Illawarra Fly Treetop Walk

The Illawarra Fly runs a steel walkway some five hundred metres through the canopy of cool temperate rainforest on the edge of the Illawarra escarpment, twenty to thirty metres above the forest floor, with a spiral tower climbing higher for a view that reaches over the treetops to the coastal plain and the Pacific beyond. Sections of the walkway deliberately flex and sway underfoot. The forest here is dominated by sassafras, coachwood and lyrebirds are commonly heard. A zipline course operates on the same site. Because the walkway sits at around seven hundred metres on the escarpment lip, cloud frequently rolls over it and the temperature is markedly cooler than the coast below.

What you actually see

• The canopy walkway - half a kilometre of steel bridge through the treetops.
• The lookout tower - the spiral climb above the canopy toward the ocean view.
• The rainforest - sassafras and coachwood, with lyrebirds often calling.
• The swaying spans - flexible sections designed to move underfoot.

When to go

September to May for warmer, clearer conditions; winter is cold and often fogbound at this altitude. Mornings are clearest for the coastal view. Wet weather closes the zipline and makes the walkway slippery.

Honest expectations

Cloud regularly hides the view entirely, and there are no refunds for weather. The entry fee is high for a walk that takes under an hour. The swaying sections are uncomfortable for anyone with a fear of heights, and the site is only reachable by car.

Nearby

Robertson and Fitzroy Falls are close; Wollongong lies down the escarpment east.