Mount Nebo, a tall

hill A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit. Terminology The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally considered to be not a ...

that is part of the Illawarra Range, is located in the foothills of the Illawarra escarpment on the edge of the suburban fringe of the city of

Wollongong Wollongong ( ), colloquially referred to as The Gong, is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near w ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

. At

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance ( height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as '' orthometric heights''. Th ...

, the hill is reached by the steep O'Brien's Road from the suburb of Figtree.

Features and location

O'Brien's Road was built as a private toll road in the early 19th century to connect

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...

and the

Illawarra The Illawarra is a coastal region in the Australian state of New South Wales, nestled between the mountains and the sea. It is situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the South Coast region. It encompasses the two cities of Wollong ...

. O'Briens Road began at the locally famous fig tree that gave the name to the suburb of Figtree. Views from the top look over Wollongong,

Lake Illawarra Lake Illawarra ( Aboriginal Tharawal language: various adaptions of ''Elouera'', ''Eloura'', or ''Allowrie''; ''Illa'', ''Wurra'', or ''Warra'' meaning pleasant place near the sea, or, high place near the sea, or, white clay mountain), is an op ...

and the local mountains. Nebo is the Aboriginal name for the hill, and the name was retained as in the case of Woonona Mountain and

Mount Warrigal Mount Warrigal is a large suburb of Shellharbour, New South Wales, Australia. The population, according to the 2016 Australian Census, was 4,909. The suburb is in the Shellharbour City LGA. Geography The suburb includes "Native Dog Hill" and ...

hill at

. In 1999 the council stopped vehicles from continuing from the summit due to illegal dumping, and the road has become a track to O'Brien's Gap and Mount Brisbane, at above sea level. However litter remains a problem. The hill provides views of Mount Kembla and

Mount Keira Mount Keira () is a suburb and mountain in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. Mount Keira is a site of significant cultural heritage for the Wodi Wodi people. The name Mount Keira derives from the Wodi Wodi name for the mounta ...

and is popular for photograph taking. It is connected to the Illawarra escarpment by Nebo Ridge. From the end of the trafficable part of O'Briens Road a short trail climbs to the summit area where, near television re-transmission towers and a water tank. From here the

Coastal Plain is visible, with the hills of Mount Mangerton, Mount Saint Thomas and Cobblers Hill visible amidst residential areas. To the southeast lies Saddleback Mountain, Noorinan Mountain and Barren Grounds Nature Reserve, Knights Hill, the southern escarpment and, most obviously, Mount Kembla and Kembla West. The walking and bridle track goes from near the summit (a vegetated area east of the towers), down along Nebo Ridge, which rises to its own summit with views of Mount Keira, Mount Brisbane and the colliery below. A number of species of birds, snakes and plants are found here, as well as the problematic imported deer and

Lantana ''Lantana'' () is a genus of about 150 species of perennial flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. They are native to tropical regions of the Americas and Africa but exist as an introduced species in numerous areas, especially in ...

. The track remains fairly consistent except for one section where it climbs very steeply up a hill before going along the side of Pupiana, an extension of Mount Brisbane. The track then makes its way past a waterfall, unused water pipes and a gate to Harry Graham Drive, a tourist route along the escarpment. From here it is a short walk to the Motocross Track and the Stafford's Farm Track. The east and south sides of the hill have been encroached by residential development. The southwest slopes are taken up by agriculture and in the valley to the southwest is the Mount Nebo Colliery in the Kemira valley, the name comes from Mount Kembla and Mount Keira, two prominent local mountains. The track is used as a walking and jogging track and as a birdwatching site. The old road is crumbled in several sections, but this does not stop walkers.

References

{{New South Wales mountains , state=autocollapse Nebo, Mount Geography of Wollongong Nebo, Mount

Features and location

See also

References