Heading out from Sydney along the Princes Highway, the first stop on the journey south is actually in the city itself; Heathcote National Park is located in Dharawal country in the Sutherland Shire (known as ‘the Shire’ to Sydneysiders) in the city’s southern suburbs.The highway tracks past the Garawarra State Conservation Area and Helensburgh, before reaching the kid-friendly Symbio Wildlife Park.Another hands-on experience that is always a hit with tiny travellers is the Apple Shack at Darkes Glenbernie Orchard. Head out into the grove of 22,500 trees and pick their own fruit in season. Make your way back towards the coast to set off along Lawrence Hargrave Drive towards the 665-metre-long Sea Cliff Bridge. This iconic stretch of road weaves along the coastline and juts out over the water in places, offering views so attention-grabbing that you will have to concentrate really hard to keep your eyes on the road.

The city of Wollongong has long been the go-to spot for family-friendly beach days, with a collection of sandy spots dotted along its coastal expanse.Headlining stretches of sand include Austinmer Beach, bordered with rock platforms, with its 112-year-old Surf Club occupying pride of place at the edge of the sand; the small seaside village of Thirroul, where D.H. Lawrence wrote Kangaroo; and Belmore Basin, a charming cove overlooking the harbour and dominated by the adjacent lighthouse and towering Norfolk Pines that dot the grassy expanse above the beach.

The drive to Shellharbour takes less than 30 minutes from Wollongong, but there is plenty to amuse you when you arrive. The pretty harbour sits in the middle of two beaches, Shellharbour North and Shellharbour South beaches, both of which are in-the-know local surfing spots. And there’s more breaks to be had nearby at The Farm and Mystics in the Killalea Reserve, a designated National Surfing Reserve.

The cosmopolitan seaside hamlet of Kiama has long been a mecca for those looking for a beach break away from the city. Most visitors arriving into town head straight to its famous blowhole, whichforms part of the 20-kilometre Kiama Coast Walk, which works its way from the Minnamurra River north of the town, through Kiama and on to Gerringong’s Werri Beach to the south.Moving away from the water, it’s still all about being in nature, with daily life in these parts having revolved around the coast and verdant inland for millennia. Evidence of traditional camps set up by the nomadic Wadi Wadi have been found at Jamberoo, a 15-minute drive from the middle of Kiama, but today it is weekend and short-break nomads who flock here.

Jervis Bay, just over an hour from Kiama, is the final stop on the trip south via the Grand Pacific Drive, passing by or through towns such as Berry - stop here for a sweet treat from the Berry Donut Van.

Stop on the way to Jervis Bay at the award-winning Coolangatta Estate winery, in the NSW version of Coolangatta, near Shoalhaven Heads for a late lunch and to grab something for later from the cellar door.

The heavens were kind to this patch of the earth, bestowing it with a wealth of beautiful beaches, marine wonderlands and an idyllic landscape. Jervis Bay Marine Park forms the focus here, covering about 215 square kilometres and spanning more than 100 kilometres of coastline. Established in 1998, its clear waters, ringed to exquisite effect with sparkling white sands in the bay itself, offers up ample snorkelling, diving and swimming, and the chance of getting up close with marine wildlife. Look out for the cheeky dolphins that regularly frolic in the waters, and migrating whales making their way up and down the coast.