5 minute read
DESTINATIONS: ILLAWARRA
Ninety minutes to paradise
Forget planes, trains and high priced city hotels, and carpool your way south to the picturesque and sleepy seaside Illawarra region of New South Wales for your next corporate retreat, Brad Foster writes.
More and more Sydneysiders are calling the New South Wales Illawarra region their home and for good reason.
Housing is cheaper (just), beaches are uncrowded (almost), and the coffee is just right (most definitely).
The main regional city of Wollongong is around 90 minutes from Sydney and has plenty of hotels for the conference market and holidaymakers.
But for any Sydney-based corporate meeting planner that was looking to take a small to medium sized group away for a two- or three-day conference retreat, another suggestion would be to turn left before you even get to Wollongong and check out the villages that are scattered along the coast.
These are the towns of Scarborough, Coledale, Austinmer and Thirroul. All have something distinctive and original to give delegates a change of pace. Additionally, if you turn off the Pacific Highway at Lawrence Hargrave Drive on your way from Sydney you will also pass through the pretty little village of Stanwell Tops where you might see a hang glider or two.
This area has everything from clifftop mansions to quaint workers cottages, cool cafes, pubs where live music is still a thing, and plenty of restaurants.
Headlands Hotel Austinmer
Austinmer is home to the aptly named Headlands Hotel, a boutique self-contained apartment complex with around 50 accommodation rooms of different sizes and configurations.
The rooms are accented by coastal touches – soft light furnishings and large balconies with many offering views over the beaches literally a stone’s throw away.
Leave your balcony door open and you can hear the waves crashing just below as you drift off to sleep.
Headlands is best suited to group sizes of up to 60 guests. Not surprisingly, the majority of meetings that are held here are from Sydney and Wollongong.
The top floor Ocean View Room can seat up to 200 people and has a superb balcony with views to die for. It can be configured into either north or south spaces to suit smaller groups or separate sessions.
Headlands also has the Sundowner Lounge space for smaller group sizes or to allow larger gatherings further break-out space.
Conference packages are also extremely competitive and include free parking for guests.
Dining is available within Headlands in the a la carte restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breaks can be had poolside or in the outdoor terraced area with nothing but uninterrupted ocean views to savour along with the flavoursome food.
Friday evenings and over the weekends, wood fired pizzas and dumplings can be enjoyed form the on-site 1968 Airstream Sovereign food truck that appears to be permanently parked near the north deck area of the property.
For those wishing to get off-site for one night of their stay, the nearby Scarborough Hotel is a must visit. Built in 1886, The Scarborough is perched on the Illawarra escarpment’s cliff edge just south of the stunning Sea Cliff Bridge and only 10 minutes from Headlands Hotel.
There is a large, grassed area at the rear that is the perfect space for a lunch that will help your delegates totally unwind after a half day of conference sessions.
And if your group prefers a little more action than relaxation, visit the Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventures for some hair-raising zip-lining through the tropical rainforest. It’s also close by, and an excellent way to get the adrenalin pumping.
Exploring the Illawarra
So how long have you got? If you have the time or don’t feel like going home just yet, head south from Austinmer, skirt around Wollongong and take in a pub lunch in the historic township of Kiama.
Kiama is known for the tourist-pulling Kiama Blowhole, a natural rock formation that causes the waves to send jets of water high into the sky when the tides are high. Water rushes through a cave and up through a hole causing such a spray that on a good day can cover an unwary tourist standing behind the safety barriers.
A little further south is the seaside village of Gerringong, again full of a mix of historic homes and modern houses that take full advantage of their seaside position. Gerringong has an Airbnb property called The Pause which was the darling of interior design magazines a few years ago thanks to its Bahamas and Singaporean-inspired styling.
A stay at this five-bedroom retreat doesn’t come cheap but it would definitely be one that you’d be sharing on your socials if you were lucky enough to extend your Illawarra visit.
Near to Gerringong, the tiny town of Berry is yet another place to visit. It has larger accommodation options than most towns in its vicinity that are still under two hours from the Sydney CBD.
Importantly, remember wherever you do end up in the Illawarra to pack your swimwear. Beach culture is big here. Then again, with surf shops all down the coast, maybe it’s time to treat yourself to a new pair.
FAST FACTS
• The Illawarra’s largest city is Wollongong with a population of 240,000
• Headlands Hotel is located in Austinmer approximately 90 minutes from Sydney
• Destination Wollongong can assist with accommodation and itinerary ideas (www.visitwollongong.com.au)
