The Getaway Expert: This stunning coastal walk rivals the best Sydney and Melbourne have to offer
Sydney has Bondi to Bronte, Melbourne has The Tan, really all Australian cities have their popular "hot girl walks".
Well, hang on to your Lorna Janes - there's a new player in town. Well, just out of town.
It's hard to think of a walk outside a major city with the diversity of things you'll find on The Blue Mile in Wollongong, about a 90-minute drive south of Sydney. Think fine dining and skydiving and that's just the first 100 metres.
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Just south of Sydney you'll find a stunning coastal walk to rival Australia's best. Getty
The walk is a bit more than a mile, about 2.6 kilometres from Stuart Park at the end of North Wollongong beach to Wollongong Golf Club. But you don't need to go quite that far to get the most out of it.
The best of it, for me, is from the Lagoon restaurant in Stuart Park to Flagstaff Point Lighthouse, about 2 kilometres or around 25 minutes without stopping, but what would be the fun in that.
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I've done the walk every which way. In both directions, morning, afternoon, and night. In summer and winter.
With the walk hugging the shoreline though, I would recommend the AM to catch the morning sun. What's not to love? It's paved, it's flat, it's free.
The Blue Mile in Wollongong is paved, flat and free. Supplied/John Walsh
The centrepiece of the walk is North Wollongong Beach - which might make you wonder why I am recommending this in winter? As mentioned at the top, there are so many things to do along the way that you don't need to swim to have a great time.
So back to the start. Attached to the Lagoon restaurant (at various times voted Australia's Favourite Restaurant and Favourite Seafood Restaurant) is the casual eatery Deck Bar.
A great place to fuel up for the walk with a Brekkie Burger and coffee. Of course, if you start at the lighthouse this could be your reward for the walk. Each to their own.
There are plenty of places to just stop and take in the views. Supplied/John Walsh
Once you leave the Deck Bar the first thing you'll see on your right hand side is SkyDive Australia. This is your chance to do a rare skydive over a beach. A shuttle bus takes you on a short ride to nearby Shellharbour airport and then you get to do a 15,000 feet skydive and land back in Stuart Park.
Also makes for a great spectator sport several times a day watching the skydivers come in to land.
Next up on your left is North Wollongong SLSC and its new tenant The Boathouse, which occupies the top floor of the club. It's a pub-style bistro and bar overlooking the beach.
Across the road is the Wollongong Novotel Northbeach. A great place to base yourself if you want to make a weekend of it. Even if you don't stay, Pepe's on The Beach is a great bar to hang out and people watch.
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Diggies is one of many beach cafes you'll come across. Supplied/John Walsh
That brings us to about a third of the way along the Blue Mile. So, all of that so far in just 700 metres.
Diggies is the first of the beach cafes you'll come across. It's so popular for take away coffee in the morning that customers have to wait outside and listen for their names to be called over a loudspeaker.
From there is Northbeach Pavilion another cafe right on the beach inside the historic North Wollongong Bathers' Pavilion.
Time to pick up the pace. There's an ocean rockpool and then a little further along is Continental Pool with a 50-metre and 45-metre pool, plus a toddlers' pool and hot showers. Entry is FREE.
The Continental Pool has a 50-metre and 45-metre pool and is free. Supplied/John Walsh
Belmore Basin is the old working harbour and provides a more sheltered swimming area for little kids. Very popular here also for dog walkers and there's a very well-equipped children's playground, the Breakwater Lighthouse and yet another cafe, Levendi - famous for its fish and chips.
From there it's the only incline of the walk up to Flagstaff Point Lighthouse. That's right, a second lighthouse. It's the only harbour on the east coast with two lighthouses.
I've left out a couple of seafood restaurants, more accommodation, historic buildings and I'm sure something else.
The best way to find out what I've missed is to see it for yourself.
John Walsh was Executive Producer of the TV travel series Getaway from 1999-2024. You can follow John on Instagram @thegetawayexpert.
