• Cockatoo Run, (toll free: 1300 65 3801), [8]. Sundays. The Cockatoo Run is a vintage train that climbs through the Morton National Park Rainforest to Robertson and Moss Vale.  edit

• Cycle, [9]. There are designated cycle routes all across the Wollongong Region. One of the easiest is to cycle from Wollongong City Beach to Bulli Beach - all flat and off-road.  edit

• Illawarra Live Steamers, [10]. Model train rides are offered to the public on the 4th Sunday of every month down at Stuart Park. Fun for all the family just remember to wear enclosed shoes.  edit

• Diving. Some of the best temperate water diving to be encountered anywhere can be found in Wollongong and areas to the south. Bass Point should be your stopping off point as it offers at least a dozen dives suitable to all standards of diver. Shellharbour Scuba Centre is a PADI 5 Star centre about three minutes drive from Bass point offering all facilities including boat dives, nitrox and courses.

• Hit the Beach. During the summer months, Wollongong has a selection offering less crowds and more space than Sydney beaches. Wollongong City Beach is accessible from the city centre, but the better beaches are to be found north and south of the city. Try Towradgi beach. Port Kembla beach has a free salt water Olympic pool as well as a surf beach. Beaches are patrolled during the summer months.  edit

• Sky-Diving. Wollongong's amazing scenery is even more amazing seen from above. If the mountain lookouts aren't exciting enough for you, the option to sky-dive is yours. A number of companies operate out of Illawarra Regional Airport, one of these being the Bushsports group http://www.bushsports.com.au/skydiving.

• Beaches. The Wollongong coastline offers 17 sparkling surf beaches that are patrolled by lifesavers from September to June. All beaches are in easy walking distance from shops, hotels and clubs. Why not bring your bicycle and enjoy over 60 kilometres of easy bicycle/walkway as you make your way from Bulli Beach in the north to Lake Illawarra in the south. One of the most popular beaches is North Beach in the centre of Wollongong. A kiosk serving home-baked treats, fresh juices, coffee and fish and chips services the beach and there are plenty of bike tracks and walkways to explore. Free.  edit

• Bulli Pass Lookout, (Ten minutes North of Wollongong on the main Sydney road, only accessible by car). Spectacular views over Wollongong and up and down the coast are available from the lookouts at the top of the Bulli Pass. Barbecues, picnic tables and kiosks are available at the lookouts. free.  edit

• Mount Keira Lookout. More spectacular views from the top, as well as some walks and views of the hang-gliders launching. As of June 2007, the main walk is closed because of the falling rocks danger. free.  edit

• Nan Tien Temple, Berkeley Rd, Berkeley, ☎ 02 4272 0600 (nantien@fgs.org.au, fax: 02 4272 0601), [5]. Tuesday to Sunday: 9am - 5pm (open Mondays on public holidays). Opened in October 1995 it is a branch temple of Fo Guang Shan and the biggest Buddhist Temple in the Southern Hemisphere. "Nan Tien" in Chinese means "Paradise of the South". Received awards for lighting (yes, architectural lighting!!), gardening, architecture and tourism. free.  edit

• BHP Australian Historical Flying Museum, Illawarra Regional Airport(intersection of the Princes Highway (F6) and the Illawarra Highway). A project was started to build an exhibition facility for the aircraft of the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society who have an existing base there. HARS recently completed it major hanger, part of an ongoing project.

• WIN Sports & Entertainment Centres (the WEC), Corner of Crown and Harbour Streets (southern end of the Central Business District), ☎ 024220 2800 (info@wec.org.au, fax: 02 4220 2801), [6]. The Sports stadium hosts rugby league (Illawarra Steelers & St.George Illawarra), rugby union, and soccer (Wollongong Wolves) and has a capacity of 18,500 (11,000 seated). The Entertainment Centre is situated to the north of the stadium and hosts a variety of sports and special events. An AUD37m redevelopment of the ocean-side western stand is scheduled to complete in 2006 which will provide conference facilities, 100 room 4* hotel, replacement 2,500 seat grandstand, and retail outlets.  edit

• Wollongong Botanical Gardens, (Gwynneville. Just adjacent to the Wollongong University. Take the university exist from the Sydney Road). Bring some bread for the ducks, and a picnic. free.  edit

• Australia's Industry World - Port Kembla Steelworks, Visitor Centre at the BlueScope Steel Northgate Entrance, Springhill Rd Coniston. The entrance is marked with extremely large Australian and BlueScope Steel flags, ☎ 02 4275 7023 (tours@aiw.org.au, fax: 02 4275 7204). The Port Kembla Steelworks is located 80 kilometres south of Sydney in the heart of Port Kembla, an industrial suburb in the Greater City of Wollongong, A fully integrated plant with steelmaking capacity of 5 million tonnes a year, the Steelworks is situated on an area of 800 hectares and directly employs up to 6000 people. The Steelworks is one of the world's most technically advanced producers of high quality slab, plate and strip products. It has become arguably one of Australia's most valuable industries, competing for overseas markets and providing valuable export dollars for the Australian economy. A drive through the area at night can be interesting, with the flames more visible. You can even sometimes see the glow of the hot steel.  edit

• Minnamurra Rainforest, (Budderoo National Park, near Jamberoo, head along Jamberoo Mountain Road). Visitors centre and boardwalks through sub-tropical rainforest. Go early in the morning for the best chance at seeing wildlife such as lyre birds and wombats. Website  edit

• Science Centre and Planetarium, (Squires Way, Fairy Meadow), ☎ 02 4283 6665, [7]. Two-storey museum with lots of stuff to do for kids aged 1 to 15 (and their parents, of course). Don't miss the 3PM Planetarium show ($3/person).  edit

Walk

You can walk from the train station to the Wollongong CBD, and down to Wollongong City Beach.

By Bike

An extensive cycletrack runs from Wollongong north for 10 kilometres to Thirroul, hugging the scenic beaches, or South to Lake Illawarra. Generally uncrowded and a great way to get a feel for the city and surrounds.

By Train

The northern coastal suburbs of Wollongong are well serviced by train, however depending on the station, you can still be a kilometre or so from the beach.

By Car

A car will take you everywhere in the region you want to go. There is free parking in the Wollongong CBD, and along the Wollongong beaches.

By Bus

Premier Illawarra, [3]. Operates buses from Wollongong and North Wollongong, as far south as Kiama. Dions Bus Service, [4]. Operates buses north along the Wollongong coastal beaches  edit  edit  edit

The food! The choices! The price! Everything about Wollongong's eateries is excellent. People even flock from Sydney to get a 5 star meal at a great price. Most restaurants are located on either Keira St or Corrimal St, but don't be afraid to venture down a laneway, or further North or South to outer suburbs, to find great food. There is something for everyone...

Budget

• Monsoon Located on Keira Street, it is perhaps Wollongong's premier eating venue. Monsoon offers an excellent eating experience, surpassing all Asian restaurants in the area. If you're feeling adventurous turn up with a group of four or more friends and ask for a banquet of the chef's choice - if you have particular tastes Monsoon staff with be happy to let you put your personal touch on their meals (for example, adding extra tofu puffs to your Laksa). Otherwise you can't go past the Tempura Vegetables with the best tasting aioli ever, or the Vermicelli Salad with beef and extra vegetarian spring rolls. Also recommended is the Satay Chicken with thick rice noodles and the small bowl of chill paste that comes out with the cutlery. You will be hard up to get a seat without reservations due to the restaurants popularity. It has different lunchtime (cheaper) and dinner (a little more expensive) menus.

• Coconut Thai Also located on Keira Street, Coconut Thai is an affordable yet yummy Thai restaurant that offers a variety of excellent thai dishes. Meals range from $10-20 per person. Recommended for vegetarians and vegans, as they offer a lot of excellent non-meat dishes, as well as a wide array of beef, chicken and seafood orientated meals.

• Ahmed's (between North Wollongong station and the Crown Street Mall). A kebab shop run by a sometimes-professor for the University of Wollongong, named, surprisingly, Ahmed. Always open late, recommended is the regular chicken, extra extra extra hot.

• Food World Just next to Ahmed's. Chinese/Vietnamese food, big meals and dirt cheap. Mains $6-$8. Great atmosphere. Don't be put off by some of the ugliest decor ever allowed to grace a restaurant, they have some of the most satisfying Chinese food for prices that don't ever seem to be affected by inflation. Highly recommended if you want a quick, cheap and filling meal (Defiantly try the Chicken and Rice)

• Amigo's Mexican Restaurant A casual mexican place which does huge tasty Mexican meals for fantastic prices. Recommended are the Lunchtime Special (meal and drink for A$8.50) and $3 Tacos (Tuesday nights, 5:30pm - 9:30pm), which is very popular with students. http://www.amigosmexican.com.au/

• Chef's Choice A favourite restaurant for the budget gourmet. All meals served with rice and complimentary green tea. Great quality ingredients and healthy serving sizes make this great value for money. On the corner opposite the Hotel Illawarra.

• Fujiyama Teppanyaki Restaurant A Japanese restaurant with a difference. These master chefs cook the food at the BBQ in front (and sometimes behind of) of your eyes. A delight to the senses at budget prices.

• Mylan There is a number of Vietnamese restaurants around (Mylan, Monsoon, Twins, Ahmeds etc) Mylan is by far the best and is always busy, book ahead if you can!

• Okuma Located on Keira Street the Okuma Sushi Train is a great budget meal. Each plate of food is coded by colour. You choose what plates from the train, starting at $2 and up to $5. Try their famous Green Tea Icecream for $3.50.

• FU's Next to Amigos. Has some of the most authentic Chinese food outside in Australia and the meals are massive. It is also a great place to go with a group because they do meal deals making it a great place to feed the family or for a delicious meal before you go out without breaking the budget.

• Roppongi Located in Market street, close to Extreme surf store and the Illawarra Hotel, this restaurant sells the best Japanese in Wollongong, Choose from the freshest Sashimi(raw fish) to delicious Japanese salad and schnitzel with special sauce. If you want to indulge in a more cultural experience you can also sit in the Japanese style room where you sit on cushions. The lunch time special is also great for those on a budget as they continue the Japanese tradition of offering cheaper prices for the dinner meals. Highly recommended

• Leonardo's Cafe and Gelateria Located on Crown St just around the corner from the bustling strip of restaurants on Corrimal St Leonardo's serves the best icecream in town. The very popular chain Cold Rock is just up the road, but if you're after freshly made, smooth and creamy gelato, rather than cookie-cutter flavours mixed with gummi bears, Leonardo's is the pick. The decor is gelato coloured and the cosy mismatched chairs offer a fantastic venue for catching up with friends or wiling away the afternoon. The range of coffees and cakes (including an any-flavour affogato) and Italian cafe-style food is also excellent if you want to settle in for the night. Family run with very friendly service Leonardo's is open Tuesday - Sunday until late. Pick of the flavours: Boysenberry Cheesecake, Peanut Butter Fudge, Passionfruit cream or the daily special.

Mid-range

• City Diggers Wollongong (RSL) Located at 82 Church St, Wollongong. Phone: 02 4225 2563, fax: 02 4225 2685. Mains: $13-17. Beer: $4-6. Nice atmosphere, but on weekends reservations are highly suggested. Food gets served within 10-15 minutes.

• Marco's Located in Wollongong's Cafe district on Corrimal Street, Marco's offers a excellent range of dishes concentrating predominantly on Italian cuisine. Portions at Marco’s will challenge even the most avid eaters.

• Hideaway Cafe Located in the centre of Wollongong city (Between the amphitheatre and Greater Union cinema) the Hideaway has delicious food ranging between $13 - $20 and the nicest, most down to earth staff around.

Come on a Thursday or Saturday if you wish to enjoy your meal while listening to some excellent tunes by some of Wollongong’s finest local artists including Patrick Arnold of the Inanimate Objects and Noah Hampson of ATE and Pettibone.

• Jasmine Rice Located on Corrimal St Jasmine Rice serves great thai food. With traditional thai seating on cushions in one room or tables and chairs in another, it offers a selection for diners. The food is consistently good, although more pricey than some of the other Thai restaurants.

• Thai Carnation Located on the corner of Corrimal and Crown St, Thai Carnation is another popular Thai restaurant. Recommended dish: Duck curry - served with lots of fresh vegetables and some fresh grapes, the duck is succulent and tender and the broth is mild but tasty.

Splurge

• Lorenzo's Diner The first restaurant in Wollongong to receive a single hat from the Sydney Morning Herald's Good Food Guide, Lorenzo Pagnan's diner serves modern and some traditional Italian cuisine in very slick modern surrounds. Meals average at $40, $20 for mains and $12 and up for entree. Saturday night's offer patron's a great deal at $55 per head for two courses, plus appetiser, bread and vegetables. Directly across the road from Caveau (see below).

• Caveau Opened mid 2005, Caveau is the creation of former Banc (Sydney) sous chef Peter Sheppard. Caveau as expected serves French meals, with prices set at either $55 for two courses or $77 for three. Thesecond Wollongong restaurant to receive a hat from the Good Food Guide and as such a friendly rivalry has developed between Lorenzo's and Caveau - one that has seen the North Keira street area develop into an important restaurant district for the City. Location 122 - 124 Keira Street (immediately next door to Ahmed's, see above).

A growing city, Wollongong city holds a wide variety of bars. Word from the wise, security guards in the 'Gong are paid higher than their Sydney counterparts for a very important reason - something that will become readily apparent if you look at the wrong girl/guy, say the wrong thing, spill your drink on someone or just look slightly different. Generally, pubs close to the city but not in the actual CBD/North Wollongong proper tend to have unsavoury reputations.

Security staff at locations such as the Glasshouse and Harp Hotel have been known to assault patrons, however the security at Cooneys Tavern are usually ok.

• The North Wollongong Pub, or North 'Gong for short (North Wollongong train station), is the "local" for the University of Wollongong, across the Princes Highway from the North Wollongong train station. Featuring "Toss the Boss," a three-times-weekly and hour long game of chance with drinks as a shimmering reward. After ordering your imbibements (three is the limit for this game, unfortunately), the bartender grabs a shaker with two dice or coins and dumps the contents on the bar. Two heads (or T's on the dice) and your drinks are free. One of each and they're half price. The unlucky recipients of two tails (or H's) pays full price... Friday 5-6pm, promptly followed by student happy hour 7-8. It should be noted that the Toss location often changes. At the moment it is found in the Lonestar which is right beside the main bar. Major renovations in 2006 mean that North Gong now offers several bars, including a spacious outdoor garden, a bistro and bar inside, and a more formal (and dress-coded so you can't just wear your thongs/flip-flops) upstairs cocktail lounge. Although frequented by UOW students, North Gong remains popular with all ages.

http://www.northgong.com.au/

• Hotel Illawarra or just the 'Illawarra', recently refurbished in wood and chrome, is a large hotel/pub that receives the early morning crowd as it is the only bar that consistently closes at 3am most nights of the week.

• Cooney's Tavern is an old pub at the south end of Keira street that is famous for its plethora of pool tables. Vaguely Irish themed, serves Guinness and slightly green tinged. Upper bar and beer garden is occasionally converted into a door-fee-charging nightclub. Often hosts tours of local, national and international DJs.

• Glasshouse is a tavern and nightclub which is practically inhabited by young people on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights. If you go before 10pm, you get cheap drinks and before 11pm free nightclub entry - the downstairs bar is always free. Plays popular dance music, shows sporting events on a large screen tv (which you usually can't hear over the people and music) and serves any drink you can think of (as long as it involves ginger beer). Serves all tap beer in pints for $4, making for the cheapest Stella Artois in town (and the most expensive Toohey's New). Beware: The majority of the girls in this place are between the ages of 14-17 and most of them are riddled with STD's or other surprises.

http://www.wollongongnightlife.com.au/

• Castro's a nightclub tucked into Victoria Street. Previously known as Rusty's, Castro's was recently refurbished to cater for the local gay community, although the club still remains popular with the younger crowd regardless of sexuality. Apart from the Welsh.

• Harp Hotel on Corrimal St is the city's oldest pub. The crowd is late twenties-early thirties of the after-work variety, on Fridays this is probably the best patroned bar in the city. Three bars, look out of the often missed underground bar.

• Abbies is the opposite of Glasshouse' age-of-clientel-wise, catering to the overflow from the Harp Hotel. Directly across Corrimal St. from the Harp.

• Oxford Tavern is an unreconstructed relic of the eighties, with a very darkly dressed clientele. Has live music most days of the week - usually a form of hard rock, metal or punk though jazz and even hip-hop have occasionally been spotted. Outdoors area next to the Crown St. entrance is highly recommended during the Summer. Scheduled ot be redeveloped within the next 3 years (2008). Check out the Tuesday night trivia.

• Bourbon St ({closed down at the moment}) two doors north of the Illawarra on Kiera street, is famed in the Gong for having a crowd even younger than the Glasshouse although that should not technically be legal. Three bars in total, actually opens only on certain nights, possibly in concert with the stars and planetary alignment.

• Five Islands Brewery, Win Entertainment Centre (for directions see below), 4220-2854 (fax 4220-2855, email <fiveislandsbrew@1earth.net>). Brew their own beer and the Sixth Island bar serves bar food and has a fantastic terrace (with BBQ); there is also an 80 seat restaurant. Sit and drink watching the surf roll in from the Pacific Ocean just 50 metres away. Or don't. http://www.fiveislandsbrewery.com/

• The Beach Bar. On Cliff Road beneath the Novotel North Beach, is the place to be on Sundays when the rest of the city is closed. The only bar in the city that serves James Squire Pilsener on tap - not to be missed. Some drug dealer guy got shot here a while back. Awesome. Now the club is also known as H2O.

• CBD Sports Bar. Extremely new bar opened on Auburn St. just off Crown near the City train station, very relaxed atmosphere that translates into very high drink prices. Only 'non-leagues club' bar in the city that serves Resches Draught, a traditional Sydney beer that used to be far more common.

• Dicey Riley's, Dicey is the word as this bar sits next to the railway bridge that marks the border betweeen rough West Wollongong and the City. One of the oldest pubs in the city, the odd Irish theme does not hide the vaguely sinister atmosphere of this dark and smoky bar. Dicey's is likely to improve (depending on your point of view) as West Wollongong is heavily redeveloped over the next few years. Hot MILF's on Saturday nights here.

• Blue Note, this is a hidden gem. Located two stories above an Adult Book store on the corner of Atchison and Crown, it provides consistently the best R&B, Soul, Funk, Reggae and Hip Hop in Wollongong. Sure, the decor could do with an update, but the American DJ's keep the dancefloor pumping every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Mixed crowd. Open late. Easy parking. Taxi rank right opposite the entrance. By far the shadiest nightclub in town!