Macquarie Pass
36 km
distance
35 min
Contour time
5.1
avg score
Sealed
surface
700m
max elevation
+600m
total climb
Scenery
700m elevation
Robertson sits on the Southern Highlands plateau at around 700 metres, a small town known for its green dairy country,...
Road quality
5.1 RQS
Every segment scored on 40+ data signals.
Accessibility
Fully sealed
Best in Motorbike & Rally. Peak season: Year-round.
7-day forecast
Tight hairpins and steep gradients suit motorcycles and light sports cars. Trucks reverse on several corners - heavy vehicles are officially discouraged. The road surface is good but narrow throughout the pass section.
Scored 5.1/10 by Contour's road quality algorithm across curviness, surface, elevation and traffic. Best suited for motorbike & rally drivers.
The road
Macquarie Pass is one of Australia's most-cited short drives for good reason. The Illawarra Highway descends 600 metres from the Robertson plateau to the coastal plain at Albion Park in roughly 11 kilometres of continuous hairpins, with the remaining distance covering the approach roads at either end. The pass itself cuts through Macquarie Pass National Park on the Illawarra Escarpment - subtropical rainforest pressing against both sides of the road, single-lane sections where oncoming traffic requires negotiation, and a gradient steep enough that trucks are banned from several corners because they cannot make the turn without reversing. The 25 km/h advisory signs on the tightest bends are not conservative. The radius tightens mid-corner on several of the hairpins and the camber works against you on the descent. This is a road that rewards restraint and smoothness over speed. The Robertson end starts in green dairy country - rolling hills, pie shops, mist in the mornings. The Albion Park end opens onto the flat Illawarra coastal plain with Lake Illawarra visible ahead. The contrast between top and bottom is striking. Most drivers who know this road drive it uphill from Albion Park to Robertson, which gives better visibility through the hairpins and puts gravity on your side for braking.
Macquarie Pass is one of Australia's most-cited short drives for good reason.
Why this road
The region
Robertson sits on the Southern Highlands plateau at around 700 metres, a small town known for its green dairy country, cool-climate gardens and the Robertson Pie Shop which has become a destination in its own right. Albion Park on the coastal plain below is a working Illawarra town at the southern end of Lake Illawarra. The Illawarra Escarpment between them is one of the most dramatic geological features on the NSW coast - a near-vertical wall of sandstone and basalt separating the highland plateau from the narrow coastal strip. Macquarie Pass is one of only three roads that cross this escarpment in the region.
Before you go
Fuel in Robertson and Albion Park. The pass section has no services and no phone coverage in several spots. The road is open year-round but fog on the upper sections is common in winter mornings - visibility can drop to 20 metres. The surface stays damp under the canopy for days after rain. Go uphill from Albion Park for the better driving direction. The Robertson Pie Shop at the top is the traditional stop - it earns the reputation.
See a routing error?
Flag itWorth stopping for
Robertson Pie Shop
A genuine institution. The pies are good and the location at the top of the pass makes it the natural stop before or after the drive.
Fitzroy Falls
A 20-minute drive west from Robertson in Morton National Park. An 80-metre waterfall with a well-maintained viewing platform and bushwalking tracks.
Kiama Blowhole
30 minutes south from Albion Park on the coast. Worth the detour if you are making a day of it.
Route
Start
Robertson
End
Albion Park
Gallery
