An early morning view of the Illawarra escarpment west of Albion Park (20 km south of Wollongong)

The Illawarra escarpment is the mountain range west of a narrow coastal plain south of Sydney, Australia, enclosing the region known as the Illawarra which stretches from Stanwell Park in the north to Kiama, Gerringong and the Shoalhaven river in the south. The Sydney Opera House is one of the most iconic landmarks in the world, and since its opening it has become an international symbol of Sydney Sydney (pronounced ) is the state capital of New South Wales, located on the east coast of Australia. ... The Illawarra is the name given to a coastal region of New South Wales immediately south of Sydney. ... Stanwell Park is a northern coastal village of the illawarra plain, south of Sydney, Australia. ... Kiama (34°39′ S 150°51′ E), is a picturesque township and Local Government Area 120 kilometres south of Sydney on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia. ... Gerringong is a town about 10 minutes south of Kiama on the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia. ... The Shoalhaven is a Local Government Area (Shoalhaven City, population ~85,000) and a region in south-eastern New South Wales (NSW), Australia, two hours south of Sydney. ...

Many fo the towns on the coastal plain adjacent to the escarpment were first founded to harvest the cedar trees on the slopes of the escarpment or the coal seams beneath it. The city of Wollongong is the central city in the Illawarra. Wollongong (IPA: ) is an industrial city located on the eastern coast of Australia in the state of New South Wales. ...