My little corner of the world....

I truly believe I live in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

I live in the Illawarra, NSW, Australia. About an hr south of Sydney, it's an area stretching from Helensburgh down to Jamberoo, and at its heart you have Wollongong.

There are a million and one things to do and see in my area that appeal to people in all walks of life with all different interests, for example:

In the Northern Suburbs we have the picturesque suburbs of Scarborough, Wombarra, Coledale and Austinmer that are known for their beautiful beaches, lush greenery, cafes with cliff-top views and houses with multi-million dollar price tags. Many people migrate to these areas from Sydney to adapt a more laid-back lifestyle, and with the gorgeous surroundings and secluded areas in which these houses are nestled it's hard not to imagine throwing in the rat-race and beginning your own organic soap-making business.

Wollongong is the hub of the Illawarra, it's undergone some pretty radical transformations in the last 10 years. After the Global Financial crisis, not to mention the sacking of an entire council due to corruption (both of which occurred around 2008) a lot of businesses in Wollongong faced a sink or swim scenario. It has only been in the last couple of years that small business has been able to get stable footing in Wollongong again, allowing the CBD to become a breeding ground for trendy cafes, restaurants and bars.

http://mandyedge.com/dagwood

The central shopping mall has been undergoing a facelift and expansion for a while now, but after the redevelopment of Stockland Shellharbour (20 mins south of Wollongong), which offers hundreds of specialty stores as well as your big stores like Kmart, Big W, Target, not to mention all your food shopping needs (Woolworths, Coles etc) as well as FREE PARKING (which Wollongong central doesn't have) it's safe to say the Wollongong's shopping scene has suffered massively.

This brings me to my favourite part of the Illawarra- the South Coast. Technically anything south of Kiama isn't actually classed as the Illawarra, but I feel as though I'd like to embrace it in the warm hug of the Illawarra. Kiama is a seaside township about 120 kilometres south of Sydney, it's known for it's beautiful beaches and quaint township. One of the biggest attractions is the Kiama Blow Hole, which can be seen spurting water meters into the air on days with winds coming from the south-east. I have to admit my favourite thing to do in Kiama is checking out the farmers market.

From there you have other townships such as Gerringong, Gerroa and Berry. They are all different in scenery and have different characteristics but, like Kiama, all have quaint townships and offer a few great shopping and eating spots- Berry particularly is one of my favourite places to visit on a sunny Saturday for some delicious lunch and baked goods from Berry Woodfired Sourdough Bakery and Cafe, then for some shopping for home wares at Haven and Space.

Yeah I love that stuff!