Kiama lookouts for views, whales and sunrise over the sea

Pick a lookout by what you want to see

The Kiama area has two kinds of lookout. Up on the escarpment you look down over dairy country to the town and the ocean. Down on the coast you stand on basalt headlands right above the water, which is where you go for whales and sunrise. All of the lookouts below are free. Times are from Kiama Ridge Waters at 2 Surfleet Place.

If you only have an hour, drive up Saddleback Mountain. If you have a morning, add Blowhole Point on the way back. For a whole day of views, head south through Mt Pleasant to Gerringong and Gerroa.

Start with Saddleback Mountain

Saddleback Mountain rises behind Kiama, and its lookout gives you the biggest view of the area. It sits on Jack Cleary Memorial Drive, off Saddleback Mountain Road, a 9-minute drive (6.8 km) from the apartments. You park at the top.

Destination Kiama, Kiama Council and Visit NSW all say that on a clear day you can see from Cronulla in the north to Milton in the south. Below you the green hills of Jamberoo roll down to Kiama and the Pacific. There are two viewing platforms, one right off the main car park facing north and a southern platform a little further up, and Destination Kiama's walks guide lists both as wheelchair and pram accessible.

The drive up is part of the trip. Destination Kiama points out the historic dry stone walls, dairy cows and cabbage trees along the road. Go at sunrise for the light, and bring a jacket, as it is often cooler and windier than the coast. Read our full Saddleback Mountain guide for Hoddles Track and the walls.

Climb the escarpment to Jamberoo Lookout

For an even higher view, drive up Jamberoo Mountain Road into Budderoo National Park. Jamberoo Lookout sits on the edge of the coastal escarpment, and NPWS says you look over rolling hills and paddocks to Kiama and Lake Illawarra, and on a clear day out to Five Islands off Wollongong. There is a viewing platform. It is about a 28-minute drive (23 km) from the apartments. Check the NPWS alerts for Budderoo National Park before you go.

Watch carefully for the turn-off, as NPWS warns the small roadside sign is easily missed. Destination Kiama notes disabled access is available and suggests contacting NPWS for details. The lookout is close to the Minnamurra Rainforest, so the two pair well. Rainforest entry fees apply only in the Minnamurra Rainforest area, not at the lookout.

Walk to the Barren Grounds lookouts

If you want to earn your view, Barren Grounds Nature Reserve has two walks that end at lookouts. Both start from the Barren Grounds picnic area, about 1 km in from the reserve entrance and about 30 minutes' drive from the apartments. There is parking and there are accessible non-flush toilets at the picnic area.

• Illawarra Lookout walking track: 2 km return, 30 minutes to an hour, grade 3. It winds through woodland and heath to a lookout on the escarpment edge with views over the hinterland and the coast.
• Cooks Nose walking track: 8 km return, 2.5 to 3.5 hours, grade 3, well marked and steep in places. It crosses open heath to views over Kangaroo Valley. The heath bursts with wildflowers in spring, and NPWS singles out the red and yellow Christmas bells.

NPWS says there is no drinking water and limited mobile reception, and the weather up here can turn quickly. Look out for eastern bristlebirds and ground parrots, which are threatened. Leave the dog at home. Pets are not permitted in NSW national parks and reserves, and NPWS lists 1080 fox baiting at the picnic area and on both tracks from 13 July 2026 to 13 January 2027. Check the NPWS alerts before you go.

Stand above the Blowhole at Blowhole Point

Blowhole Point is the closest headland lookout to town and the easiest to reach, about a 35-minute walk (2.9 km) or 5 minutes by car from the apartments. The Kiama Blowhole has multiple accessible viewing platforms, and the Kiama Lighthouse, built in 1887, stands right beside it. The point has a car park, toilets and a picnic area.

Destination Kiama suggests Blowhole Point for spotting southern right whales, and says adult and juvenile whales are sometimes seen around Kiama Harbour next door. The point faces the open ocean, which makes it a good spot for sunrise. Check the times in our Kiama sunrise and sunset guide.

Walk to the lookouts closest to the apartments

Two coastal lookouts are within walking distance of Kiama Ridge Waters, both on the Mid section of the Kiama Coast Walk.

Little Blowhole: about a 20-minute walk (1.6 km), off Tingira Crescent. The reserve has a viewing platform, lookouts, a car park and a picnic area. It performs on north-east swells and, according to Destination Kiama, is often more spectacular when the swell is small. The official listing says it does not cater for people with access needs.

Loves Bay, Kiama Heights: about a 31-minute walk (2.2 km). From Easts Beach the Coast Walk climbs to Kiama Heights and around to Loves Bay, where Visit NSW describes the Illawarra cliffs tumbling into the sea. Destination Kiama calls the Kiama Heights headland a great spot to look back at how far you have come.

For an easy first morning, walk to Easts Beach, head north to the Little Blowhole and Kendalls Beach, then walk home.

Head north to Bombo and Minnamurra

Bombo Headland: about 8 minutes (7 km) by car, from the north Bombo car park. From the grassy top you look across the basalt columns of Bombo Quarry, shaped by blue metal quarrying in the 1880s and 1900s and by the sea, and on towards Cathedral Rocks. It is popular with photographers at sunrise, and Destination Kiama describes it as dog friendly. The quarry floor is rough and open to the swell, so wear sturdy shoes and stay back from the edge. Destination Kiama lists it as not catering for people with access needs. See our Bombo guide.

Minnamurra Whale Watching Platform: about 12 minutes by car. This elevated platform on Minnamurra Headland sits beside the Minnamurra to Kiama walking track and cycleway, the start of the Coast Walk. Visit NSW says it looks over Mystics and Killalea beaches, and Destination Kiama adds views of Rangoon Island. A board at the platform helps you tell whale species apart. The NSW Government listing says it does not cater for people with access needs. Read more in our Minnamurra guide.

Pull in at Mt Pleasant Lookout on the way south

Mt Pleasant Lookout is on the Princes Highway at Kiama Heights, only 4 minutes' drive (3.6 km) from the apartments. Destination Kiama says it is signposted when you travel south from Kiama after the bends. Turn left at the water tower.

The view stretches across the village of Gerringong to Werri Beach, Seven Mile Beach and Mount Coolangatta, with the green escarpment dropping into dairy country. There are picnic tables, an information bay and a car park, and the listing says it is suitable for people with access needs. It is a good place to stop and decide whether to stay on the highway or detour via the wineries. See wineries near Kiama.

Watch for whales above Gerringong

The Gerringong Whale Watching Platform sits above the cliffs on Gerringong Headland, about 9 minutes by car from the apartments. Access is from Belinda Street near the Gerringong Cemetery, and there is a car park. It is a short walk to the Boat Harbour rock pool and about five minutes on foot to the centre of Gerringong.

Destination Kiama says whales migrate north from late May to July and south from September to November. Visit NSW adds that you may also see seals, dolphins, falcons and eagles from the southern headland of Werri Beach. The listing says the platform does not cater for people with access needs.

Finish at Gerroa above Seven Mile Beach

Sir Charles Kingsford Smith Memorial and Lookout: on the corner of Fern Street and Headland Drive, Gerroa, about 12 minutes by car (10.9 km). The memorial is shaped like the Southern Cross, Kingsford Smith's plane, and marks his 1933 flight across the Tasman to New Zealand, which took off from Seven Mile Beach because the long, smooth sand suited his heavily loaded aircraft. The lookout has panoramic views of the beach and Seven Mile Beach National Park. There is a car park, and Destination Kiama says it actively welcomes people with access needs.

Black Head Reserve: about 16 minutes by car. A broad rocky outcrop above Gerroa with clear views north and south, which Destination Kiama calls an ideal place to spot whales. Read our Gerroa guide for the rest of the village.

Plan your visit to the lookouts

• Whale season: whales pass from about May to November. Humpbacks head south with their calves from September to November, and Destination Kiama says family groups often come closer to shore. See whale watching in Kiama.
• Weather: low cloud can hide the escarpment lookouts completely, so check the Kiama weather first and save Saddleback and Jamberoo for a clear day.
• Safety: NPWS advises keeping at least 5 m back from cliff edges and rock platforms. Stay behind fences and follow signs at every lookout.
• What to bring: a jacket, water, binoculars for whales and a camera. Destination Kiama asks visitors to leave only footprints and take home three pieces of rubbish they find.
• Questions: the Kiama Visitor Information Centre on 1300 654 262 can help with directions and access.

For more ways to spend a day outdoors, see walks in Kiama and free things to do in Kiama.

Stay between the mountain and the sea

From Kiama Ridge Waters you can fit a lookout into every day of your stay. Saddleback Mountain is a 9-minute drive, Mt Pleasant Lookout 4 minutes and the Little Blowhole a 20-minute walk. Each of our three-bedroom apartments at 2 Surfleet Place sleeps six, with secure parking for two cars.

Most of our apartments welcome pets (a $200 cleaning fee applies). Check-in is from 3pm and check-out is by 10am. See our three-bedroom apartments in Kiama, family stays, pet-friendly accommodation in Kiama and group stays, or check availability.