New South Wales (NSW) in Australia is to get a new coastal tourism driving route, stretching from Sydney to the South Coast, now that the AUS$49m (US$36m, 30m euros, £21m) Sea Cliff Bridge has opened north of Wollongong.

The new 140km (87m) route – called Grand Pacific Drive, will run from the Royal National Park south of Sydney to Shoalhaven Heads on the south Coast.

Greg Binskin, general manager of Tourism Wollongong, said: “The opening of the new Sea Cliff Bridge has given us a coastal route that is the equal of the best drives in the world.”

“We will be running a number of marketing initiatives to promote the new attraction, including a new website, a 16-page travel brochure and an offshore campaign supported by Tourism New South Wales and tourism Australia,” he said.

The campaign is part of Tourism New South Wales’ strategy to transform the Grand Pacific Drive into a tourism attraction rivaling the famous Great Ocean Road route near Melbourne. Details: www.grandpacificdrive.com