Kiama Blowhole day trip by private car
Blowhole Point, the lighthouse and Kiama town — dropped off and collected later, or with the driver waiting. Fixed fares from Sydney and the coast.
A private car from the Sydney CBD to the Kiama Blowhole is $830 return — dropped at Blowhole Point and collected later — and $735 from Sydney Airport. From Wollongong it is $315 return, or $415 with the driver waiting 2 hours. The blowhole is free to see, at any time. Fixed per car for up to 3 passengers, tolls, GST and the NSW levy included, pay on arrival; OSPIPO is a licensed NSW private transfer (BSP-462516).
See your fixed fare →Day trip facts · Kiama Blowhole · checked 19 October 2026
Kiama Blowhole: the facts
- Where
- Blowhole Point, Blowhole Point Road, Kiama — dropped at the car park by the Kiama Visitor Information Centre, a short walk from the platforms
- Open
- Any time, every day, free — how active it is depends on the swell (south-east is best)
- Return fares
- Sydney CBD $830 · Sydney Airport $735 · Wollongong $315 · Shellharbour $215 · Berry $250 — collected later
- Driver waits
- $50 an hour on top of the return fare, whole hours, up to 5
- Full day out
- $890 private charter — several stops, up to 8 hours door to door
- Drive
- About 2h from the Sydney CBD and 30 min from Wollongong, outside peak hours
- No car?
- Train to Kiama on the South Coast Line, then a short walk
- Booking
- Online here, through the AI concierge, or on +61 435 162 311 — nothing to pay until the day
Facts: the official sources listed at the end of the page. Fares: the OSPIPO fare engine, the same one the booking form uses. Drive times: OpenStreetMap routing, typical outside peak hours. Checked 19 October 2026.
The Kiama Blowhole at a glance
The Kiama Blowhole is a natural sea blowhole on Blowhole Point, beside Kiama Lighthouse: the swell drives water up through an opening in the rock. It is public land, open 24 hours every day, with no charge to view (Destination Kiama).
How much it performs depends on the sea, not the clock. Destination Kiama says the main Blowhole is most active in a south-east swell, while the Little Blowhole, south of the town, takes off in the more common north-easter. Blowhole Point has accessible viewing platforms, public toilets that are always open, and a café beside the Kiama Visitor Information Centre on Blowhole Point Road.
Three ways to do it — fixed fares
- Dropped off, collected later. The driver leaves after drop-off and comes back at the time you choose — you pay the return fare and nothing for the hours in between. From Wollongong: $315 return. From the Sydney CBD it is $830 return.
- The driver waits. The car stays on standby and you leave when you are ready: the return fare plus $50 an hour, booked in whole hours, up to 5 hours. From Wollongong: $365 with 1 hour, $415 with 2, $565 with 5.
- A full day with several stops. A private charter: $890 for up to 8 hours door to door, the car and driver yours for the day, as many stops as fit. From the Sydney CBD the drive is about 2h each way, which leaves about 4 hours in Kiama and anywhere else you stop.
| From (drive) | One way | Return, collected later | Return, driver waits 2 h |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney CBD~125 km · ~2h | $462 | $830 | $930the $890 charter costs less |
| Sydney Airport~110 km · ~1h 35m | $408 | $735 | $835 |
| Wollongong~40 km · ~30 min | $175 | $315 | $415 |
| Shellharbour~15 km · ~15 min | $120 | $215 | $315 |
| Gerringong~10 km · ~10 min | $120 | $215 | $315 |
| Berry~25 km · ~20 min | $140 | $250 | $350 |
| Nowra~40 km · ~35 min | $200 | $360 | $460 |
Fixed per car for up to 3 passengers — four travel only on request, with light bags — and child seats are free. Motorway tolls, GST and the NSW levy are included, nothing is added on the day, and you pay on arrival, with no deposit. Waiting is $50 for each hour you book, up to 5. Where a return comes to more than the $890 private charter, the charter is the better buy if your day fits inside its 8 hours door to door — from the Sydney CBD the drive is about 2h each way, which leaves about 4 hours in Kiama. Fares come from the same engine as the booking form; drive times are typical outside peak hours (OpenStreetMap routing).
Getting there without a car
Kiama has a station on the South Coast Line, and Visit NSW says the blowhole is a short walk from it. Destination Kiama says Kiama trains run hourly, and Visit NSW puts the trip from Central at about 2 hours 15 minutes. Kiama is also where passengers to and from Bomaderry (Nowra) change trains. A new South Coast Line timetable starts on Sunday 15 November 2026, so check Trip Planner close to the day.
A car takes you door to door on your own time — the easier way with luggage or small children, or when the train times don’t suit.
Good to know
- Check the swell before you go: the main Blowhole is most active in a south-east swell. In north-east conditions the Little Blowhole, beside 19 Tingira Crescent, is the one to see — Destination Kiama calls it smaller but more consistent.
- Stay behind the fences and signs. Kiama Council lists Blowhole Point among its drowning black spots and has an emergency response beacon there.
- Blowhole Point is where the middle section of the Kiama Coast Walk starts — 6 km to Loves Bay, about 1.5 hours, medium to hard (Destination Kiama).
- From the Sydney CBD, a return plus 2 hours or more of waiting ($930 and up) costs more than the $890 charter; from Sydney Airport that happens at 4 hours ($935). For a longer day, the charter is the better buy.
Make a day of it
From Sydney, the classic day has several stops — the Sea Cliff Bridge on the way down, the blowhole, lunch in Kiama — and that is the $890 private charter: up to 8 hours door to door. The drive from the Sydney CBD is about 2h each way, which leaves about 4 hours for the stops — a little less if you take the coast road past the bridge.
- Sea Cliff Bridge — on the way down from Sydney — walk the bridge over the ocean at Coalcliff.
- Jamberoo Action Park — the water park in the hills behind Kiama (seasonal).
- Illawarra Fly — the treetop walk and zipline on the escarpment at Knights Hill.
- Berry — the country town about 25 km south — shops, cafés and markets.
Sources: Destination Kiama — Blowholes; Visit NSW — Kiama Blowhole; Kiama Council — Blowhole Point Reserve; Kiama Council — Little Blowhole Reserve; Destination Kiama — Kiama Coast Walk; Visit NSW — A day trip to Kiama from Sydney; Destination Kiama — Getting here; Transport for NSW — 2026 South Coast Line timetable changes. Fares: the OSPIPO fare engine, the same one the booking form uses. Drive distances and times: OpenStreetMap routing, typical outside peak hours. Checked 19 October 2026.
Common questions
From the Sydney CBD $830 return and from Sydney Airport $735 — dropped at Blowhole Point and collected later — or $462 one way from the CBD. A day with several stops is the $890 private charter, up to 8 hours door to door. Fixed per car for up to 3 passengers; you pay on arrival.
Yes. It is public land, open 24 hours every day, with no charge to view (Destination Kiama).
It depends on the swell, not the clock: the main Blowhole is most active in a south-east swell. In north-east conditions, the Little Blowhole south of the town is the better bet.
Yes — Kiama station is on the South Coast Line and the blowhole is a short walk away. Visit NSW puts the trip from Central at about 2 hours 15 minutes; a new timetable starts on 15 November 2026.
Yes: $50 an hour on top of the return fare, whole hours, up to 5 — from Wollongong $415 with 2 hours. From Sydney, a return plus 2 hours’ waiting ($930) costs more than the $890 private charter, which is then the better buy.
About 2h from the Sydney CBD and 1h 35m from Sydney Airport, outside peak hours.
Up to 3 passengers; four travel only on request, with light bags. Child seats are free — give the ages when you book.