Windang

Back in the day most of what the guidebooks remembered about us came from bits and pieces — older listings and event pages — but honestly, that suits us. We stand on the little peninsula that guards the ocean entrance to Lake Illawarra and shrug while the tide argues with the harbour. You can see why: Windang Beach, Perkins Beach and our tidy stretch at Windang Foreshore Park are all within arm’s reach, and we know every sandbar and fishing line like an old friend.

A weekend for us is simple. We wander the foreshore, breathe in whatever the sea is doing that day, then argue about whether to drive down to Bulli Showground for a show — you might remember when Concrete Playground covered Hockey Dad and noted they hail from Windang; their zombie-themed drive-in launch (yes, that happened) even had a postponement, because nothing says local rock’n’roll more than holding out for better weather. Junkee once listed Club Windang as a stop on a bushfire fundraising run too — we were quietly proud when the boys and acts like Dune Rats helped pull that together.

We’re not precious about being on a map. MyCommunityDirectory used to call us a suburb with an Aboriginal-derived name meaning “scene of a flight,” and list our postcode as 2528, neighboring Primbee under Wollongong Council. If you like tidy facts, the directories once listed a Windang Family Medical Centre at 19 Acacia Street and CareforKids showed about 14 childcare services here — four centres supposedly had vacancies and an average cost hovering around $109.50/day. So yes, the paperwork says we’re family-friendly; the truth is we just make space.

Who would hate living here? People who can’t cope with the sound of gulls, the occasional festival spillover, or the idea that your notable local might be a surf-rock band rather than a boutique bakery. We’re not trying to be everywhere else.

Who would love it? Families who want beaches on tap, night-owls who remember Club Windang’s fundraising gigs, and music fans who take pride that Hockey Dad put our postcode on a stage. We’re small, salty and loyal — and we’ll be here even if the listings move on.