Wollongong Botanic Garden (Keiraville, NSW): Free Entry, Five Car Parks With a Two-Hour Limit, Gong Shuttle, Opening Hours and Rules

Wollongong Botanic Garden at Murphys Avenue, Keiraville, charges nothing for entry or parking, and is open 7am to 6pm on weekdays and 7am to 6:45pm on weekends and public holidays until 4 April 2027. This brief uses the garden’s hours and location page, its FAQs, features and facilities and access and mobility pages. The garden is a service of Wollongong City Council.

What are the opening hours?

Period	Hours
Weekdays, until the end of daylight saving time (4 April 2027)	7am to 6pm
Weekends and public holidays, until 4 April 2027	7am to 6:45pm
After 4 April 2027	7am to 5pm every day
Rose Garden	7am to 4pm
Sir Joseph Banks Glasshouse	8am to 4pm
Pani Cafe	9am to 2pm weekdays; 9am to 4pm weekends

The garden is closed on Christmas Day and Good Friday. It sits on 27 hectares at the foot of Mount Keira, next to the University of Wollongong’s main campus, about 85 kilometres south of Sydney, and has seven entry points.

Where can I park, and is it free?

All parking is free. The garden lists five car parks, and the two main ones have a two-hour limit per day.

Car park	Limit	Notes
40 Murphys Avenue, Keiraville	2 hours per day	Main car park, nearest to the kiosk and playground
29 Madoline Street, Gwynneville	2 hours per day	Close to the Education Centre
Administration Centre, 61 Northfields Avenue, Keiraville	15 minutes	For visitors to the Administration Centre
Garden Nursery, 65 Northfields Avenue, Keiraville	Not stated	Open on Plant Sale days only
Gleniffer Brae, 48 Murphys Avenue, Keiraville	Not stated	At the Gleniffer Brae property

Street parking is also available on surrounding streets; the garden says to check street signs for any time limits or other restrictions. If you are coming from the north or south on the M1 Princes Motorway, the garden’s directions are to take the Keiraville exit and follow the signs.

Can I get there without a car?

The free Gong Shuttle Bus links the garden with the city centre, the beach, the university, the Innovation Campus and Fairy Meadow; our guide to the Gong Shuttle has the route details. The closest train station is North Wollongong, and the garden suggests planning the trip on the Transport for NSW site.

For cycling, the hours and location page says bike racks are at the Robsons Road entry, while the FAQs say to use the racks at the Murphys Avenue entrance. Either way, bikes cannot be ridden inside; you can walk a bike through the garden or leave it outside.

What are the rules?

The garden says penalties for not following its rules exceed $100. Its FAQs set out these rules:

• Pets are not permitted. Accredited assistance dogs accompanying visitors with a disability are allowed. During plant sales, well-behaved pets on a lead are welcome in the Garden Nursery.
• Bikes, scooters, skateboards, rollerblades and skates are not allowed.
• Ball games and similar activities such as frisbees are not allowed.
• Do not climb trees or enter garden beds; stay on the paths or the grassy areas.
• Do not pick, remove or damage plants, including fallen flowers, leaves and seeds.
• The garden is smoke and alcohol free.
• Camping is not permitted, and you cannot bring your own gas, charcoal or open-flame barbeque. Two free electric barbeques are near the All Abilities Playground.
• Private marquees, large shade structures and jumping castles need prior approval; small shade tents for infants and young children are permitted.

Can I feed the ducks?

No. The garden asks visitors not to feed the ducks or other wildlife, and says the highly contagious H5 bird flu is spreading rapidly in Australia and can be deadly to wild birds, pets and mammals. All wildlife in the garden is protected, including snakes, spiders, lizards and birds, and it can sometimes behave unpredictably. If you have concerns, call the garden on (02) 4227 7667.

What is there to see and do?

The garden lists these built features: an All Abilities Playground, an amphitheatre, a duck pond, garden libraries, insect hotels, the Kawasaki Bridge and Japanese Tea House, the Mercury Fountain, a Nature Wellness Trail and sculptures. Facilities include picnic areas, a parents’ room, public toilets and Pani Cafe near the main entrance, next to the playground. Weekly Garden Discovery Buggy Tours run in an electric buggy provided by the Friends of Wollongong Botanic Garden; its website lists tours on 11 and 18 November 2026.

What is the access like for wheelchairs and prams?

The best entry for wheelchairs and prams is via Murphys Avenue, where accessible parking bays are provided in the garden car park, and also at the Education car park off Madoline Street. The garden warns that the Northfields Avenue entry has steeper gradients that may not suit non-motorised wheelchairs without help. There is an accessible toilet at the Murphys Avenue entry and a second one at the Towri Centre with ramp access.

Two free mobility scooters can be hired by visitors who are less mobile, up to a user weight limit of 120kg including belongings. They must be pre-booked, are available on weekdays between 9am and 4pm, and need at least 24 hours’ notice by phone or email.

Sources

• Wollongong Botanic Garden — Hours and Location
• Wollongong Botanic Garden — FAQs
• Wollongong Botanic Garden — Features and Facilities
• Wollongong Botanic Garden — Access and Mobility

Featured image: Wollongong Botanic Garden, photographed in April 2023 (photo: Maksym Kozlenko / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added).

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Wollongong Botanic Garden or Wollongong City Council. Hours and rules can change; check the garden’s website before you go.