Alphabetical tour of Kiama

Unless you’ve been under an unusually large rock, you’ll know of our underlining mission to uncover unexplored local information.

And this week, it’s all about U.

It would be unwise (and a little unfair) to accuse Kiama of being untidy, unspectacular, or unattractive.

However, things weren’t always so upbeat. Once upon a time, in the unruly 18 ‘undreds, conditions were a lot more utilitarian.

A virtual unknown in the universe, unmapped until 1839, Kiama was under-used for a long time.

It took off thanks to the usefulness of its underground (basalt) and undergrowth (timber) resources.

Unearthing rock and timber for upcountry urban uses was a fairly unsafe and unsatisfying undertaking.

The streets of Kiama were unpaved and unlit.

The town’s waste was unplumbed, untreated, and unpleasant.

It was an utterly uncomfortable, ugly and uphill existence – unfamiliar and upside-down from today’s upper-end facilities.

But upheaval came in the form of underground units of union workers.

Unleashing the 472m rail tunnel under the hill into Kiama in 1893 with unashamed urgency, they undeniably ushered in an unmistakable new era. Suddenly, uninitiated upmarket uber-urban types felt the urge to unpack and unwind in this previously unpopular and undiscovered territory.

Ulster, along with much of the United Kingdom, provided umpteen early immigrants who upped sticks and moved to this untried and untested spot.

(It’s unlikely many came from Uganda or Ukraine though.)

These days it’s unfathomable to understand how these early settlers travelled to unknown, potentially unsuitable and undoubtedly uncertain and unforgiving destinations, sight unseen. Unbelievable really.

Kiama has remained mostly unaffected by urbanisation throughout its unbroken history.

As well as the growth of tourism, the “udder” major form of income has come from dairy products.

Ubiquitous among our landscape, this once unlimited supply now faces an unclear future.

Something else unfolding with uncertainty is our unseasonable weather; one minute it’s unforgiving UV rays, the next is umbrellas and untold damage.

So spare a thought for the unsung uniformed utilities who work around the clock in our region to deal with the unfortunate, unprepared or unsavoury folk in any weather. (Unless of course, that uniform belongs to someone selling unrealistically priced unleaded.)

These upstanding citizens of the emergency services are often unheralded, yet we should never underestimate their unrelenting importance. Finally some stats from the last census: unemployment in our region is 4.7 per cent. As for un-unrequited unions, 8866 people are listed as married.

A lovely church to get united and for men to become uxorious is Jamberoo’s gothic-style Uniting Church – it is truly “uninspiring” – i.e. its spire fell off in 1897 and was never replaced!

Whether travelling unimpeded from Unanderra or up from Ulladulla, you’ll feel unable to do a U-turn – understandable when you undergo this untouched and unforgettable uniqueness – unlike anything else, with underwater delights and unmatched scenery, it’s a unanimously unpretentious and unrivalled Utopia!