Free things to do in Kiama, from blowholes to rock pools

See what's free and how far it is

Kiama's headline sights cost nothing. You pay for parking in some spots, food and anything you buy at the markets, but the coast itself is open to everyone. Here is the short list, with times measured from Kiama Ridge Waters at 2 Surfleet Place.

Bring a reusable bottle. Destination Kiama says there are free water refill stations along the Kiama Coast Walk and elsewhere in town, and Hindmarsh Park has a drinking fountain.

Watch both blowholes, any time of day

Destination Kiama says there is no charge to view either blowhole, and you can visit both 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Which one performs depends on the sea, so check the swell before you choose.

The Kiama Blowhole on Blowhole Point Road, next to the lighthouse, works hardest when the swell runs from the south-east, with plumes recorded at over 30 metres. Blowhole Point has accessible viewing platforms, a car park, a picnic area and public toilets. Our Kiama Blowhole guide covers timing and safety.

The Little Blowhole on Tingira Crescent prefers a north-east swell. It is the closer of the two, about a 20-minute walk (1.6 km) from the apartments, or 4 minutes by car. Stay behind the fences at both: waves wash over the rock platforms without warning.

Walk the lighthouse grounds on Blowhole Point

Kiama Lighthouse has stood 36.5 metres above sea level on Blowhole Point since 1887. The tower itself is closed to visitors, but the grounds around it are open, and there is no entry fee to wander the point, take photos and look down over the harbour. The old Assistant Keeper's House beside it is now the Pilot's Cottage Museum, run by the Kiama Historical Society and open Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 3pm.

The Kiama Visitor Information Centre is on the same point and opens daily except Christmas Day. Drop in for local advice, or download the free Kiama Coast Walk map before you go. See our Kiama Lighthouse guide for its history.

Walk a section of the Kiama Coast Walk

The Kiama Coast Walk runs about 20 km from the mouth of the Minnamurra River, through Kiama, to Werri Beach in Gerringong. It is free and made up of shorter linked walks, so pick one section rather than the whole thing:

• North: Minnamurra River to Kiama Blowhole, 8.5 km, about 3 hours, medium.
• Mid: Kiama Blowhole to Loves Bay, 6 km, about 1.5 hours, medium to hard.
• South: Loves Bay to Gerringong, 6 km, about 2 hours, medium to hard, with plenty of climbs.

The north section starts at Minnamurra station, so you can catch the train up and walk back into town. The south section leaves from Loves Bay, near Easts Beach, which is close to the apartments. Destination Kiama notes the Gerringong Bowling Club runs a Walk + Eat + Ride lunch special that includes a lift back to Kiama if you spend at least $20 there. Call (02) 4234 1414 to check.

Fill up at the free water stations along the way, take your rubbish with you, and read our Kiama Coast Walk guide or the wider walks in Kiama list.

Swim at the beaches and ocean rock pools

Every beach in Kiama is free. Easts Beach is a 15-minute walk from the apartments and Kendalls Beach is 16 minutes. Surf Beach sits in the middle of town. Swim between the flags when the beach is patrolled, and check Beachsafe for patrol times and hazards first.

Kiama also has free ocean rock pools:

• Continental Pool: a 50 m pool at the north end of Black Beach Reserve, with child change facilities, amenities and disabled access. Park on Shoalhaven Street.
• Blowhole Point Pool: on the north side of Blowhole Point, with a rock floor and a shallow wading area that suits young children.
• Boat Harbour and South Werri (Ourie) pools: two more in Gerringong, about 10 minutes' drive south.

Ocean pools change with the tide and swell, so look before you jump in. Our Kiama rock pools guide and Kiama beaches guide have the detail.

Explore Bombo Headland and Cathedral Rocks

Two free geological sights sit just north of town. At Bombo Headland, blue metal quarrying in the 1880s and 1900s left tall basalt columns that Destination Kiama says feel like walking on the moon. Council's reserve is off Cliff Drive, with parking off Hutchison Street in Kiama Downs, and has unpaved walking tracks. The site does not suit people with access needs, so wear shoes with grip. There is also an off-leash dog area on the headland, overlooking Bombo Beach.

Cathedral Rocks are basalt stacks at the southern end of Jones Beach, about 9 minutes' drive (7.6 km) from the apartments. Explore them from the sand at low tide, or look down from the Coast Walk above. Both spots are popular with photographers at sunrise. See our Bombo, Cathedral Rocks and Kiama sunrise and sunset guides.

Drive up to Saddleback Mountain and the lookouts

Saddleback Mountain lookout on Jack Cleary Memorial Drive is free and about 9 minutes' drive (6.8 km) from the apartments. On a clear day you see from Cronulla in the north to Milton in the south. The north-facing platform is off the main car park, and a second platform is a little further up. The drive passes some of the area's historic dry stone walls.

For a free bush walk, the Hoddles Track starts at the lookout and follows green marker posts west into the escarpment. It is steep and can be slippery, so wear proper shoes. Destination Kiama lists it as closed because of fallen trees and track maintenance, so check before you go.

Closer to the coast, Mt Pleasant Lookout looks south over Gerringong, and the Sir Charles Kingsford Smith Memorial overlooks Seven Mile Beach, where the first flight across the Tasman Sea set off. Our Kiama lookouts guide and Saddleback Mountain guide list them all.

Spot whales from free lookouts, May to November

Humpbacks head north past Kiama from about May to July and come back south with their calves from September to November. You don't need a cruise to see them. Destination Kiama names six land-based spots, from south to north:

• Black Head Reserve, Gerroa
• Gerringong whale watching platform
• Blowhole Point, Kiama
• Kiama Harbour, where whales sometimes come close to shore
• Bombo Headland
• Minnamurra whale watching platform, on the Coast Walk

Blowhole Point and the harbour are about a 35-minute walk or 5 minutes' drive from the apartments, and Minnamurra Headland is about 12 minutes by car. NSW National Parks' Wild About Whales app posts recent sightings. More in our whale watching Kiama guide.

Spend a free afternoon in town

Hindmarsh Park at 107 Terralong Street is Kiama's town park. Its playground was upgraded in 2024 and now has rope towers, slides, an inclusive trampoline and seesaw, an accessible carousel, a climbing wall, sand and water play and toddler springers. You'll also find a barbecue, picnic tables and shelters, shade, toilets and a drinking fountain. It is a good base for things to do in Kiama with kids.

From the park, walk down to the harbour, then along Collins Street to the historic terrace houses, built for quarry workers in 1886 and now home to eateries, craft, collectables and clothing shops. Browsing costs nothing. See our Kiama Harbour guide for the rest of the waterfront.

Catch a free film, talk or market

Kiama Library at 7 Railway Parade runs Friday Flicks, a free film for ages 15 and over on the third Friday of each month, from 3pm to 5pm. The remaining 2026 dates are 20 November and 18 December. Bookings are essential and open at 9.30am on the 1st of each month through the library website, or call (02) 4233 1133. The library also runs free programs such as Baby Storytime at Kiama and Toddler Tales at Gerringong Library.

Every Monday from 2pm to 4pm, Kiama U3A hosts free talks at the North Kiama Neighbourhood Centre, 28 Meehan Drive. Destination Kiama lists them on its What's On page.

The markets are free to browse:

• Kiama Farmers' Market: every Wednesday at Coronation Park on Manning Street, beside Surf Beach: 3pm to 6pm in daylight saving time, 2pm to 5pm the rest of the year. In wet weather it moves to Kiama Uniting Church. It is a 23-minute walk from the apartments.
• Kiama Seaside Markets: Black Beach Reserve, third Sunday of the month, 9am to 3pm. Coming up: 15 November, an extra market on 29 November, and 20 December.
• Gerringong Rotary Markets: third Saturday, 8.30am to 1.30pm.
• Jamberoo Village Markets: last Sunday, 9am to 1pm.

Times change, so check before you go. Our Kiama markets guide and Kiama events guide track what's on, and Kiama Council lists community events on its events page.

Visit the free museum in Gerringong

Ten minutes' drive south, the Gerringong Heritage Museum at 10 Blackwood Street tells the story of the town in the old School of Arts building. Entry is free, with donations welcome. It opens Friday and Saturday, 11am to 3pm, and children 12 and under must come with an adult. Pair it with Werri Beach and the South Werri pool. See our Gerringong guide.

Know which nearby sights charge a fee

A few popular stops are not free. Minnamurra Rainforest in Budderoo National Park charges $12 per vehicle per day, and the fee applies in the Minnamurra Rainforest area. Gates open 9am to 5pm, and the park can close in bad weather or high fire danger, so check the NSW National Parks alerts before you drive. Bus or taxi arrivals pay $4.40 per adult and $2.20 per child. Our Minnamurra Rainforest guide has the walks.

Jamberoo Action Park and whale cruises are paid too. For wet days, see rainy day things to do in Kiama.

Stay close to the free stuff

Stay at Kiama Ridge Waters and plenty on this list is on foot. From our three-bedroom holiday apartments at 2 Surfleet Place, Easts Beach is a 15-minute walk, the Little Blowhole about 20 minutes, and the town centre and station about 27 minutes. The apartments are not on the beach and don't have ocean views, but each one has a full kitchen, which keeps a free-things holiday cheap, and most of them welcome pets.

Check-in is from 3pm and check-out by 10am. Browse the apartments, see pet-friendly stays, or check dates on the booking page.