Grand Pacific Drive is without a shadow of doubt a better alternative to the busy Princes Highway .
Naturally the day was overcast and i've become accustomed to such weather conditions but as i've planned numerous times to drive across the Sea Cliff bridge yet have the plans fall through time and time again i was adamant today was the day, regardless of the weather. the Grand Pacific Drive starts at the Royal National Park being a relatively new tourist drive that hugs the coast from the Royal National Park to Wollongong and offers some of the coasts most spectacular scenery - ocean panoramas, surf beaches, rainforest and coastal villages beneath the towering cliffs of the Illawarra escarpment leading to the Sea Cliff Bridge, then leads to Wollongong and beyond.
while the Grand Pacific Drive has been compared with Victoria's Great Ocean Road, the latter reportedly mostly winds through bushland and only occasionally justifies its name (a drive i want to do myself) Grand Pacific Drive, in contrast to what i've read about Great Ocean Road, rarely loses sight of the sea. during our drive down i was a little concerned as the car randomly made a squeaking noise when we turned right. thankfully it didn't manifest into a bigger problem for us, although if we did break down at least the scenery was great hehehe. After driving through winding roads the Sea Cliff Bridge appeared before us looking precarious the way it wraps itself around steep cliffs and arcs out over the ocean with waves crashing beneath it. I was under the impression that the bridge itself protruded out over the ocean more but then again it looked different in real life as opposed to countless commercials and photos i'd seen previously but nonetheless it remains an amazing site. at its highest point the 665-metre structure stands 41 metres above sea level, with obvious great views down the coast. we parked the car and decided to walk some of the bridge and the walkway's popularity was apparent as many passed walking dogs or jogging but i was a little miffed as to where they were headed as there weren't any suburbs close by that i could recall so they were in fact in for a walk.
The bridge is now a drawcard for the south coast of NSW. In the past where the bridge stands now, it was a notorious black spot prone to large rock falls from above and landslides from below. I learnt that the the bridge happens at exactly the point where the Illawarra escarpment plunges into the South Pacific Ocean the things you learn...... More thumbnails ...
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