bridge
Sea Cliff Bridge
A 665 m balanced-cantilever bridge that curves off the Illawarra escarpment and hangs over the Pacific, the photogenic centrepiece of Grand Pacific Drive south of Sydney.
18 km · about 20 min drive
OceaniaAustraliaNew South Wales
Balgownie
New South Wales, Australia · Oceania
About Balgownie
Balgownie works well as a base: 21km from Grand Pacific Drive.
Balgownie is in New South Wales, Australia, with about 5,400 people. You drive on the left here.
Balgownie () is a small suburb of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.
Balgownie lies to the north-west of the Wollongong CBD. It stretches from the lower slopes of Mount Keira along the Illawarra escarpment to the base of the Broker's Nose promontory. To the east, Balgownie is bordered by the light industrial andRead more
commercial suburb of Fairy Meadow.
The main street, Balgownie Road, connects the suburb to the nearby Princes Highway. Balgownie is mostly residential with a small commercial centre known as the Balgownie Village.
Balgownie has a similar history to many towns on the NSW south coast. When first settled in the 19th century, Balgownie was the centre of local logging, coal mining and farming industries. With the economic and population growth of the 20th century Balgownie was overtaken by the expanding urban sprawl and transformed from a small country hamlet to a residential suburb.
Balgownie is home to citizens right across the socioeconomic spectrum, from public housing estates in the east to multimillion-dollar mansions on the escarpment. Sites of interest include the Balgownie Public School's museum.
Over the last five years, the Australian property market has exploded and as a result many of the open spaces and paddocks that once greened the suburb have been turned into town house or "villa" developments.
The area features the oldest active soccer club in Australia, Balgownie Rangers, founded in 1883.
Where to Stay in Balgownie
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Explore the Area
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Balgownie?
Within an hour or so of Balgownie: Sea Cliff Bridge (18 km), Grand Pacific Drive (21 km), Bald Hill Lookout (21 km), Macquarie Pass (28 km).
Are there any good drives near Balgownie?
The nearest famous roads are Grand Pacific Drive and Macquarie Pass.
Where is Balgownie?
Balgownie is in New South Wales, Australia.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 5,427
- Continent
- Oceania
- Country
- Australia
- Region
- New South Wales
- Timezone
- Australia/Sydney
- Coordinates
- -34.3950, 150.8805
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Australia
112 works from mobiles. Distances between fuel stops in the outback can exceed 200 km: plan ahead. Wildlife is most active at dawn/dusk.
Full driving guide for AustraliaTags
Worth the detour from Balgownie
6 notable places within an hour's drive.
coastal drive
Grand Pacific Drive
140 km coastal route from the Royal National Park to Wollongong and beyond, sweeping past Bald Hill's hang-glider lookout, seaside villages and the famous Sea Cliff Bridge.
21 km · about 25 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Bald Hill Lookout
Clifftop lookout and hang-gliding launch at Stanwell Tops overlooking the Sea Cliff Bridge and Illawarra coastline, with roadside parking.
21 km · about 25 min drive
mountain pass
Macquarie Pass
A twisting rainforest climb on the Illawarra Highway, hauling drivers 400 m up the escarpment between Albion Park and the Southern Highlands through 100-plus curves.
28 km · about 30 min drive
cafe
Robertson Pie Shop
A Southern Highlands roadside pie shop on the Illawarra Highway, operating since 1968 and long the mandatory stop for anyone driving between Sydney and the coast via Macquarie Pass.
32 km · about 35 min drive
bridge
Hampden Bridge, Kangaroo Valley
Sandstone-towered suspension bridge from 1898 carrying Moss Vale Road over the Kangaroo River, the oldest of its type still in use in Australia.
50 km · about 55 min drive
Driving roads near Balgownie
- 18 kmSea Cliff BridgeA 665 m balanced-cantilever bridge that curves off the Illawarra escarpment and hangs over the Pacific, the photogenic centrepiece of Grand Pacific Drive south of Sydney.
- 21 kmGrand Pacific Drive140 km coastal route from the Royal National Park to Wollongong and beyond, sweeping past Bald Hill's hang-glider lookout, seaside villages and the famous Sea Cliff Bridge.
- 21 kmBald Hill LookoutClifftop lookout and hang-gliding launch at Stanwell Tops overlooking the Sea Cliff Bridge and Illawarra coastline, with roadside parking.
- 28 kmMacquarie PassA twisting rainforest climb on the Illawarra Highway, hauling drivers 400 m up the escarpment between Albion Park and the Southern Highlands through 100-plus curves.
- 50 kmHampden Bridge, Kangaroo ValleySandstone-towered suspension bridge from 1898 carrying Moss Vale Road over the Kangaroo River, the oldest of its type still in use in Australia.
- 68 kmSydney Harbour TunnelA 2.3 km immersed-tube tunnel opened in 1992 that dives beneath Sydney Harbour, the underwater twin to the Harbour Bridge linking the CBD with North Sydney.
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