The Southern Freeway - more often known by its no longer signed name, the F6 - is one of the most important regional freeways in New South Wales. Its main purpose is to connect the metropolitan areas of Sydney and Wollongong - the first and third largest cities in the state respectively. This highway sees much use by heavy vehicles as Wollongong is a major industrial centre and home to the largest steelworks in the southern hemisphere.

The F6 starts in the southernmost suburb of the Sydney metropolitan area, Waterfall. It then continues south on top of the Woronora Plateau before it comes to the sprawling Bulli Tops Interchange, where State Route 60 (Princes Highway) southbound and northbound and State Route 69 all meet up in an interchange which covers over one square kilometre. Soon after this, the Southern Freeway descends the Illawarra Escarpment, a major mountain range which parallels the Wollongong metropolitan area for its entire length. Once on the coastal plain, the freeway then continues south for about 20km.

The Southern Freeway is not of full freeway standard for its entire length. Just north of the Bulli Tops interchange, the road loses its freeway status as the interchange has an at-grade crossing and several ramps are not of freeway quality. Some interchanges after this are of non-freeway standard, with very short ramps or no ramps at all (just a "Stop" or "Give Way" sign), and entering Wollongong, there are a handful of homes which front onto the driveway.

The F6 regains its freeway status at Gwynneville, and keeps it until the freeway's terminus at Yallah. There are no plans that I am aware of to upgrade the intermediate section to full freeway standard, though in my opinion, it would be fairly easy to do. The southern section was opened in 1972 and the northern section was opened in 1975.

The Southern Freeway is now signed as National Route 1 for its entire length. The highway it replaced for its length (the Princes Highway) is now signed as State Route 60 and was previously signed as Alternate Highway 1.

Below is an exit guide for the F6, which also includes the non-freeway portion of the highway. The distances listed are not entirely accurate, being subject to the vagaries of my odometer. All comments and corrections are eagerly solicited, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].

Distance (Southbound)	SOUTHBOUND (Read Down)	NORTHBOUND (Read Up)	OTHER - Services, Attractions, etc.
0km
0km	PRINCES HWY Helensburgh Stanwell Park	NO EXIT
18km	Sublime Point Lookout	NO EXIT
19km			Northern End Multiplex
20km	Panorama and Bulli Lookout	NO EXIT
21km	BULLI PASS Bulli	NO EXIT	Southern End Multiplex
22km	NO EXIT	Campbelltown Helensburgh	Bulli Pass Scenic Reserve
30km	Picton	PICTON ROAD Picton TO Hume Hwy	Mt Keira Lookout
31km	NO EXIT	Mt Keira Lookout
33km	NEW MT PLEASANT RD Mt Pleasant Balgownie	NO EXIT
35km	Wollongong	NO EXIT
35km
36km	UNIVERSITY AVE Gwynville Keiraville University Insitute of Technology	IRVINE ST University Institute of Technology	Botanic Garden
37km	NO EXIT	Bulli Wollongong
39km	PRINCES HWY Figtree Wollongong	PRINCES HWY Wollongong	Wollongong
40km	MASTERS ROAD Port Kembla	NO EXIT
42km	FIVE ISLANDS RD Port Kembla Shellharbour Unanderra	FIVE ISLANDS RD Unanderra Port Kembla	Nan Tien Temple
45km	NORTHCLIFFE DR Berkeley Warrawong Kembla Grange
48km	KANAHOOKA RD Kanahooka Dapto	NO EXIT
50km	FOWLERS RD Koonawarra Dapto	NO EXIT
53km