Grand Pacific Drive itinerary
The Grand Pacific Drive is a 140 km coastal route from Royal National Park at Loftus, south of Sydney, to Nowra. Kiama is about 1 hour 30 minutes from Sydney, so Sydney to Kiama and back fits in a day if you keep the stops short. Driving through Royal National Park costs $12 per vehicle per day.
Updated
Key facts
- Start and end
- Royal National Park, Loftus, to Nowra: 140 km of coastal scenery
- Sea Cliff Bridge
- 665 m long, opened in December 2005, on Lawrence Hargrave Drive at Coalcliff
- Royal National Park entry
- $12 per vehicle per day
- Royal National Park hours
- 7am to 8.30pm; may close at times for poor weather or fire danger
- How to pay
- Royal National Park Visitor Centre, vehicle entry stations, pay machines or the Park'nPay app
- Sydney to Kiama by car
- 1 hour 30 minutes
- Kiama to Wollongong, Jervis Bay
- 40 minutes to Wollongong, 1 hour 15 minutes to Jervis Bay
- Kiama Blowhole
- Has picnic and parking areas a short distance from the town centre and railway station
Royal National Park (Loftus) to Nowra
140 km · Sydney to Kiama about 1 hour 30 minutes
Royal National Park
start of the drive, Loftus
$12 per vehicle per day. The park is open 7am to 8.30pm, and can close earlier for weather or fire danger.
Sea Cliff Bridge
Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Coalcliff
665 m long and open to walkers as well as cars. Coalcliff station is about a 15 minute steep walk away, and bus stops are on either side of the bridge.
Wollongong
40 minutes before Kiama
The main city on the route, 40 minutes from Kiama.
Kiama Blowhole
1 hour 30 minutes from Sydney
Picnic and parking areas, public toilets always open, and a cafe next to the visitor centre.
Jervis Bay
1 hour 15 minutes past Kiama
1 hour 15 minutes past Kiama by car, so plan an overnight if you go this far.
- Nowra
Where does the Grand Pacific Drive start and end?
The route runs 140 km from Royal National Park at Loftus, through the Illawarra and Shoalhaven, down to Nowra. On the way it crosses Sea Cliff Bridge and passes Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama, Gerringong and Jervis Bay.
You can return to Sydney through the Southern Highlands, or carry on south to the Victorian border through Eurobodalla and the Sapphire Coast.
Is there a fee to drive through Royal National Park?
Yes: $12 per vehicle per day. You can pay at the Royal National Park Visitor Centre, vehicle entry stations, pay machines or with the Park'nPay app. The park is open 7am to 8.30pm but can close at times for poor weather or fire danger.
How long does the Grand Pacific Drive take from Sydney?
Kiama is 1 hour 30 minutes from Sydney by car, Wollongong is 40 minutes before it, and Jervis Bay is another 1 hour 15 minutes past Kiama. Those are driving times without stops, so a return trip to Kiama is a full day, and Jervis Bay is better as an overnight.
Trains run daily between Sydney and Nowra and hourly at Kiama, which makes a one-way drive with a train back a workable plan.
Where can you stop and park along the way?
Sea Cliff Bridge is 665 m long and a highlight of the drive; it is somewhere to get out of the car and walk, and a viewing platform for migrating whales. Bus stops are on both sides of the bridge, and Coalcliff station is a steep walk of about 15 minutes.
Kiama Blowhole has picnic and parking areas a short distance from the town centre and railway station, with public toilets always open. It is estimated to attract 900,000 visitors a year, and it puts on its best show when the swell runs from the south-east.
Can you hire a car in Sydney and drop it in Wollongong?
A one-way hire from Sydney Airport with a Wollongong drop-off is one way to avoid backtracking, then you can return by train. Whether a car can be returned there, and the cost, is shown when you search with different pick-up and drop-off locations.
For example, Hertz's terms say a one-way fee may apply and that you are told at booking whether a different return location is allowed. Read the one-way clause of your own agreement before you rely on it.
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Questions people ask
Where does the Grand Pacific Drive start and end?
It starts in Royal National Park at Loftus and ends at Nowra, 140 km to the south.
Is there a fee to drive through Royal National Park?
Yes, $12 per vehicle per day, payable at the visitor centre, entry stations, pay machines or through the Park'nPay app.
How long is the drive from Sydney to Kiama?
About 1 hour 30 minutes. Wollongong is 40 minutes before Kiama.
Is Sea Cliff Bridge worth stopping at?
It is 665 m long, has views over the coast and is a marked stop on the drive. You can walk it, and Coalcliff station is about a 15 minute walk away if you arrive by train.
Can I do the Grand Pacific Drive in a day?
Sydney to Kiama and back fits in a day with short stops. For Jervis Bay or Nowra, plan an overnight.
Can I take the train back to Sydney?
Trains run daily between Sydney and Nowra and hourly at Kiama, so a one-way drive with a train return is possible.