridge Waters apartment has ducted air conditioning that heats as well as cools for chilly nights. Our Kiama in winter guide has more ideas.

Whale season runs roughly May to November. Destination Kiama says humpbacks head north from May to July, then return south with their calves from September to November. Southern right whales also pass, and rarer minke, sperm and even blue whales are possible. See our whale watching in Kiama guide.

Destination Kiama recommends six land-based spots: Minnamurra Whale Watching Platform, Bombo Headland, Kiama Harbour, Blowhole Point, Gerringong Whale Watching Platform and Black Head Reserve at Gerroa. Blowhole Point, known for southern right whales, is about a 35-minute walk from Kiama Ridge Waters. Bring binoculars, as sightings are never guaranteed.

It depends on your plans. December to March brings the warmest days, around 24 to 25°C, and lifeguards patrol from late September to Anzac Day. Autumn and spring sit around 20 to 22°C. May to November is whale season, and the Blowhole is liveliest in a south-east swell.

Yes. Every apartment has ducted air conditioning that heats and cools throughout, so winter nights and summer afternoons are both comfortable. Every apartment lists room-darkening shades too, handy on long summer evenings. See them all on our apartments page.

Kiama averages about 1,250 mm of rain a year, according to Bureau of Meteorology records from the Kiama Bowling Club station. March is usually the wettest month at around 143 mm, and September the driest at about 73 mm. Plan a backup with our rainy day ideas.

July is the coolest month. Bureau of Meteorology averages put Kiama's July maximum at about 17°C and the minimum at about 8.5°C, so winters stay mild. Pack a warm jacket for windy headlands and early whale watching. Back at the apartment, the ducted air conditioning heats as well as cools.

Most weekends bring live music at Burnetts on Saturday from 10am to 1pm, Bottomless Weekends at Cin Cin from noon to 4pm, and Sunday Sessions at Yves from 2pm to 5pm. Kiama Seaside Markets run on the third Sunday. Destination Kiama's What's On calendar lists this weekend's extras.

The Kiama Picnic Train runs on 24 to 25 October and 14 to 15 November, the Jamberoo Car Show is on 25 October, Halloween at the Co-op Gerringong on 31 October, and the Pavilion Annual Twilight Market on 27 November.

Yes. Kiama Blowhole and Little Blowhole cost nothing to view and are open around the clock, every day. From the apartments, Little Blowhole is about a 20-minute walk and the main Blowhole about 35 minutes. New Year's Eve at the harbour is also free. See free things to do.

The Kiama Jazz and Blues Festival paused in 2026 and returns for its 40th anniversary on 5 to 7 March 2027, according to the festival. Folk by the Sea has ended: its organisers say the September 2025 festival was the last. Check the festival site for the program.

HARS Aviation Museum sits at Shellharbour Airport in Albion Park Rail, about 20 minutes' drive from the apartments. It opens daily from 9.30am to 3.30pm, with the last tour at 2pm, and closes on Christmas Day and airshow days. Adult entry is $35 and a family pass is $80.

Yes, for 2026. Fireworks return to Kiama Harbour on Thursday 31 December, with the free, non-ticketed event running from 4pm and the display at 9pm. Expect roving performers and carnival rides, with ride tickets sold separately. The full program is still to be announced, so check before you go.

The Kiama Show runs over two days in late January at Kiama Showground on Bong Bong Street. The 2026 show ran 23 to 24 January with horse and cattle events, pavilion exhibitions, woodchopping, sideshow alley and fireworks. The 2027 dates are not yet published. See our Kiama Show guide.