Living in Sydney is such a great experience. I love being able to get in and out of the city and northern beaches easily. Even more so, I love being able to explore other parts of New South Wales with ease. A day trip to Kiama and Bombo is the perfect getaway that isn’t too far to travel round trip from Sydney. It’s easy to get to Kiama from Central station, you only have to take one train! I decided to head to the farthest destination first, then hit Bombo on the way back home since it’s just a stop before Kiama.
Kiama
Kiama is a small town known to home one of the largest blowholes in the world with sprays up to 82 feet in the air! When visiting the blowhole it’s best at high tide, so be sure to lookup the times before you plan your trip around it. I visited a few hours before high tide so I could explore the area. There are plenty of sites to view around the headland, so you’ll have things to do while you wait.
There is a lighthouse at the top of the hill before the blowhole platform. There are two large viewing platforms, one at the top of the hill overlooking the opening to the blowhole, and another level with the top of the blowhole (you can get wet if the sprays are large enough). Past the platforms, you can walk to a path that shows the entrance cave of the blowhole. It’s surreal to listen to the waves from the outside be sucked into the cavern, but also very eerie!
There is also a smaller Blowhole in Kiama on Little Blowhole Reserve a few minutes drive south of the main blowhole. I didn’t visit it on my trip, but reviews state that the effect of the Little Blowhole is worth taking a trip to see.
Kiama Blowhole Point
Exploring the Kiama Blowhole Point area was interesting to say at the least. The rocks are latite and you feel like you’re walking on a volcanoe. Which is almost true since Kiama is at the site of two volcanic flows, but the vents are no longer functioning. The headland is comprised of a series of basalt columns. They are extraordinary, but nothing compared to the columns you can find in the next town over in Bombo.
Bombo Headland
Getting to Bombo from Kiama is easy, it’s the first stop away heading back to Sydney. The Bombo station is pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Once you get off the station, hang a right down the highway and walk until you find a staircase leading you down. Then take another right and you’ll find yourself making your way towards Bombo Headland Beach.
The Boneyard
The first area past the beach is The Boneyard in Bombo Quarry Kiama Downs. When I went, it was close to sunset and the boneyard was at high tide. The water was rough and violent and the moodiness of it added to the strangeness of its name.
There are all kinds of rocks in The Boneyard. The area used to be a mining quarry, so a lot of the rocks are shaped. There are many basalt columns (which are more defined than the ones you’ll find at Kiama Blowhole Point), there are also purple rocks and huge rock formations. One rock formation in particular reminded me of being at the Thunder Mountain Ride at Disney World.
Another rock formation on a hill looks like it could match those in Ireland. There were a few people who mounted the hill, but I decided to save that for my next trip.
When you walk out of The Boneyard, follow the path to the right for a truly stunning area. This area in particular is an extremely popular spot for nature and wedding photos. It’s interesting that Kiama feels like walking on a volcanoe while walking through the Boneyard made me feel like I was walking on the moon.
After I left The Boneyard, I wanted to visit the famous Cathedral Rocks. I only saw them from atop the hill. Next time I’ll visit them from the Jones Beach point – there is a cave you can visit to take great photos of the rocks.
More
The trip from Central to Kiama station is roughly a little over 3 hours. If planned correctly, you can see both Kiama and Bombo in the same day. Although while you’re down there, you may want to plan a night so you can see the sunrise from Cathedral Rocks. Being in Kiama and Bombo makes you feel like you aren’t in Australia at all, so I recommend visiting these different sites to get a different feel of the land down under. Be sure to add a day trip to Kiama and Bombo to your list!
