Nowra is sport climbing central for New South Wales. With several well-developed areas, there are hundreds of great lines on high-quality sandstone. Be sure to keep the guidebook out of the kiddies hands; most of the routes seem to have been named by sex-starved teen-age boys.

It may not have the coffee shops or scenery of the Blue Mountains but if it's hard sport routes you're after this is the place for you! Most of the crags are spread along the Shoalhaven River and throughout the urban area of Nowra. The routes here are generally short, powerful, single pitch sport routes. Most routes are grade 18 and harder. Thompson's Point is probably the best crag to start at.

There is also plenty of desperate bouldering, with some of the best found at Cheesedale and Lot 33.
If you get bored with sport climbing and start to crave a bit of adventure, there is superb trad climbing at Point Perpendicular - 30 minutes drive away.

ROCK: Sandstone

LOCATION: Nowra is about 140 kms or 2 to 2.5 hours' drive south of Sydney. From Sydney follow the Princes Hwy south and eventually you will end up in Nowra. If you're into coffee shops and bakeries, Berry, 14km north of Nowra, is the best place to stop.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: The season for Nowra is late autumn, winter and early spring (May to September). During summer it is way too hot and humid and you will be carried away by the mosquitoes!

CAMPING: Camping is NOT permitted at any of the crags, with the exception of Babylon. Access to cliffs in the future may be restricted if climbers camp at these urban crags. There is a huge range of accommodation options at Nowra - ranging from cheap campgrounds to backpacker-type accommodation and motels. There is a cheap camping ground across the river from Thompson's Point called The Animal Park (Ph: (02) 44 213949).

RECOMMENDED READING: Rockclimber's guide to Nowra and Wollongong. Edited by Rod Young. An Australian Rockclimber Publication PO Box 74 KEIRAVILLE NSW 2500. A new edition of this guide will appear in early 2000.