Best Driving Roads: The Macquarie Pass on Illawarra Highway

If you are a fan of the mountain passes in Japan popularised by the anime Initial D and looking to experience such a road without travelling to the land of the rising sun, then you are in luck. We have found such a road here in Australia. It is a short section of the Illawarra Highway that has those intimidating hairpin turns and tight two-lane sections.

The Illawarra Highway cuts along the Illawarra region in New South Wales for which the road is named from.

The Illawarra region is known for having the ocean on one side and a subtropical forest on the other. The Illawarra highway itself is a short one at only 39 miles long. Along the route are the towns of Robertson and Moss Vale at the west end and Albion Park near Lake Illawarra to the east. Robertson and Moss Vale are small towns that have that 19th-century vibe with their heritage buildings. It is like taking a trip to another time where everything was much simpler. Both towns are good places to explore and dine in.

A street in Moss Vale. Photo via Wikipedia. 

What makes the Illawarra Highway one of the best drives in Australia is the mountain road known as the Macquarie Pass. The pass cuts through Macquarie Pass National Park which a rainforest. The national park is home to a good number of birds, wallabies and wombats.  There are good hiking trails along the national park if you want to explore the rainforest.

The Macquarie Pass is on the eastern end of the Illawarra Highway and stretches just 5 miles. While it is very short, it more than makes up for that with the steep incline and scary hairpin turns. Most of the pass is just two lanes wide and with overtaking restrictions. There are a few sections that are just single lanes. Trucks and vehicles that are wide or that have something in tow are not advised to take the mountain pass.

If you ask what it is like to drive the Macquarie Pass then you need to take a look at this video.

Macquarie Pass is very busy during the daytime with light to heavy vehicles along the road. The best time to tackle the road if you want to have a clear run would be at night.

We advise that you be careful as it is full of blind curves. On the downhill side you would also be faced with steep drops should you go off the edge. It would be best to go uphill first to get a feel of the road before doing a downhill run just to get a feel of the road. The road surface though is as good as it gets for a public road. It is very smooth and even.

Albion Park. Photo via Flickr.

Sunset at Lake Illawarra. Photo via Wikipedia. 

East of Macquarie Pass would be Albion Park and Lake Illawarra. It would be a good place to spend a day around the lake. If you fancy a day at the beach then Shellharbour would be an ideal place to go to. Killalea State park is just a short trip from Albion park too.

The Farm at Killalea Beach. Photo via Frank and Donnis Travel Blog.

Overall, the Macquarie Pass is one of the most exciting yet short roads on the continent. It can be tricky and challenging especially in adverse weather conditions. Always remember to be safe when driving and follow the road signs. Keep safe and enjoy driving!