---
title: "A long weekend in the northern Illawarra: 3-day itinerary · Norilla Coast"
description: "A three-night itinerary for the northern Illawarra: Friday train from Sydney to Monday drive home, with swims, walks, lunches and lookouts from Stanwell Park to Bulli."
url: https://norillacoast.com/weekend/
updated: 2026-11-09
publisher: Norilla Coast
---
Three nights, nine villages

# The long weekend, sorted.

Friday train, Monday drive home. A plan that hits every village without rushing any of them. Swap days around to follow the weather.

## How should you spend a long weekend in the northern Illawarra?

Base yourself in Thirroul and work outwards: the north end on Saturday, the middle on Sunday, the south end on Monday as you head home. Swim early, eat long lunches, and leave the afternoons loose.

## The weekend at a glance

| Day | Area | Highlights |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Friday](#friday) | Thirroul | Train down, dinner on the main street |
| [Saturday](#saturday) | North end | Sea Cliff Bridge sunrise, Coalcliff pool, Bald Hill, lunch at Scarborough, Wombarra pool |
| [Sunday](#sunday) | Middle | Austinmer pools, Sublime Point climb, coast walk to Thirroul, a show at Anita’s |
| [Monday](#monday) | South end | Sandon Point, Bulli rock pool, Coledale picnic, Bulli Lookout on the way home |

Day 1

## Friday

Get out of the city

1. 4:30pm

    ### [South Coast Line from Central](https://norillacoast.com/getting-here/)

    Beat the traffic and take the train. Sit on the left-hand side heading south. After Otford the line comes out of the tunnels onto the cliffs above Stanwell Park.

2. 6:15pm

    ### [Check in at Thirroul](https://norillacoast.com/villages/thirroul/)

    The best base for a first visit. You can walk to the beach, the pool, dinner and the station.

3. 7:30pm

    ### Dinner on the main street

    Thirroul has the widest choice of restaurants on the stretch. Book ahead on long weekends.

Day 2

## Saturday

Up the coast

1. 6:00am

    ### [Sunrise on the Sea Cliff Bridge](https://norillacoast.com/villages/clifton/)

    Drive or grab a cab to Clifton and walk out over the water as the sun comes up behind the swell.

2. 7:00am

    ### [Swim at Coalcliff](https://norillacoast.com/villages/coalcliff/)

    The rock pool below the cliffs is a short walk from the north end of the bridge.

3. 9:00am

    ### [Bald Hill, then breakfast](https://norillacoast.com/villages/stanwell-park/)

    Watch the hang gliders set up, then head down to Stanwell Park for coffee and a walk along the beach.

4. 12:00pm

    ### [Long lunch at Scarborough](https://norillacoast.com/villages/scarborough/)

    Get a table on the lawn at the Scarborough Hotel. Stay for a second round.

5. 4:00pm

    ### [Nap. Then Wombarra pool.](https://norillacoast.com/villages/wombarra/)

    A late swim in the quietest pool on the coast while the escarpment turns gold.

Day 3

## Sunday

Climb, swim, walk

1. 7:00am

    ### [Austinmer before the crowds](https://norillacoast.com/villages/austinmer/)

    Swim in the pools by the boat harbour while the car park is still empty.

2. 8:30am

    ### Climb to Sublime Point

    Steep, short and in shade in the morning. The lookout shows you every beach you have swum at so far.

3. 11:30am

    ### [Coast walk to Thirroul](https://norillacoast.com/villages/thirroul/)

    Follow the path and rock platforms south. Check the tide, and stop at Thirroul pool for laps.

4. 7:00pm

    ### A show at Anita’s

    See what is on at the old 1920s theatre on the main street, or find a pub with a band.

Day 4

## Monday

Slow drive home

1. 8:00am

    ### [Walk to Sandon Point and Bulli](https://norillacoast.com/villages/bulli/)

    Watch the surfers at the point, then carry on to Bulli for a last swim in the rock pool.

2. 11:00am

    ### [Coledale for a picnic](https://norillacoast.com/villages/coledale/)

    Lawns behind the pool, and the campers packing up around you.

3. 2:00pm

    ### Up Bulli Pass and home

    Stop at the lookout at the top for one more look, then join the motorway. Leave before 3 to miss the worst of the return traffic.

Plan B

## If it rains.

Storms here roll off the escarpment fast and often clear just as fast. Watch the southerly come up the coast from a pub window in Scarborough or Clifton.

The waterfalls on the escarpment run hardest after rain, but tracks get slippery and some close. Stay on the coast and check NSW National Parks alerts before heading up.

A matinee at Anita’s, a long breakfast in Thirroul, and a swim anyway. The ocean pools are just as good in the rain.

## Long weekend FAQs

### Is three days enough for the northern Illawarra?

Yes. Three days lets you swim at most of the ocean pools, walk the Sea Cliff Bridge and one escarpment track, and eat in every village without rushing.

### Where should you stay for a long weekend?

Thirroul, for a first visit. It is central, has the most restaurants, and has a station, so you can do much of the itinerary on foot and by train.

### Do you need a car for this itinerary?

Not for most of it. Saturday morning at the north end is easiest with a car or a cab, and the rest works by train and on foot.

### What if it rains?

Storms here often clear quickly. Spend the wet spells in a pub in Scarborough or Clifton, catch a film at Anita’s Theatre in Thirroul, and swim anyway: the ocean pools are just as good in the rain.