The Grand Pacific Drive road trip is a mere 140 kilometre long however, it is one of the most scenic coastal drives in New South Wales. Starting in the Royal National Park, south of Sydney, the road hugs the NSW coastline and takes you over the Sea Cliff Bridge and through some gorgeous rainforests and coastal townships before ending in Nowra in the Shoalhaven region.

Being only 140 kilometres you would expect to drive the Grand Pacific Drive in about 1.5 hours, and you can, if you don’t stop. However, it would be seriously wrong of you not to stop to enjoy some of Australia’s best coastline. 

In this post I am taking you on a road trip of the Grand Pacific Drive. Starting in the Royal National Park and ending in Nowra in the Shoalhaven. It is a drive I have driven many times and the scenery never gets old! Come with me and discover it for yourself

Grand Pacific Drive

road sign showing the Grand Pacific Drive route I saw along the road

Starting at Sutherland, a suburb south of Sydney, you will drive through parts of The Royal National Park, the oldest national park in Australia. After you pass Heathcote on the main road, make sure you take the exit to The Old Princes Highway. It leaves the main highway to the right. Ensure you are in the right lane because often people don’t let you change lanes to reach the exit in time – and you might otherwise miss this spectacular drive. Though if you do, there is another exit shortly up the road.

Symbio Wildlife Park

Once on The Old Princes Highway you wind your way through the bushland of The Royal National Park. You pass the entrance to the Woronora Dam – which provides the water supply to Sydney’s southern suburbs and also the northern suburbs of the Illawarra region. It is usually open to visit but at the moment, it is closed for an upgrade. Pressing on on this Grand Pacific Drive road trip, you reach the Symbio Wildlife Park. 

Symbol Wildlife Park is a zoo set on 16 acres of manicured gardens. You could spend a few hours getting up close and personal with many ‘Aussie’ animals here. So if you fancy cuddling a koala pop in. You can visit the Symbol Wildlife Park website for more details here and to book your visit.

Bald Hill Lookout, Stanwell Tops

If you don’t pop into the zoo, keep driving and follow the signs to Bald Hill Lookout at Stanwell Tops. Here there are fabulous views of the Pacific Ocean, Stanwell Park Beach below, the Sea Cliff Bridge and down the South Coast. I would say, this is one of my favourite spots on this Grand Pacific Drive road trip. When the weather is nice, I can sit here for ages.

Bald Hill Lookout is a popular spot for road trippers, particularly on sunny days, so expect it to be busy. There is often a food van with ice creams and you can sit on the grass and have a great vantage spot to watch the hang gliders and paragliders. Yes, that’s right, so don’t forget to look up while looking at the ocean! Stanwell Tops has long been a popular spot for hang gliders and paragliders to launch from. If you are lucky you will see them setting up the hang glider before taking off. 

If you would like to try hang gliding check outt HanglideOz Tel: 0417 939 200.

TIP: I highly suggest not wearing a skirt as it can be very windy at Stanwell Tops. Believe me, it is very hard to take a photo and hold your skirt down at the same time!

Tid Bit: This area is part of world aviation history. Stanwell Park is where Australian aeronautical pioneer Lawrence Hargrave first flew his box kite on 12 November 1894. And this is why you drive along Lawrence Hargrave Drive.

It’s only 10 minutes drive down the hill to Stanwell Park Beach – where you might want to dip your toes in the ocean. The beach has a great grass area to spread out on a picnic blanket or fire up one of the barbecues. Or just have a relaxing sit on the beach. But I suggest the Sea Cliff Bridge beckons.

great views from Bald Hill at Stanwell Tops over the NSW coastline

Sea Cliff Bridge

The Sea Cliff Bridge is a section of the Grand Pacific Drive. The bridge was built in 2005 at a cost $52 million. It replaced a very dangerous section of the previous road that hugged the coast that was prone to rockfalls. You can actually see the old road from the bridge and you will see exactly what I mean when you visit. 

The new s-shape road cantilevers out over the ocean and links the coastal villages of Coalcliff and Clifton. In fact, the Sea Cliff Bridge is only one of seven off-shore ‘parallel to coast’ bridges in the world. It consists of 2 lanes for traffic, a cycleway and walkway. You may have seen it on TV as the bridge is used in many TV commercials, particularly car commercials.

At 456 metres long, it takes a mere 15-20 seconds to cross by car. And there is nowhere to turn around to drive it again. And if you blink you will miss it. Therefore, I suggest you park and walk the length of the bridge to really appreciate this engineering feet and the beauty around you.

There is parking along the side of the road at both ends of the bridge. It only takes about 15 minutes to walk the entire length of the bridge. But if you will be stopping for photos, and need to walk back to your car, budget at least one hour, or more, to fit this in. 

The scenery is spectacular. One side is cliff face and the other side is the Pacific Ocean. And if you look over the fencing you can see the waves hitting the rocks below. Very impressive!

Walk along the Sea Cliff Bridge for fabulous views along the NSW coast and the escarpment

Visit Quaint Coastal Villages

After you have walked the Sea Cliff Bridge, hop back into your car and drive further along the coast road and visit some of the quaint villages of Clifton, Wombarra, Scarborough, Coledale, Austinmer and Thirroul. Each offer their own charm. Thirroul has a great beach if you are in need of cooling off. The road has very dramatic views of beaches with a beautiful cliff escarpment to the other side of the road. Some people compare this drive with the Great Ocean Road. Having driven both, the Great Ocean Road, is longer, windier and has many more spectacular sites! Well, that is my opinion – I hope you find out for yourself!

If you are looking for somewhere for lunch, you can’t go past the Scarborough Hotel. This hotel, dating back to 1886, is perched above the sea and offers sensational views along the coastline, both north to Sydney and south. It is a great place to enjoy a meal. Visit the Scarborough Hotel website to book a table. But there are plenty of cafes and restaurants to eat at in the villages, find a car space and get a spot with an ocean view!

More Quaint Coastal Villages

After lunch head further south passing through Wollongong suburbs of Port Kembla, Winding and Shellharbour to coastal towns of Minamurra and Kiama to see the Kiama Blowhole. Followed by Gerringong, Gerroa, Berry and finally Nowra. Nowra is the end of the Grand Pacific Drive, but it is the doorstep to many areas on the South Coast including Jervis Bay and the Southern Highlands. You could continue down the Princes Highway to Melbourne.

visit seaside towns of Kiama and Gerroa

What to Take for Your Road Trip of the Grand Pacific Drive

As with any road trip pack some road trip snacks for the car trip. You could take a packed lunch as there are plenty of spots for a picnic. And don’t forget to do some quick car checks first! As well as snacks take a water bottle and dress appropriately for the weather. Wear comfortable walking shoes and clothes, take a light jacket as it can get really windy and cool on the coast. Even on hot summer days the wind can blow which is why hanggliders love Bald Hill, Stanwell Tops!

Are You Ready to drive the Grand Pacific Drive?

A drive along the Grand Pacific Drive is a great way to see some spectacular NSW coastline. It could be an easy day trip from Sydney or be turned into a longer trip. Whichever you decide, road tripping along the Grand Pacific Drive road trip should be added to your bucket list of road trips to discover while discovering Australia.