The Quarry Geological Site at Bombo Headland in Kiama shows off delightfully strange basalt columns being pounded by the ocean.
Bombo Headland is one of several excellent sites along the 22km Kiama Coastal Walk in Kiama, New South Wales. It’s not as well-known as the Kiama Blowhole, but it is arguably more spectacular.
Bombo Headland Quarry Geological Site
The Bombo Headland Quarry Geological Site is, as the name suggests, the result of quarry. In the 1880s and 1900s, miners attempt to extract blue metal from the rocks here. What they left behind were a series of basalt columns. The basalt has been there for centuries, of course, getting battered by the ocean swells. But the quarrying operations made the columns more pronounced.
Bombo Headland, therefore, is a bit of a moonscape. There’s something other-worldly about walking along it, and it is on the New South Wales State Heritage Register. The basalt columns are similar to those of the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland.
Unsurprisingly, it’s a popular spot for photographers, with the light best around dawn and dusk. Trying to capture the columns set against the crashing surf is a major part of the fun. Film crews often set up camp here – the powerfulness and weirdness of the setting makes for good telly.
Getting to Bombo Headland by car or train
Bombo Headland is just to the north of Bombo Beach, which is arguably the best surf beach in Kiama. It’s fairly easy to visit on a day trip from Sydney. Kiama is 121km south of the New South Wales capital city, and most of that is motorway driving. The South Coast train line also passes through Kiama. If it’s the Bombo Quarry you want to visit, make sure you get off at Bombo Station rather than Kiama Station.
More New South Wales travel
- First time visitors’ guide to Symbio Wildlife Park near Wollongong.
- Climbing Mt Kosciuszko – Australia’s highest mountain.
- Why it’s worth visiting Thredbo in summer.
- First time visitors’ guide to Symbio Wildlife Park near Wollongong.
- How to visit Fitzroy Falls in the Southern Highlands.
