Discover Kiama

Kiama combines striking coastal experiences with insights into maritime history, art and nature. A specific starting point for your discoveries is the Kiama Blowhole at Blowhole Point Road, Blowhole Point, Kiama NSW 2533. Water jets more than 30 metres high have been recorded there. Several accessible viewing platforms offer different perspectives on the blowhole. This lets you combine a natural experience with cultural and creative interests, rather than limiting your trip to just one way of exploring.

Coast, walks and nature

If you’d rather explore a route than focus on a single lookout, the Kiama Coast Walk offers a different way to experience the coast. It is about 20 kilometres long: starting at the mouth of the Minnamurra River in the north, it passes through the town of Kiama and ends at Werri Beach in Gerringong in the south. The approximate length and stated endpoints give you a clear idea of the walk’s scale and route. When planning a holiday rental in Kiama, it may therefore be helpful to consider whether a coastal walk or individual experiences in town will be the focus of your stay.

The Bonaira Native Gardens offer another way to explore nature in Kiama. You can explore them on foot or by bicycle. A path runs across the forest floor, with signs identifying different plant species. This makes the gardens different in how they are explored from the coastal walk and viewing platforms: the focus here is a path through the forest and using the labels to identify plants. If you’re interested in plants, this gives you a specific reason to include the gardens in your travel plans.

Maritime history and art

The Pilot’s Cottage Museum shares Kiama’s maritime history. Visitors can also learn about the cedar-getters, basalt quarry workers and dairy farmers who settled in the Kiama area. These different occupations provide several historical points of interest during a visit to the museum. If you’re interested in the town’s development, you can connect maritime history here with insights into the work and lives of those who settled in the area.

Another historical landmark is the Kiama Lighthouse, which began operating on 1 January 1887. For an exploration focused on the town centre, the Kiama Heritage Walk brochure maps historically significant sights there. The lighthouse and brochure thus offer different ways to explore Kiama and its history: one through a precisely dated event, the other through a map of sights in the centre.

Get creative at the Kiama Ceramic Art Studio. Award-winning ceramic artist Fran Smith creates an innovative selection of studio pottery there, ranging from functional ceramics to sculptural art and from unconventional to traditional vessels. Fran also offers pottery classes that can be booked through her website. They cater to beginners, intermediate potters and experienced potters. When planning your trip, you can choose between viewing ceramics and trying pottery yourself.

The Sevenmarks Gallery is a contemporary art space in Kiama. It supports established and experimental artists and offers striking art experiences. Together with the ceramic studio, it offers a variety of ways to engage with art: the gallery focuses on an art space featuring different artists, while the studio includes both studio pottery and bookable pottery classes.

If you’d like to explore Kiama without visiting in person, the “My Place: A Digital Tour of Kiama” app takes you on a virtual tour of the town’s highlights. It includes 15 attractions, six audio features and a navigation time of about 45 minutes. The app is available for iPhone, iPad and Android. It therefore offers a digital complement to the historic sights in the town centre mapped in the Kiama Heritage Walk brochure.

Discover more local pages here: Kosciuszko National Park, Clarence Town, Collector, Hannam Vale, Milperra, Tuross Head, North Star and Surf Beach.

For the broader travel overview: New South Wales.