Port Kembla

Choc-full of quality character houses and long wide streets, Port has always looked to the ocean for its sense of place. However, whereas that used to be solely centred on the sailors that made landfall, now it’s about the coastal assets that it boasts – including gorgeous golden sandy beaches, the free Olympic-length outdoor pool alongside the ocean and interesting port-side maritime museum.

Yes, the shores around here are rich in history – fished commercially by local Indigenous fishermen up until the 1940s and still loaded with shell middens and artefacts. Much of the coastline here was a strategic site during World War II, with a series of fortifications located beneath the Hill 60 lookout that once housed large guns to protect the vital industrial port nearby.

Today, it’s quickly becoming a hub for artists, as the town shakes off the industrial shadow of the large stack chimney that towered above it until 2015 and looks to embrace a revitalised future. Take your pup for an off-leash walk along the beach or enjoy live music on the weekend at the Servo Food Truck Bar.