Austinmer, New South Wales

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Lookout from the Illawarra Escarpment above Wombarra over the northern Illawarra plain viewing Austinmer in the foreground, Thirroul, Bulli, Wollongong up to Port Kembla in the far.
Lookout from the Illawarra Escarpment above Wombarra over the northern Illawarra plain viewing Austinmer in the foreground, Thirroul, Bulli, Wollongong up to Port Kembla in the far.

Austinmer ( 34°18′S, 150°56′E) is a small town on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia. It sits in the Northern Illawarra region, south of Stanwell Park, a northern suburb of Wollongong. In 2003 Austinmer's beautiful beach won the best beach in NSW award for its outstanding cleanliness and spectacular water quality. Every year hundreds of tourists flock to the shores of this tiny beach side town, which is well known for its high-priced real estate and yuppy inhabitants. This fast growing beach suburb certainly is the pride of Wollongong and the jewel of NSW. Its close knit small town community feel is always present and the atmosphere makes visitors feel welcome. Unfortunately the Wollongong City Council can't see this and are too focused on the city's "beautifying projects" that they insist on removing old palm trees from Austinmer's gorgeous Glastonbury Gardens to plant in city parks. From previous experience ( the trees all ended up dying), you think that they would have learned. But Austinmer beach never fails to be the most popular beach in the Illawarra and Austinmer never fails to be the best suburb.