During my visit to the Helensburgh temple, I visited the Sea cliff bridge. It is one of those bridges that is unique and a major tourist attraction in the New South Wales (NSW) state of Australia.
For fun big things to see along the way in NSW, read 11 big things to see in NSW.
About the Sea Cliff bridge
The Sea Cliff Bridge is a highlight on the Grand Pacific Drive. It is located in the northern Illawarra region of NSW of Australia. It is about 665 meters in length and was opened in December 2005. The bridge was named by a 11 year old school girl Makenzie Russell following a naming competition at a local primary school. And the cost to build the bridge was around 52 million Australian dollars.
The Grand Pacific drive is a 140 kilometres of scenic drive covering the coastal cities of Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama and Shoalhaven.
The best time to visit the bridge is during the sunset as the views are stunning. The reflections and the glare of the sunset is extremely pretty and provides great opportunities to take pictures.
How to get to Sea Cliff bridge?
As I mentioned earlier in the post, I have always driven to the Sea cliff bridge and had breath taking views of the coastal line. The Sea cliff bridge is around 60 kilometres from Sydney and takes just over an hour to drive.
The Sea cliff bridge can also be reached by public transport, which is train. The train that goes to the south coast, departing from the Central train station in Sydney stops at Scarborough train station. One can also get down at the Coalcliff train station. The Scarborough train station is just 1.8 kilometres and Coalcliff train station is just 15 minutes steep walk from the Sea Cliff bridge. Up-to-date information on the timings, pricing and route for trains can be found on the Transport for NSW website.
Note: The train fare can be paid by either the Opal transportation card or credit/ debit cards.
Sea Cliff bridge walk
Yes, one can walk on the Sea cliff bridge. There is a walkway just along the coast where people can walk and take pictures. Be careful of the vehicles while crossing the highway.
- The cars can be limitedly parked at the north end of the bridge.
The view from the Bald hill is awesome. You can see the bridge very clearly and see how it protrudes towards the ocean. The Bald hill is also a great place for paragliding adventurous activity.
There is also a Sea Cliff bridge lookout. The hike to the lookout is a short but steep hike. The hike is very less known and not many people do the hike. It requires holding the ropes and a good grip to get to the lookout. There are yellow markings along the way that shows the path.
Closing Notes
The Sea cliff bridge is truly worth visiting and driving on. The views of the ocean and the architectural design is very interesting. I have driven on this bridge many a times but I still get excited every time I drive and see the bridge.
For a remarkable coastal drive along the east coast of Australia, read Ultimate road trip on the east coast of Australia.
Have you visited the Sea cliff bridge? Do you like the views? Let me know in the comments below.
Great shots of this bridge. We drove this stretch a couple of years ago and it’s an amazing drive.
Thank you so much! Yes, it is a beautiful drive. 🙂
The Sea Cliff Bridge does look like it would have amazing views, plus I love the graceful curves of the bridge. Reminds meof the Coronado Bridge in San Diego! Fun that they let children enter a naming contest for the bridge…
What an interesting looking bridge. It seems to hug the contours of the shore. Great to get back and see this view from afar. I would like to walk the bridge but would be wary of traffic. But not sure I would do the steep hike to the lookout. Definitely a spot to visit in NSW.
You pix of the bridge are quite impressive. I haven’t been to Australia – from Europe, it’s sooo far. However, I think you cannot be a real globetrotter without making it to Australia, too – so I might have the chance to see this bridge one day in person 😉
What a cool find. I love minor or lesser known non touristy things to see or do like exploring a part of the road that just has awesome views like the Sea Cliff Bridge. Love that you can park and walk either along the view road or even make it to the lesser known lookout point to capture all of the beauty. Besides the views and capturing an awesome sunset are there marine animals or fish to see?
Sea cliff bridge looks so impressive! It’s truly spectacular. I would love to take a drive and take pictures there!
Seeing cliff bridge in person looks like a great!! The scenery is beautiful and I like the fact you can walk around the area and stay active!!