Kiama, NSW 2533

Kiama boasts a very friendly population of 22,000. A beautiful coastal town surrounded by pastures and forests with only a129 km drive south to Sydney, 30 minutes to Wollongong and 15 minutes to Shellharbour. It has that great small town feel and comfort with the convenience of a big city close by.

With plenty of scenic walking trails surrounding the town and a handful of gorgeous beaches there is always somewhere different to go to quench your outdoor thirst. The main street has a very beachy feel with plenty of cafe's and shop's to browse and a great park across the street for picnics or a play on the play gym for the little ones.

For a small town Kiama has all that you really need for shopping...a Woolworths, Priceline, clothing stores and a gas station plus many more. Entertainment is fun and popular with a number of pubs, clubs and trendy restaurants.

Overall I've found Kiama to be a very family orientated, friendly and safe community.

My wife and I purchased in Kiama having fallen in love with the town. But unfortunately we have had our property stolen twice in as many months. Once from our garage, and once from our front door porch.
The first time I was disappointed, now I am angry !
Poor community spirit (to take from newcomers). Shame !

Kiama was a pretty country town with the main industries being farming, quarrying and fishing. Years ago Sydney discovered Kiama and the town slowly became a tourist mecca. While the natural beauty is still there - the surf, great beaches, beautiful countryside, the character and heritage of Kiama is quickly becoming destroyed and the village atmosphere lost with traffic jams and no parking. More and more heritage buildings are being pulled down, so enormous monolithic 1 bedroom rentals, can swamp the town. Great for a visit, but just becoming another suburban ghetto, filled with cafes, tourist and dress shops.

The blow hole & light house is a must see! Amazing blue ocean (bring your jacket as it can get windy)

A really good area for young families. Lots of scenic outdoor activities to do, sports and markets. Generally safe area. Good eating out options. It's also perfect for a short holiday by the beach.

A great place to unwind with so much greenery and nature to sink into. It is a nice vacation spot so imagine waking up everyday to that fact. Families would love it here especially those with children.

Kiama is an awesome place on the south coast of NSW it is wonky a couple of hours from Sydney. As well as having good beaches, shops, health and people.

Kiama is a really nice place. The locals are friendly and you feel as if you don't need to lock your car. There are numerous trendy places to dine and the town has great beaches and oodles of charm.

The Private school is very nice and the shopping complex is adequate, if a little expensive.

My only gripe is that it's nye on impossible to get petrol afterhours.

Kiama is a town of contradictions. On the one hand, it's beautiful and full of those distinctive South Coast houses of wooden constructruction (a kind of layered board effect) in a faintly Victorian style with the quintessential Aussie balcony. There's such a lovely seaside vibe colliding with a strong sense of recent history. The South Coast region was once full of cedar and timber was a major industry within the region, and the remains of this past can be seen in the beautiful trees lining the Kiama foreshore.

Overlaid upon this charming scene is the aforementioned 'other hand', which is the high drama of the sea crashing in against Kiama's high cliffs. Most spectacular of all is the Kiama 'blowhole', which claims at least one tourist every year as they are drawn down to investigate the exciting depths of the hole in the rock through which mighty bursts of sea spray are thrust. Bad idea. Best idea is to stand politely by the blowhole and just enjoy the smell of the salt and the energy of the sea.

The nicest way to get to Kiama from Sydney is via train from Central Station. The train journey travels down the Illawarra Escarpment with amazing views of the ocean as it appears from behind the green of a State Forest. It is a longish trip (more than two hours) but totally worth it.

Nowra is a town just south of Wollongong, about two hours' drive from Sydney. It is famous and a favourite tourist spot because of the blow hole. Everybody waits around for a big splash and the water just spurts out everywhere. Sometimes you get some really bad days where the water is no where to be seen, and sometimes it spurts real high. It is not as fun as before since now you have to stand behind the fencing because some stupid tourist fell in the hole a two decades ago which spoiled the fun for everbody else. Other than that, Nowra has a lot of facilities like hardware shops and lots of shopping centres to service the locals.

Kiama is a town on the Princes Highway south of Sydney between Wollongong and Nowra. Once on the main road south you now have to turn off the motor way to get into town yet it is a nice place to visit either for a rest stop or for a holiday. Kiama is well known for the Kiama Blow Hole and beautiful beaches. There is good fishing both for boat and land based. There are some great walks with plenty of scenery, enjoy the markets and wineries in the area. Drive along the coast to picturesque towns and view the coastline or head inland to places like Jamberoo and the Minnamurra Rainforest. There are plenty of caravan parks and motels in the area for all your accommodation needs as well as plenty of shops and food outlets.

Kiama is one of the most beautiful places in New South Wales. I have travelled to many country towns around New South Wales and I have to say that this town takes my breath away each and every single time.

When you are driving towards Kiama from Sydney, you know that you are closing in on this gorgeous town when you are in full view of the beautiful coast on the top of the hill. You will come by this bend and thereafter, be greeted by sweeping views of the deep blue sea that charaterises the South Coast of New South Wales. There are plenty of beautiful houses located within Kiama and people around Kiama seem pretty friendly.

The town centre is just like any other town centre with modest shops, cafes and resturants. During the summer months, traffic into and out of Kiama can get very congested as holiday makers try to either make their way to their destination or to return to Sydney. Kiama is a great place to bring the family and also a great place to retire too.