Kiama parking and getting around without a car

Know how parking works in Kiama

Most parking in Kiama costs nothing. You park on the street or in a council car park and follow the time limit on the sign. The catch is that the town is small and popular, so the spots closest to the Blowhole, the harbour and Terralong Street go early on summer weekends, long weekends and school holidays.

Kiama Council's parking inspectors do patrol. The organisers of the Kiama Seaside Markets warn that inspectors are active around town on market days, and the council regularly reminds drivers about the rules that catch visitors out:

• Park facing the same direction as the traffic, never the wrong way, even briefly.
• Keep off footpaths and nature strips, and leave driveways clear.
• Stay 10 metres back from an intersection without traffic lights, and 20 metres back where there are lights.
• Obey every "No Parking" and "No Stopping" sign.

Things may change. Kiama Council has said it is considering paid parking for visitors to the area and asked the community which locations should be included and how residents could be exempted. No start date or locations have been announced, so read the signs each time you park.

Here is where to leave the car for the places most visitors head to.

Park on Blowhole Point for the Blowhole and Lighthouse

Destination Kiama lists a car park and coach parking at the Kiama Lighthouse on Blowhole Point, which also serves the Kiama Blowhole, the Blowhole Point rock pool, the Pilot's Cottage and the Visitor Information Centre.

It is one of the busiest spots in town and fills up on sunny weekends, long weekends and school holidays. Arrive before about 10am or come back late in the afternoon. If the point is full, park in town and walk up past the harbour.

Kiama Harbour sits just below the point, and Destination Kiama lists a car park there too. On the third Sunday of each month the Kiama Seaside Markets take over Black Beach from 9am to 3pm, and the organisers suggest catching the train, as Kiama station is only a couple of minutes' walk away. See our Kiama markets guide for dates.

Find a spot in the town centre

Terralong Street is Kiama's main shopping street, close to the harbour and Black Beach. Street parking runs along it and the nearby side streets. Weekends are busiest. Check the time limit on the sign before you walk off.

From the apartments it is a 3-minute drive, but the walk is only about 27 minutes, which saves the hunt for a space. For a meal while you are there, our guides to Kiama cafes and where to eat in Kiama cover the main street.

Use the Park&Ride at Kiama station

Kiama station has a Transport Park&Ride, a commuter car park, a wheelchair-accessible space, a kiss and ride drop-off area and a taxi rank, according to Transport NSW.

The Park&Ride entrance is on Bong Bong Street and is operated by Wilson Parking. Its listing says parking is free for up to 18 hours when you make a valid public transport trip with an Opal card, or a credit or debit card linked to a Transport Connect account, tapping on and off. If you don't catch a train or bus, or stay longer than 18 hours, the casual rate is $30 for up to 24 hours on weekdays and $10 on weekends and public holidays. Rates can change, so check before you go.

That makes it a handy base for a day out on the train to Gerringong, Berry or Wollongong.

Park near the beaches

• Easts Beach: there is no car park on the sand. Destination Kiama says to park on Ocean Road, Marsden Street or Tingira Avenue and walk down. It is a 15-minute walk from the apartments, so you can leave the car in the garage. See our Easts Beach guide.
• Kendalls Beach: Kiama Council says parking is off O'Keefe Place. It is a 16-minute walk or a 2-minute drive.
• Surf Beach: the council lists parking at the beach, along with toilets, showers, barbecues and the Coronation Park playground.
• Bombo Beach: Bombo station, one stop north of Kiama, has a commuter car park and a wheelchair-accessible space. See our Bombo guide.
• Seven Mile Beach National Park: NPWS lists two entry points, Beach Road and Crooked River, with parking at the Beach Road picnic area (including accessible parking) and the Gerroa picnic area. See Seven Mile Beach.
• Minnamurra Rainforest: NSW National Parks charges $12 per vehicle per day in the Minnamurra Rainforest area, and the gates open from 9am to 5pm. Check before you go. Read more in our Minnamurra Rainforest guide.

Our Kiama beaches guide compares every beach, including patrol dates and dog rules.

Catch the train along the coast

Kiama is on the South Coast Line from Sydney. Destination Kiama says trains arrive and depart Kiama hourly.

Four stations are useful for visitors:

• Minnamurra: the northern end of the Kiama Coast Walk. Transport NSW lists it as unstaffed, with no Opal top-up or ticket sales, but with bike racks and a kiss and ride area.
• Bombo: the stop for Bombo Beach, with a commuter car park. Also unstaffed, with no ticket sales.
• Kiama: the town centre station, a short walk from Terralong Street, the harbour and Black Beach.
• Gerringong: the stop after Kiama, for the village and Werri Beach.

The train makes one-way walks easy. Walk the Kiama Coast Walk from Minnamurra back into Kiama, or walk south to Gerringong and ride the train home. Opal fares apply, and you can tap on with a contactless card. Timetables change and some services are replaced by buses, so plan each trip on Transport NSW. For the trip down from the city, read our Sydney to Kiama guide.

Ride the local buses

Two bus companies run local services, according to Destination Kiama:

• Kiama Coachlines (02 4232 3466) links Kiama, Jamberoo, Gerringong and Gerroa, on weekdays only.
• Premier Illawarra (02 4271 1322) runs from Kiama and Kiama Downs north to Shellharbour and Wollongong.

Kiama Coachlines does not run on weekends, so check the Transport NSW trip planner or call the operator before you rely on one. For longer trips, Premier Motor Service coaches run daily along the Princes Highway between Sydney and Melbourne.

Get from Kiama to Wollongong

By car: Wollongong is about 35 minutes north of Kiama Ridge Waters, and Destination Kiama puts it at 40 minutes from Kiama. Allow longer on Friday afternoons and at the end of long weekends.

By train: South Coast Line trains run from Kiama to Wollongong. If you drive to the station, the Park&Ride is free for up to 18 hours with your Opal trip.

By bus: Premier Illawarra runs between Kiama and Wollongong via Kiama Downs and Shellharbour. It is slower than the train but stops in more places.

Shellharbour Airport is about 20 minutes from the apartments by car.

Book a taxi or rideshare

Kiama no longer has its own cab company. Kiama Council notes that Kiama Cabs, the local rank-and-hail service for about 30 years, closed in 2023. Book ahead instead, especially for late dinners or early trains. Destination Kiama lists these options:

• Illawarra Taxi Network: (02) 4254 2111
• Berry Taxi: (02) 4464 3181
• Uber: book through the app

Kiama station has a taxi rank, so a train-then-taxi trip back to the apartments is easy when cars are waiting. If you are coming for a wedding or with a big group, book transport well ahead. See our Kiama wedding accommodation page.

Leave the car at Kiama Ridge Waters

Our three-bedroom apartments at 2 Surfleet Place each come with secure garage parking for two cars, and the nearest beaches are close enough to walk, so you skip the hunt for a park. Easts Beach is a 15-minute walk (1.3 km) and Kendalls Beach 16 minutes (1.4 km). Kiama station and the town centre are about 27 minutes on foot (2.2 to 2.3 km), and the Blowhole and Lighthouse about 35 minutes (2.8 to 2.9 km).

By car, Gerringong is about 10 minutes away, Shellharbour Airport about 20, Wollongong about 35 and Sydney's CBD about 1 hour 45 minutes (134 km). Check-in is from 3pm and check-out is by 10am. Compare the apartments, book several apartments together for a group with more than one car, or see our pet-friendly stays: most of our apartments take dogs, with a $200 cleaning fee.