Wollongong Travel Guide

Wollongong is the 3rd largest city in the state of New South Wales, Australia, after Sydney and Newcastle. It is also a Local Government Area administered by the Wollongong City Council. It is located on the eastern coast of Australia, 82 kilometres (52 mi) south of Sydney in an area known as the Illawarra and has a metropolitan population of 274,072 (2004). Wollongong is connected to Sydney through a scenic coastal road and rail route which takes between 90 and 120 minutes and via main roads, taking between 70 and 90 minutes.

The name Wollongong, is generally said to mean "sound of the sea" in the local Aboriginal language, although other explanations have been offered, such as "great feast of fish".

Known affectionately as "the Gong", Wollongong is a town with a long history of mining and industry, having coal mines, steelworks and an industrial port. The city is also a regional centre for the South Coast fishing industry. It has a university, the University of Wollongong, which attracts a great number of international students each year. It has two Regional Cathedrals, and numerous churches of many denominations including the well-known land-mark, the Nan Tien Buddhist Temple, the largest in the Southern hemisphere.