Illawarra Escarpment - Geography

Geography

Geographically it stretches from the white cliffs of the Royal National Park and its northern hilly ridge formations like Bulgo and Otford Hills and Stony Batter, Undola Ridge and Bald Hill, south past the Otford Valley to the west and around an eroded valley containing Stanwell Park, then it goes south, featuring cliffs and running close to the coastal headlands, approximately 300 metres above sea level at Scarborough to the turn at Sublime Point (415 m) near Thirroul, south to Brokers Nose (440 m) promontory, south to Mount Keira, which juts out from the main cliffs, south to a similar eroded sandstone outcrop, Mount Kembla (534 m), then southwest along the Dapto scarp cliffs including Mount Bong Bong to the turn inland at Macquarie Pass, then back east to the promontory at Knights Hill (709 m), south including Jamberoo Mountain and east to Noorinan Mountain promontory at Barren Grounds Plateau, then along a ridge to its southern tip, Saddleback Mountain. (Although the escarpment actually continues around Noorinan promontory and forms the Cambewarra Range or Escarpment. The Escarpment itself continues around Kangaroo Valley)

It ranges in height from the tops of Bald Hill and Stony Batter around 300 metres above sea level, to 440 metres at Brokers Nose, generally above 350 metres high south of Mount Ousley Road (between Keira and Brokers Nose) it reaches 464 m at Mount Keira, 464 at Mount Warra, 469 m at Mount Brisbane, 531 m at Mount Burelli, 512 m at Kembla West, 534 m at Mount Kembla, 564 m at Wanyambilli Hill on the plateau to the west and 709 m at Knights Hill, just over 663 metres at Noorinan Mountain and about 600 metres at Saddleback Mountain.

It is mostly of hard sandstone, with outcrops like Mount Keira and Mount Kembla rising above 450 metres. There are many tracks to the top of such summits including the southern tip of the escarpment, Saddleback Mountain and Noorinan Mountain promontory. The flora ranges from northern and southern eucalypts and at Mount Kembla fuses, providing an interesting phenomena. The range has much history, including Hoddles Track which used to go to Bowral from Kiama.

To the north the range is mostly a coastal ridge east of Otford, becoming a cliff at Mount Mitchell, and continuing to include an eroded cliff at its top until Bulli Pass where it becomes rounded, forming Woonona Mountain, until Brokers Nose where the cliff reappears, before appearing again on the edge of Mount Keira and Warra, disappearing until west of Dapto where it forms the famous southern escarpment and curves in for Macquarie Pass National Park and Mount Murray (768 m) before turning into Knights Hill(709 m) and then forming Noorinan promontory, its summit at 663 metres, and Saddleback Mountains.