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Australia - 5 Lookouts per state not to miss
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Drive Holiday Lookouts not to be missed.
When on a driving holiday it can be a bit confusing which Lookouts are worth the diversion and which are not. Here is a list of 5 for each state and territory of Australia (In reality we could have 20 for each), that we think you shouldn’t miss.We will follow this blog up with a more comprehensive list for each state. Our driving itineraries always point our good local lookouts, so head there for more specific regions.
The lookouts below are spectacular, iconic and we have tried to vary them so they are not all coastal! With a coastline like Australia, that’s hard to do………
Click on the links throughout the blog if you want more detailed information.
Remember to pay your respects to the traditional elders past and present.
Victoria
Arthurs Seat Lookout - Mornington Peninsular
To see - Port Phillip Bay and Mornington PeninsularClosest town - Melbourne - 75km CBD
Accessibility - Easy car or foot
Surrounding walking trails - yes, easy
Traditional custodians - Boon Wurung / Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation
The Pinnacle - Grampians National Park
To see - Halls Gap and the GrampiansClosest town - Halls Gap
Accessibility - Sundial car park 2 km easy walk, Wonderland Carpark - 2km medium to hard walk
Surrounding walks - This Lookout is part of a either of the above walks
Traditional custodians - Gariwerd people
Stony Hill Lookout - Cape Bridgewater
To see - Highest Coastal cliffs in Victoria and crystal blue waters of Bridgewater BayClosest town - 20 minutes from Portland via Otway St
Accessibility - easy
Surrounding walks - Do the 50km roundtrip drive on the Cashmore Rd. via Bridgewater Lakes
Traditional custodians - Gunditjmara people of the Koonang nation
The Horn Lookout - SUMMER ONLY
To see - Mt Buffalo National ParkClosest town - Bright
Accessibility - Hard - Steep and rocky
Surrounding walks - 1hr round trip walk from The Horn car park
Traditional custodians - Mitambuta and Tangurong people
Photo Credit: Visit Victoria
12 Apostles
To see - the famous 12 apostles rock stacks and the dramatic limestone cliffs
Closest town - 10-minute drive from Port Campbell
Accessibility - Short easy walk from the 12 Apostle visitor centre
Surrounding walks - Gibson Steps, Loch Ard Gorge
Traditional custodians - Cooriemungle people
New South Wales
Sydney Harbour Bridge and/or Sydney Tower Eye
To see - Sydney Harbour and Sydney CityClosest town - Sydney
Accessibility - Harbour Bridge Climb requires reasonable fitness and you can’t be scared of heights, Sydney Tower Eye - easy
Surrounding walks - The Rocks, Circular Quay, Sydney Opera House and Botanical Gardens
Traditional custodians - Gadigal people of the Eora Nation
Echo Point and Sublime Point Lookouts
To see - The Blue Mountains including The Three Sisters
Closest town - Katoomba, Leura
Accessibility - These are the 2 most accessible lookouts. The Blue Mountains is really all about “lookouts” but other lookouts my require greater fitness to access.
Surrounding walks - Too many to list, see the attached link, to choose what suits you.
Traditional custodians - Darug and Gundungurra people of the Ngurra Nation
Bald Hill Lookout
To see - Stanwell Beach and Headland (If you’re lucky you will also see some hand gliders)Closest town - Stanwell Tops
Accessibility - easy
Surrounding walks - (drive in this case) Grand Pacific Drive - Sea Cliff Bridge into Wollongong
Traditional custodians - Wodiwodi people of the Tharawai nation
Disaster Bay Lookout
To see - Disaster Bay and Ben Boyd National Park, Great for Bird and Whale watching
Closest town - Eden
Accessibility - Medium
Surrounding walks - Ben Boyd National Park - Boyd Tower walking track
Traditional custodians - Tadjera-Munji-Djiringanj people of the Yuiun-Monaro nation
Mundi Mundi Plains Lookout
To see - Mundi Mundi PlainsClosest town - 4 km North of Silverton
Accessibility - easy
Surrounding walks - easy self-guided walk on the Mundi Mundi Plains
Traditional custodians - Barkindjji and Wilyakali people
South Australia
Bunda Cliffs Lookout - Nullarbor National Park
To see - The Great Australian Bight, the longest uninterrupted sea cliff in the world - Southern Right Whale watchingClosest town - 4hrs from Ceduna
Accessibility - very easy
Surrounding walks https://www.parks.sa.gov.au/find-a-park/Browse_by_region/Eyre_Peninsula/nullarbor-national-park
Traditional custodians - Wirangu people
Cape Spencer Lighthouse Lookout - Innes National Park
To see - Southern Spencer Gulf Marine Park and Kangaroo and the Althrope IslandsClosest town - 9km south of Inneston
Accessibility - Easy 600m from the car park
Surrounding walks - Stenhouse Bay, easy 2km walk to another stunning Lookout.
Traditional custodians - Kunara, Windera, Wari and Dilpa people of the Nharangga nation
Escarpment Lookout - Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park
(closed on catastrophic fire danger days)To see - Dramatic arid scenery
Closest town - Coober Pedy
Accessibility - medium
Surrounding walks
Traditional custodians - Antakirinja Matuntjara Yankunytjatjara People
Cape Lowly Lighthouse and Cape Lafontaine - Port Bonython, Eyre Peninsula
This is a region of many easily accessible lookouts and walks.To see - Spencers Gulf - Natural wonders, aquatic and coastal wildlife, stunning vistas
Closest town - Whyalla
Accessibility - easy
Surrounding walks - City walk 2.5km, Wetlands walk 2.5km, Fitzgerald bay Hike 4km, Fitzgerald Bay - Point Lowly 8km.
Traditional custodians - Marlkaripangala and Barngarla people
Mount Lofty - Cleland Conservation Park
To see - Adelaide and the Yorke PeninsulaClosest town - 17 km from Adelaide CBD
Accessibility - easy
Surrounding walks - easy walks to Waterfall Gully, Heysen Trail and the Cleland Wildlife park
Traditional custodians - Peramangk people
Western Australia
Z Bend Lookout - Kalbarri National Park
To see - Murchison River, Tumblagooda GorgeClosest town - Kalbarri, Ajana
Accessibility - Easy (some stairs) 1.2 km return walk from the car park
Surrounding walks - Z Bend River Trail - 2.6km Medium to Difficult walk
Traditional custodians -Nanda people
Kings Park Lookout - Perth
To see - Perth Skyline, Swan River, Darling RangeClosest town - Perth
Accessibility - easy
Surrounding walks - Include as part of a city sights walk around Perth.
Traditional custodians - Whadjuk Nyoongar people
Padre White Lookout - Mt Clarence
To see - Princess Royal Harbour and King George SoundClosest town - Albany
Accessibility - easy
Surrounding walks - Point Possession Heritage Trail - 5km loop - Easy walking - a must!
Traditional custodians - Menang people
Denham and Eagle Bluff Lookouts - Shark Bay, Francois Peron National Park
NB: this is more of a destination - all the lookouts here are worth visiting.To see - Crystal blue waters with sharks (Shark Bay after all) Stingrays, turtles and you might even see Dugongs and Dolphins - go several times. Sunset and sunrise are amazing,
Closest town 20 km south of Denham
Accessibility - easy - It’s a fabulous boardwalk around the cliff right from the car park.
Surrounding walks - Stomatolites Pool Board Walk, Skip Jack Point.
Traditional custodians - Malgana, Nhanda and Yingkarta people
Castle Rock Granite Skywalk Lookout - Porongurup National Park
To see - Porongurug Range - Karri forest, Mt Manypeaks, Mt Gardner and back to Albany.Closest town - 40km south Albany
Accessibility - Medium to lower outlook, Difficult and steep to the upper lookout, requires climbing a ladder and some rock walking - worth the effort - view video before you attempt.
Surrounding walks - The walk up to the lower lookout is about 4km round trip
Traditional custodians - Wagyl Kaip people
Northern Territory
Talinguru Nyakunytjaku Lookout and Sunrise Dune Viewing Area
To see - Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas)
From both lookouts, you can see Uluru and Kata Tjuta, but Talinguru Nyakunytjaku is best for Uluru 16 mins from the resort and Sunrise Dunes is best for Kata Tjuta - 35 mins from the resort. Both for sunrise and sunset.
Closest town - Yulara Resort
Accessibility - easy
Surrounding walks - Uluru base walk, Walpa Gorge and Valley of the Winds.
Traditional custodians - Anangu people
Kalarranga Lookout - Finke Gorge National Park
To see - Finke River Gorge and Palm ValleyClosest town - 138 km from Alice Springs
Accessibility - From Kalarranga car park it's an easy 45-minute walk
Surrounding walks - Mpaara Walk 5km, In Palm Valley - Arankaia 2km and Mpulungkinya 5km walks.
Traditional custodians - Western Arrernte people
Ubirr Rock Lookout - Kakadu National Park
To see - Alligator River, Catfish Creek, Nadab flood plains. - Sunset is amazing over the plains.Closest town - 43 km from Jabiru
Accessibility - Moderate - 1 km Ubirr Rock Circuit walk. Take in the rock art on the walk so it’s not normal 1km timing.
Surrounding walks - Bardedjildji River Bush and Sandstone Walk - Still takes in Ubirr Rock Lookout but a longer walk, start at the Bardedjildji entrance - it’s about 7km. - well worth the effort.
Traditional custodians - Bininj and Mungguy people
Gunlom Falls Lookout - Waterfall, Kakadu National Park
To see - Southern Hills and Ridges and to stand at the top of a waterfallClosest town - Jabiru
Accessibility - Hard, Steep, 1km round trip
Surrounding walks - Easy walk, Murrill Billabong Walk, 2.5km round trip
Traditional custodians - Jawoyn people
NB: Be crocodile wise, you should be safe at the plunge pool but crocodiles inhabit the South Alligator River which feeds into the whole area. Don’t jump off cliffs or rocks the plunge pools vary in-depth and you can’t always tell the depth from above.
Wangi Falls Lookout - Litchfield National Park
To see - Wangi Falls, monsoon forest and plunge poolClosest town - 150km from Darwin
Accessibility - 1.6km round trip, moderately steep, Walk up the stairs at plunge pool.
Traditional custodians - Warmungu people
Queensland
Rex Lookout
To see - Trinity Bay and DaintreeClosest town - Port Douglas
Accessibility - Roadside Lookout
Surrounding walks - N/A
Traditional custodians - Kuku Yalangi people
Mossman Gorge - Cape Tribulation
To see - The Gorge, Daintree Rainforest.Closest town - 22 km from Port Douglas
Accessibility - easy 2km round trip from the Mossman Gorge Centre
Surrounding walks - Short walks from the Gorge Centre
Traditional custodians - Kuku Yalangi people
Mount Coot-tha - Brisbane
To see - Brisbane and Moreton BayClosest town - Brisbane
Accessibility - Drive to the lookout
Surrounding walks - This is a good lookout to include a picnic or restaurant lunch/dinner, maybe a taxi up and back!
Traditional custodians - Yugara people
Boolimba Bluff Lookout - Carnarvon Gorge
To see - Carnarvon GorgeClosest town - 95kms from Injune
Accessibility - Hard 6.5km round trip
Surrounding walks - Allow 3 hours for the walk
Traditional custodians - Karingbal and Bidjara Peoples
Duwadarri (Adels Grove) and Indarri Falls Lookout - Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park
To see - Lawn Hill CreekClosest town - 100km west of Gregory Downs
Accessibility - Hard/steep 1km walk, takes in both Duwadarii and Indarri lookouts
Traditional custodians - Waanyi people
Tasmania
Wineglass Bay Lookout - Freycinet National Park
To see - Wineglass BayClosest town - 13kms from Coles Bay
Accessibility - Hard - steep uphill 3 km roundtrip from the Carpark
Surrounding walks - Rather than return to the Carpark take the trail down to the Bay and walk along the beach, if you head south you get a great view of Hazard Beach. Allow about 3 hours so you can stop and enjoy the views along the way
Traditional custodians - Palawa people
Trethewies Lookout and The Nut Chair Lift - Stanley Peninsula
To see - The Nut, Stanley Peninsula and Harbour. From The Nut, it’s a fabulous 360-degree view.Closest town - Stanley
Accessibility - Easy - drive up car-park
Surrounding walks - Take the Nut Chair Lift up to the viewing platform and walk back down.
Stanley Town Heritage walk - 1hr easy streetwalking
Traditional custodians - Palawa people
Dove Lake Circuit - Cradle Mountain - St Clair National Park
To see - Cradle MountainClosest town - 87 km from Devonport
Accessibility - This is a combined walk and sightseeing situation. It’s an easy 6km round trip around Dove Lake. View Cradle Mountain from different angles.
Surrounding walks - The circuit takes about an hour and apart from the spectacular views of Cradle Mountain and its reflection in the waters of the lake, at the base of the mountain you will also see waterfalls and an amazing cool climate rainforest.
Traditional custodians - Palawa people
Kunanyi (Mount Wellington) - Hobart
To see - Hobart and Bruny IslandClosest town - Hobart
Accessibility - Easy boardwalk from the car park - even in bad weather or winter there is an observation shelter at the summit.
Surrounding walks - Moderate level walk to the summit from Fern Tree to take in the rock formation the Organ Pipes - 4 hour round trip
Traditional custodians - Palawa people
Tahune Airwalk - Hartz Mountain National Park
To see - Huon River ValleyClosest town - Geeveston
Accessibility - Moderate - 112 steps up to the airwalk. The airwalk ranges from 20 to 50 metres above the ground so it’s probably not for you if you are scared of heights - allow an hour.
Surrounding walks - Huon Pine Walk - as a short 20 minute round trip walk along the Huon River.
Traditional custodians - Palawa people
Australian Capital Territory
Mt Ainslie - Canberra
To see - Iconic view down the 4 km stretch of Anzac Parade from the War Memorial to Parliament house.Closest town - Canberra
Accessibility - easy - drive up. Moderate - walk from the bottom
Surrounding walks - Hikes from the bottom car park
Telstra Tower - Black Mountain
To see - a 360-degree view of Canberra and surroundsClosest town - Canberra
Accessibility - easy
Shelley Richardson
Shelley has been working in the travel industry for over 30 years, in aviation, for tour operators and since 2016 for DriveNow. Having travelled extensively worldwide, alone, as a couple and with her family, Shelley has experience to share about how to make the most of your holiday, especially road-trips to amazing destinations.
