Looping Lake Illawarra

Illawarra Ramblers members John Groom (left) and Sam Garrett-Jones with Bicycle NSW Bike Planner Sarah Bickford at Kanahooka on the western side of Lake Illawarra in June 2026 (image: Bicycle NSW)=

Introducing Lake Illawarra

Located south of Wollongong, Lake Illawarra is New South Wales’s second-largest coastal lagoon, covering about 35 square km with an average depth of two metres. A narrow sandy barrier separates it from the Pacific Ocean, with a channel linking the lake to the sea allowing tidal flow. Fresh water flows in from several creeks.

The lake supports fish, crabs and birdlife, while mudflats, mangroves and seagrass provide important habitats. Its scenic setting, accessible foreshore and escarpment backdrop make it popular for visitation and recreation.

Looking across the lake from the eastern foreshore to the beautiful Illawarra Escarpment (Image: Bicycle NSW)

With a shoreline of around 40 kilometres, the lake is eminently suitable for a 2-day walk, a run or a leisurely cycle ride.

The vision to loop the lake

Members of the 3 Illawarra-based BUGs, Illawarra BUG, Kiama BUG and the Illawarra Ramblers, have long harboured visions of a safe bi-directional route looping Lake Illawarra.

There is currently 28km of extremely attractive lakeside shared paths and quiet streets, providing access to substantial sections of the foreshore. Although it is possible to complete a circuit by bike, there are long detours alongside major roads via unprotected crossings of motorway on ramps and multi-lane roundabouts. The detours are very unsafe and can only be tackled anticlockwise.

Only the bravest riders attempt to loop the lake.

Werner Steyer of Illawarra BUG has been involved with Lake Illawarra advocacy for three decades.

“Some twenty years back, we had the Lake Illawarra Authority (LIA) managing the lake,” says Werner. “The LIA coordinated Federal Government, NSW Government, councils and land owners to fund and build sections of the path in addition all the other important work to protect the lake and its delicate foreshore environment.

“For a time, there was real progress in building the around the lake path. After the LIA was closed a few years ago, we have seen little improvement to the route.”

Two major missing links

There are several gaps that need to be filled but 2 are particularly significant. These are both on the western side of the lake: between Berkeley and Kanahooka, and between Yallah Bay and Haywards Bay.

A map showing the location of Lake Illawarra between Wollongong and Shellharbour, the existing shared paths in the area and the key gaps in the lakeside path (Image: Transport for NSW Cycleway Finder / Bicycle NSW)

Mullet Creek viewed from Kanahooka Point. To reach Fred Finch Park in Berkeley on the other side, people walking and riding must take a 9km detour via the high-speed Princes Highway (Image: Bicycle NSW)

A huge opportunity to grow tourism

The Illawarra Ramblers consider that a Lake Illawarra Loop is a unique proposal for Australia.

• There is no other 40km circuit that takes you back to your starting point without crossing a road. Some Australian rail trails offer 40km of uninterrupted riding but these are one-way routes. Importantly, none serves an immediate population of 140,000.
• 40km is a very desirable distance, perfect for a day trip for casual bike riders, particularly when riding an e-bike.
• The area has many beautiful safe beaches, significant coastal vegetation zones and wonderful birdlife including migratory birds.
• The lake is easily reached by train, bus and car. It even has its own airport!
• It is located on the very popular NSW Coastline Cycleway that heads north to Thirroul and south to Kiama.
• The loop would complement other attractions: the HARS Aviation Museum, Nan Tien Temple, the Kiama Blowhole, Grand Pacific Drive, mountain bike parks, the redeveloped Warrawong Parklands and many more.
• It would be an all-year-round attraction, filling accommodation in the quieter seasons.

This project would equal some big-spend NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service projects like the Dorrigo Escarpment Great Walk and the Great Southern Walk.

The Lake Illawarra Loop will bring more visitors and more repeat visitors because it is so easy to get to. It will be WOW!

But this is not just a tourism proposal

140,000 people currently live within 10 km of the lake. Tens of thousands more residents are anticipated to move to the area over the next two decades, including 40,000 in the West Dapto area and 25,000 in Shellharbour. There is a huge need to provide safe connected active transport routes for recreation and daily trips to work, education, shops and the beaches.

And there are clear benefits for public health – particularly if the loop is completed! Bicycle NSW Board Member Anne Grunseit has authored an academic study on the impacts on physical activity following the completion of the Narrabeen Lake loop trail in Sydney. This conformed that a loop is very attractive. Usage tripled, and physically inactive people increased their total activity more than average.

Making the project even more compelling

At Illawarra Ramblers, we are an ideas factory.

For example, marathon races are in vogue. The 2026 Wollongong Half Marathon had over 40% more participants than last year. Sydney and Gold Coast Marathons participant numbers each reach 40,000. The Loop the Lake we propose is the perfect length for a marathon. It could have the outstanding attribute of there being no street crossings in its 42km length. There may be some short quiet road sections, but no crossings. What a saving in route safety costs for organisers of small events, or for runners in training for a major event!

There are many challenges

The major obstacles to a completed loop are land ownership, governance, environmental sensitivity and cost.

The BUGS are looking towards Bicycle NSW for advice on and assistance with liaising with governments and landowners.

Although both Wollongong and Shellharbour councils have aspirations of a complete loop, it is hard to determine how a unified outcome will be achieved, or understand what appetite there is for tackling the missing links. We know that Wollongong has recently completed significant feasibility work on its sections of the Lake Illawarra path but the report remains confidential.

There are three key parcels of land in private ownership that the new path would potentially cross - or skirt around the edge of, over adjacent tidal flats.

A boardwalk over tidal flats has been built at Albion Park. However, it will be important to confirm the environmental suitability this approach in other locations. Of course, a boardwalk may not appeal to owners of foreshore land.

3-metre-wide boardwalks have been installed over tidal flats at Albion Park. A similar approach could help bypass private land in other areas with minimal environmental impact (Image: Bicycle NSW)

And then there is cost. Depending on the route chosen, between 2 and 5 bridges are needed to cross creeks, and these will be expensive.

The next step – a masterplan

The BUGs agree with Bicycle NSW that we need to advocate for a masterplan. Both councils would then collaborate to develop options for the missing links, negotiate with landowners and apply for grants and funding.

We think it is essential to develop the entire loop as one major project.  Spending money on the easy improvements, while welcome, will have very limited effect. Until the loop is a full loop, it will be of no benefit whatsoever to walkers or runners.

As well as the various grant opportunities which councils must be ready to act on, local industrial giants might come forward offering their name to assist their business. The ‘Energy Australia Marathon’ certainly has a ring to it, as would the ‘Bluescope Bridge’ over one of the waterways!

If you’re keen to see Lake Illawarra looped, please write to the local MPs and councillors to let them know, and request that they support the development of a masterplan.

Some final thoughts

The Loop the Lake path would be iconic because it would run over water, on foreshore, potentially through mangroves and paperbarks, through waterside parkland, beside farmland, in natural bushland and through whistling casuarina forests. It would connect communities. There are numerous opportunities for creative route design, innovative water-crossing structures, sculptural artworks and hidden bird hides to surreptitiously peek at the fly-in-fly-out wildlife. The loop would prepare the Illawarra for the human population influx in years to come.

We thank Sarah and Peter at Bicycle NSW for helping us progress our ideas. This project is a challenge. But hopefully the time will come when Bicycle NSW Members will reap the rewards.

Can you help Bicycle NSW advocate for visionary projects?

“Bicycle NSW has been campaigning for safe, accessible bicycle infrastructure for 50 years,” says Bicycle NSW CEO Peter McLean.

“If you care about the environment, health, cost of living, social equity and childhood independence, join Bicycle NSW now and consider supporting our advocacy with a tax deductible donation.”

We fight to protect bicycle riders every day!