The NSW South Coast from Sydney to Eden is a beautiful area. Kiama is an easy to access part of this coastline around 45 minutes drive on the Princes Highway from the southern suburbs of Sydney, around Heathcote. Kiama can also be reached by train from Sydney’s Central Station.
There are several great photographic opportunities in the Kiama area and this guide is intended to briefly cover several of them. Others may like to add detail to the areas I’ve described or add new areas; I do not live in Kiama so there may well be other great photo opportunities not covered here.
The areas are :-
- Some lovely old buildings in the town.
- The rock-pool and nearby beach.
- The beach at North Kiama.
- Saddleback Mountain.
- Minnamurra Rain-Forest and Falls.
Those of you who know Kiama might well be thinking “What about Kiama’s Famous Blowhole“? IMO, whilst it can be great fun on a good day, it’s usually crowded with tourists and not really very photogenic. I am sure this will encourage someone to prove me completly wrong and send in a fantastic photo of the blowhole.
The Town
Kiama is a small town, easy to walk around.
There are some lovely old buildings around the junction of Terralong and Manning Streets plus some old whaler cottages in Collins Street. When you tire of photography there are several good cafes in the town and a pub with good food in Manning Street.
Night shooting of the old buildings is fun ….
The Rock-Pool and Nearby Beaches
There is plenty of information available on the Internet about the Rock-Pool, here and here and here.
To get there, drive or walk along Terralong Street in an Easterly direction (towards the Ocean). Carry straight on at the roundabout and take the very next left turn, Kiama Lighthouse Road. Turn left again almost immediately; I don’t think this road has a name but it leads down to the harbour which is usually full of ishing boats. Pass the boats and carry straight on, the rock-pool is at the end of the road.
Photography is best early morning and late evening or at night.
The rocky beaches either side of the pool provide great photo opportunities particularly with your tripod and some long exposures.
North Kiama
Along Cliff Drive there is a break in the housing and an easy grass pathway down to the beach. The red ‘X‘ on the map is the spot to aim for.
Low tide is probably gives you more opportunities to get around the many rocks. Sunrise also is a good time to get some dramatic shots.
Saddleback Mountain
A wonderful drive up the escarpment at the back of Kiama. Leave the centre of Kiama going south along Manning Road. After roughly 1km the road makes an S-bend; turn right but then go straight ahead on Saddleback Mountain Road. Climb higher and higher on this road enjoying many vistas to the North, East and South. There is a look-out at the top but I think the views along the way are better both for general enjoyment and for good photo opportunities. From the top you can turn right into Fountaindale Road and follow the road all the way down to a T-junction at Jamberoo Road where you can either turn right to go back to the Princes Highway and Kiama or turn left to go to the small township of Jamberoo.
The views of the rain-forest and distant ocean are magnificent.
Minnamurra Rain-Forest and Falls
Last, but not least, in this mini-guide to the Kiama Area is Minnamurra Rain-Forest and Falls at the back of Jamberro off the Jamberoo Mountain Road. There is plenty of information on the Internet, here and here and here. The red ‘X‘ marks the end of the road where you will find the Rainforest and the Falls.
The lush rain-forest viewed from the raised walkways provides many lush green images.
Well, that’s it, a quick look at several quite different areas for the photographer in the Kiama area. All in all a very beautiful area on the NSW South Coast. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do whenever I visit.
This is a work in progress. I hope to add more information as I get feedback from you, the readers.
