Discover World Class Local Fossils in Ulladulla

Here's an exciting enjoyable 2½ hour outdoor activity conducted in a beautiful natural heritage environment that could add another dimension to your summertime south coast holiday. 

The Gondwana Coast Fossil Walk operates from Ulladulla Harbour during the Summer holidays.  Each Walk begins with a ‘hands-on” briefing session and is followed by an easy stroll with your guide across 500 metres of the wave-cut platform. It is a fun learning experience available to anyone from 5yrs to more than 80yrs and absolutely no prior geological knowledge or scientific background is needed. 

Since the summer of 2009/10 the Gondwana Coast Fossil Walk has taken giant steps forward.  It has fantastic ongoing support from the Shoalhaven City Council and the Milton Ulladulla Lions Club and has also attracted major sponsorship from Geoscience Australia, NSW Geological Survey  and Crystal World in Melbourne and has also received “in-kind” support from Ulladulla Printing Service.  

Fossil Walk leader and Mollymook geologist, Phil Smart, says that lots more remains to be done for Ulladulla to become Australia’s top performing geo-tourism destination.  “Our Gondwana Coast should at least be on a par with the English, Jurassic Coast which draws 1000s of visitors daily”.  “It won’t happen overnight - but it will happen”, he said.

According to eminent palaeontologist, Professor Bruce Runnegar of UCLA, the fossil preservation and some other geological features on the Walk are “world class”.

The abundance and quality of preservation of Permian marine invertebrate fossils in the Wandrawandian Siltstone at Ulladulla has long been recognized by geologists. The fossils of the horizontal rock platforms were the subject of study by Bruce Runnegar who recognized a number of new species of bivalves in the 1960s. Rock fishermen and local residents enjoying a walk on the horizontal rock platforms also couldn’t help but notice the fossils but had little or no knowledge of their geological significance. Until last summer they remained a largely untapped scientific and educational resource visited by only a few university and local school groups.

Since the Walk is still run on a not for profit basis, largely by volunteers.  All funds collected will be added to the Gondwana Coast Fossil Walk Inc's Bendigo Bank Club Account, after deducting expenses. If you'd like to make a donation to the project please contact contact us.