There is a long curved bridge on the Illawarra coast that exists because a cliff kept falling down. The old road, Lawrence Hargrave Drive, ran along the base of the escarpment between Clifton and Coalcliff, and it was repeatedly blocked by rockfalls, closing the coast for months at a time. In 2005 the state opened the Sea Cliff Bridge, about six hundred and sixty metres of concrete curving out over the Tasman Sea, and it became an instant attraction. For riders it is a short, memorable piece of road, with water on one side and a wall of rock on the other.
The bridge is only part of the pleasure. The road is named after Lawrence Hargrave, the aviation pioneer who lived at Stanwell Park nearby and flew with box kites in the 1890s, and the memorial at Bald Hill, above the town, gives a wide view along the coast. Hang gliders launch from the hill in good wind, and on a clear afternoon you will see them wheeling above the beach. The little town of Stanwell Park lies in a green bowl between the escarpment and the sea, with a cafe by the beach and the sort of calm that makes you consider moving.
The road continues south through old mining towns. The Illawarra's coal seams run beneath the escarpment, and the small settlements of Coalcliff, Scarborough and Wombarra were built around the mines that fed the steelworks at Port Kembla. Thirroul, a little further on, is where the writer D. H. Lawrence stayed for a few weeks in 1922 and wrote most of his novel Kangaroo. The house still stands, and the seaside cafes and bookshops on the main street are good for a break.
Riding the Grand Pacific Drive on a calm weekday is wonderful. In busy periods, with tourists stopping on the bridge for photographs, it can slow to a crawl. Wind can be strong and the sea spray salty, and in winter and spring the migrating humpback whales pass close to the coast, so you may spot a spout or a tail from the bridge. Take the gentle bends with attention, because tourists often brake without warning.
Fuel is available at Stanwell Park, which is small, and the best options are in Thirroul and further south in Wollongong. A short stop here is about the view and the light, not the services.