Savour the Eagles’ View

Stanwell Tops is essentially the gateway to the NSW South Coast. Flanked by the Royal National Park – Australia’s oldest – the views down over the Illawarra towards Wollongong are nothing short of spectacular.

>> Destination South Coast, Weekends For Two

WStanwell Park is one of the world’s most celebrated hang gliding sites, with pilots travelling across the globe to soar with the eagles along the dense green escarpment.

One of Australia’s pioneer aviators, Lawrence Hargrave, lived in Stanwell Park and conducted many of his aeronautical experiments here. Among his achievements was the invention of the humble box kite.

There’s a memorial to Lawrence Hargrave at Bald Hill at Stanwell Park and the magnificent coastal road that bears his name was reopened in late 2005 and provides a route that gives Victoria’s Great Ocean Road a run for its money!

A track runs from Stanwell Park train station up to the Peace Garden, where there are ancient Aboriginal carvings on the trees.

The area is a delight in the summer months for anyone who enjoys outdoor activities. There are picturesque villages with and unspoilt beaches, rock pools and little bays. It’s utterly perfect for fishing, swimming, bushwalking or simply watching nature take its course.

In Wollongong, the Symbio Wildlife Garden is a great spot to take visitors and kids to experience native animals in a perfect bushland setting. There are over 1,000 native, exotic and farmyard animals in all, including spider monkeys, brahman cattle, cassowaries, camels, ostriches, dingoes, reptiles, including sizable boa constrictors, eagles, llamas, wombats, a ‘twilight’ house full of nocturnal animals and a barking owl.

After all that fresh air, a useful stop is the Five Islands Brewery, Wollongong’s microbrewery which is just across the road from a beautiful beach in the WIN Entertainment Centre. The beers include South Peach, Dapto Draught and Pig Dog Pilsner and there are also great bar and restaurant menus.