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.
21 km · about 25 min drive
OceaniaAustraliaNew South Wales
Mount Kembla
New South Wales, Australia · Oceania
About Mount Kembla
Mount Kembla works well as a base: 5 minutes from Unanderra, 21km from Macquarie Pass.
Mount Kembla is in New South Wales, Australia, with about 1,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Unanderra, about 4 km away.
Mount Kembla is a suburb and a mountain in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. Mount Kembla is 6 kilometres (4 miles) west of Wollongong and 72 kilometres (45 miles) south of Sydney in the City of Wollongong.
The suburb is a semi-rural township of Wollongong. It is named after the adjacent MountRead more
Kembla, which is located on the Illawarra escarpment. The summit has an elevation of 534 metres (1,752 ft) above sea level.
The name Mount Kembla is derived from an Aboriginal word, kembla, meaning "plenty of game". The satellite localities of Kembla Heights, Windy Gully, Cordeaux Valley and Kembla Village are also parts of the suburb of Mount Kembla, which at the time of the 2021 census, had a population of 1,083.
The area surrounding Mount Kembla is a coal mining area, notable for the Mount Kembla Mine disaster of 1902 in which 96 people died.
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Explore the Area
Discover famous landmarks, scenic roads, and more near Mount Kembla.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Mount Kembla?
Within an hour or so of Mount Kembla: Macquarie Pass (21 km), Sea Cliff Bridge (24 km), Robertson Pie Shop (25 km), Grand Pacific Drive (27 km).
Are there any good drives near Mount Kembla?
The nearest famous roads are Macquarie Pass and Grand Pacific Drive.
Where is Mount Kembla?
Mount Kembla is in New South Wales, Australia, about 4 km from Unanderra.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 1,011
- Continent
- Oceania
- Country
- Australia
- Region
- New South Wales
- Timezone
- Australia/Sydney
- Coordinates
- -34.4288, 150.8216
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 Mount Kembla
6 notable places within an hour's drive.
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.
24 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.
25 km · about 30 min 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.
27 km · about 30 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.
27 km · about 30 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.
43 km · about 50 min drive
Driving roads near Mount Kembla
- 21 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.
- 24 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.
- 27 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.
- 27 kmBald Hill LookoutClifftop lookout and hang-gliding launch at Stanwell Tops overlooking the Sea Cliff Bridge and Illawarra coastline, with roadside parking.
- 43 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.
- 73 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.
Nearby Destinations
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