Okay, So Like, Wollongong is...Something
i just got back from wollongong, and honestly? i’m still processing. it wasn’t bad, per se. just… unexpected. i’m a botanist, you see, and i was lured by whispers of rare coastal flora. the reality was a bit more concrete, a bit more…grey.
I’d been chasing rumors of a specific type of coastal daisy, Asterospartum australis, supposedly thriving in a little-known patch near the *harbor. Turns out, the “little-known patch” is basically a scrubby bit of land next to a car park. Still, I found a few! (pics below, obviously).
The weather? It’s… damp. I just checked and it’s drizzling a persistent, clinging kind of drizzle. Like the air itself is sighing. The temperature’s hovering around eleven degrees, feels like even less. Humidity’s insane - ninety-four percent. My hair is a disaster. I’m pretty sure my camera lens is permanently fogged.
I spent a lot of time wandering around North Wollongong Beach. It’s…big. Really big. And full of people doing things. Surfing, mostly. And a surprising number of people just…staring at the ocean. I get it, I guess. It’s vast.
Someone told me that the surf reports are wildly inaccurate. Apparently, they’re sponsored by a local surf shop and always exaggerate the wave size. Drunk advice, probably, but I filed it away. I also heard that the sea baths are a bit of a tourist trap, overpriced and crowded. Yelp seems to agree. Check it out here.
If you get bored, Sydney and Canberra are just a short drive away. I considered popping over to Canberra for a quick museum visit, but the drizzle was really getting to me.
I did find a surprisingly good coffee shop, though. “Bean Around the Block” on Crown Street. Seriously, go there. The flat white was chef’s kiss. TripAdvisor reviews are solid.
I also stumbled upon a little vintage shop, “Retro Revival,” tucked away on Keira Street. It was a chaotic mess of 80s dresses and chipped teacups, but I managed to snag a killer denim jacket for twenty bucks. Definitely worth a look if you’re into that sort of thing. They have an Instagram page.
“Apparently, the best fish and chips in town is at ‘Seaview Takeaway,’ but you have to queue for an hour. And the seagulls are ruthless.”
“Don’t even think about parking near the lighthouse on weekends. You’ll be circling for hours.”
Honestly, wollongong isn’t going to blow your mind. It’s not a postcard-perfect paradise. But it has a certain… grit. A quiet resilience. And the Asterospartum australis* were pretty spectacular, even if they were surrounded by a car park. I’m already thinking about going back in spring to see what else is blooming. Maybe I’ll bring a raincoat. And a bigger camera bag. And possibly a therapist.
Oh, and one last thing: someone warned me about the drop bears. Apparently, they’re a real threat. I didn’t see any, but I kept looking up. Just in case. Local forum discussing drop bear sightings.
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