The Illawarra Fly is one of the big attractions in the Southern Highlands. It’s a place that brings the rainforest to life, offering the opportunity to walk (or even zipline) above the treetops. The series of metal walkways offer the unique opportunity to look down into the rainforest canopy, as well as out across the rolling hills of the Illawarra region all the way to the ocean.

Even though we have hiked through quite a few rainforests, we found the whole place fascinating and loved the opportunity to learn more about the rainforest and resident wildlife, through the various information boards along the way. There’s also a lot of things to keep kids entertained throughout.

However, is it worth the money? We’ll tell you what we think below.

The Illawarra Fly: What to expect

The centre piece of the Illawarra Fly are the metal walkways up in the treetops and the adventure zipline, but there are a lots of added extras for kids as well.

It’s perfect for families, but we went without kids and still really enjoyed it. If you’ve never seen a rainforest before it will blow you away.

They recommend allowing one hour to take it all in, but you may want to allow a little longer to appreciate the views and see if you can spot a lyrebird!

The treetop walkway at the Illawarra Fly

The Highlights

You can see a map of the Illawarra Fly below. There is a paved walk to the treetop walkway, but whilst the map says steep, we didn’t think it was! The total distance is a 1.5km, which doesn’t feel very far with the stops you make along the way.

1. The treetop walk

This is the headline attraction, and there are 500m of walkways that are high up in the trees and take you out to different viewpoints. The views are great, but my favourite part was actually looking down, into the rainforest canopy.

We hike a lot and have spent a lot of time on the forest floor, but you never get to see it from above. It’s incredible to look at all the layers of the rainforest from the canopy to the forest floor.

2. The tower

Midway along the treetop walk is the Knights Tower, which is the tallest point along the Illawarra Fly at 45m high.

It’s 106 steps up from the tree top walkway to the top and from there you have panoramic views out to the Southern Highlands, Wollongong, the ocean and down into the rainforest canopy.

There’s a lot of good views in the area, but these are the best we’ve seen.

Kids will love the spiral staircase to get to the top and anyone with a camera will love the view from above the forest (it offers a drone like photo opportunity).

3. The zipline

The zipline is officially the highest in Australia. We haven’t been lucky enough to do it yet, but we did see sections of it as we made our way around the treetop walk.

It zips across three lines between four “cloud stations” that are placed throughout the forest. You’ll also get training for the zip line, and a guide that tells you all about the forest and the wildlife within.

It looks like a great family activity because it’s not too scary for young children, but adventurous enough that they’ll have a good rush. It’s suitable for ages 4 and up.

To do the zipline you will need to buy a different ticket which costs extra. The cheapest way to book is through Get Your Guide, which offers cheaper rates than booking direct. You can check out the ticket prices by clicking here.

4. The wildlife

There’s plenty of wildlife in the rainforest but most tend to be active at night.

If you’re very lucky towards closing time you might spot a wombat (there are several dens next to the path), but it’s more likely you’ll see birdlife.

We saw two lyrebirds, which were incredible as their sound mimicking reverberated around the whole rainforest for over half an hour! It was the longest display we’d ever heard and a real treat.

5. The rainforest

What makes the Illawarra Fly special is its rainforest setting - not something you might associate with an area close to Sydney. You’ll see tree ferns, twisting vines and sassafras trees among the eucalypts, it’s a truly beautiful place.

The trail to the treetop walkway follows a paved path through the rainforest and has panels with information about the plants, animals and significance of the area. The paved path makes it feel less wild, but it means that everyone can come and enjoy the rainforest.

If you fancy walking on a dirt path, there is a side trail (called the bush track) back to the cafe, allowing you to experience the rainforest in a more natural setting.

It’s a nice way to finish your visit as there are hundreds of hanging vines and other incredible trees and plants, which make it really atmospheric.

6. Things for kids to do

Kids will love the treetop walkways and the feeling of being up in the trees.

The metal walkways have little gaps which allow you to look down into the forest directly beneath your feet and they gently sway in the wind - not in a scary way but I think kids would get a thrill!

As well as the educational boards around the Illawarra Fly, there is also a Gruffalo Spotters Trail along the rainforest walk, below the tree tops. You can download a free app as well as pick up an activity book (free with your ticket). Simply go to the app store and search for the Gruffalo Spotters App which brings the whole experience to life.

There’s lots of little signposts for kids along the way and even an area where there was a collection of little fairy houses.

7. The cafe and shop

There’s a cafe onsite which we didn’t personally sample.

I checked out the menu and it’s pretty lacking in veggie options which is a bit disappointing. It’s mainly burgers and toasties.

I am not normally one for gift shops but have to confess to buying quite a few items in this one! They’ve got lots of lovely mugs, coasters etc with wombats and emus and other Aussie icons on them.

They also support a wombat sanctuary that we were lucky enough to visit a few years ago so that gets a big thumbs up from us!

Is it worth it? Our review

We’re avid walkers and hike at least once a week, so we were initially a little sceptical about paying for a walk! However, once you get there it’s a pretty wonderful experience to look down on a pristine patch of rainforest from above. The only other place I have done anything similar in Australia is at the Daintree Discovery Centre, and from memory their walkways were a lot shorter.

The walkways themselves were also a lot of fun and bring out the kid in you! I would have loved to have had my niece and nephew with us to see their reactions too! We both had a really good time, and as we went later in the day we had the walkways to ourselves, which made it extra special.

I think it’s the kind of experience that is worth paying for once, especially if you get the discounted tickets like we did. I’ve actually been twice, but the first time was when I very first got to Australia (7 years ago) and my sister bought me the ticket, so I wanted to go again and pay myself to make sure I could give an honest review on whether it’s worth it.

Saving money on the tickets

If you book in advance, the tickets for the Illawarra Fly are cheaper, which adds up if you’re going with the whole family! It also means you don’t have to queue up.

At the time of writing, the standard entry is $25, but if you book with Experience Oz you can get them for $22.50 for adults and $13.50 for kids. You can check out their availability on the button below.

Discounted Illawarra Fly Tickets

If you are wanting something more adventurous, then Experience Oz also offer a discount on the Zip Line package at the Illawarra Fly.

At the time of writing, the standard price is $75 when you turn up on the day, but Experience Oz are offering it for $67.50 when you book in advance. Click below to check their current availability.

Discounted zip line experience

Essential information

Getting to the Illawarra Fly

The Illawarra Fly is 160km and just under a two hour drive from Sydney, near the town of Robertson. It’s also only a 45 minute drive from Wollongong, if visiting from Wollongong, we have lots of other suggestions on great things to do there in this post.

To get the most out of the area you really do want your own wheels.

Other things in the area for your day trip

The Illawarra Fly should only take 1-1.5 hours, leaving you with plenty of time to explore more of the local area. Luckily you’re spoilt for choice, and we’ve outlined some of our favourites below, as well as lots more suggestions in this post.

Carrington Falls

At just 10 minutes up the road it would be rude not to visit the majestic Carrington Falls! This 90m waterfall cascades down the mountain and it’s a real must see. You can view it from several different lookouts which each offer a unique perspective.

If you’re visiting on a hot day, there are not one, but three incredible wild swimming spots within minutes of the falls, as well as a couple of walking tracks. We detail all of them in this guide.

Belmore Falls

Belmore Falls is slightly further away at a 25 minute drive, but it's another incredible waterfall. Both the upper and lower falls would be worth visiting in their own right. There are several viewpoints, including one that looks down over the top of the falls.

Unfortunately the path to the pool at the bottom of the upper falls has been closed, but it’s still very much worth seeing. To make up for the closed trail we’ve detailed how to get to a secret swimming spot nearby.

Jamberoo Lookout

It’s not a must visit as you’ll have been to the tree top walk so you have already seen some spectacular views, but if you’re in the mood for another, the Jamberoo Lookout is stunning.

With rolling green hills in the foreground and the ocean in the distance, it’s a truly lovely spot and rarely seems to get any visitors! It’s just a seven minute drive from the Illawarra Fly.

The Cheese Shop Robertson

If you’re after some lunch or just love cheese (who doesn’t?) we can recommend a visit to the Robertson Cheese Factory, a 15 minute drive away, in the village.

You can taste cheese in the shop or head to the cafe for lunch. The menu is naturally cheese focused, with cheese platters, toasties and baked potatoes, as well as a few sweet treats.

You’ll also drive past the Robertson Pie Shop if you want to give one of their famous pies a go.

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