Where to find the best blowholes in New South Wales

Kiama Blowhole is no doubt the state’s most famous blowhole, and for a good reason. It's actually the largest blowhole in the world and can spray up to 25 metres in the air under certain sea conditions. Don’t expect to walk away from this natural beauty without getting a little splashback – there's about 50 litres of water getting thrust up through the cave’s angular corridor.

If you’re the kind of person who likes to root for the underdog, we’d suggest checking out Kiama’s smaller, less famous blowhole, Little Blowhole. Find it by heading two kilometres south of Kiama Blowhole towards Marsden Head on Tingira Crescent. Thanks to Little Blowhole’s narrow shape it’s arguably more reliable than the bigger blowhole to the north (which means more sprays, more often – you were warned).

The rockpools at Dudley Beach in Newwie are a little off the beaten track, but worth the trek for this cool natural phenomenon. Unlike Kiama’s blowhole, gushing water snakes along a narrow crack in the rockpool surface until it hits an embankment, falls back onto itself and splashes upwards with great force. Be sure to visit at high tide to see it at its strongest.

While you’d have to be pretty lucky to see the upward spurt of water in this blowhole, visiting Snapper Point and the Frazer Blowhole is more about watching the water roll in and out of this massive sea cave. The tide has to be very high for any blowhole action here but it’s still enjoyable to visit – even if it’s just to imagine the Ursula-like creatures who probably live in there.

This is the only land-based blowhole on the list and, admittedly, from the onset won’t seem as impressive as its coast-based counterparts. The Tocumwal Blowhole might not gush water, but it has been known to bubble. Think of it like a sink drain – the blowhole is located near the Murray River and water can gurgle up from the small opening at various points throughout the year. The local Ulupna and Bangaragn nations believe the blowhole is connected to the Murray by an underground stream.