On top of the world

Posted 20 November, 2024 John Pedler

Australia is one of the world’s most scenic countries, and sometimes you need a little altitude to take in the views.

Here seven lookouts that are worth – well – a look.

1. Five Rivers (The Kimberley, Western Australia)

Pick a warm Kimberley evening (which is pretty much any evening) and watch the sun set over the convergence of five mighty rivers – the Ord, King, Durack, Pentecost and Forrest. In the wet season, they’re even mightier.

From here, the massive waterway formed by the merging of the rivers heads north to Cambridge Gulf and the Timor Sea.

There are few spots in the country that show the mind-numbing vastness of our wide brown land as utterly as Five Rivers Lookout.

Getting there: From Wyndham, it’s a 6km drive along sealed roads, including a steep pinch towards the top of the lookout.

2. Bunda Cliffs (Far West Coast, South Australia)

Rising 100m above the deep blue waters of the Great Australian Bight, the Bunda Cliffs are so sheer they seem to have been cut from the earth with a blade.

Just off the Eyre Highway, the lookouts are approached from the desolation of the impossibly flat Nullarbor Plain, so it can be a tad startling when you arrive at the edge of the earth. Standby to gasp!

Looking south, it’s ocean as far as the eye can see, and somewhere over the distant horizon lies Antarctica.

It’s not uncommon to see whales hanging out in the water below, particularly between May and October.

Getting there: There are several viewing points along the Eyre Highway. The first one is 74km west of Nullarbor Roadhouse.

3. Ubirr (Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory)

Kakadu is a timeless land of ancient landscapes, tropical wetlands, dinosaur-like birds and huge, toothy reptiles.

From the top of Ubirr – a bold sandstone bluff – it seems like you can see it all. Here, in the middle of the savannah, take a peek at the land that time forgot.

The walk to the top might leave you a little breathless, and the view most certainly will.

Age-old rock-art galleries along the trail are an added bonus.

Getting there: Ubirr is 288km west of Darwin via the sealed Stuart and Arnhem highways.

4. SkyPoint Climb (Gold Coast, Queensland)

Take the elevator to the top of Australia’s tallest building and then pop out through a glass door, before climbing a bit more – on the outside. Sure, you’re tethered, but this might not be the one for acrophobics.

At 270m above the Gold Coast, you can watch the surf roll in along an endless sandy beach, and peer off to the distant hinterland. For an extra thrill, take the evening climb and look out over the dazzling city lights.

If you’d rather experience these views from inside the building, head for the SkyPoint Observation Deck.

Getting there: SkyPoint is part of Q1 Tower in Surfers Paradise.

5. Kunanyi/Mount Wellington (Hobart, Tasmania)

An impressive backdrop to Tasmania’s capital, 1271m-high kunanyi/Mount Wellington often wears a snow hat in winter.

From the summit, boardwalks lead to magnificent views of the city, the broad Derwent River and Bruny Island. To the southwest lie the vast, mysterious rainforests of the Tasmanian wilderness.

This is a top-of-the-world experience, which can be even more dramatic at sunrise and sunset.

Take a jumper and jacket. It may be a warm, sunny day in Hobart, but it’s usually much chillier and windier on the mountain top. The enclosed Pinnacle Observation Shelter will take the bite out of the breeze.

Getting there: It’s a 20km drive on a sealed road from Hobart city centre to kunanyi/Mount Wellington’s summit. Check local reports regarding road closures due to weather or traffic congestion on narrow Pinnacle Road.

6. Boroka Lookout (Grampians, Victoria)

There are lookouts galore scattered among the sandstone mountains of Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park, and Boroka is among the best.

Perched high in the ranges, it takes in stunning views of Fyans Valley, from the village of Halls Gap in the south to the waters of Lake Bellfield to the north.

Beyond the peaks that form the east wall of the valley, lies a patchwork of forests and farmlands stretching towards lake Fyans and mountainous outcrops further afield.

Getting there: It’s 15km from Halls Gap to the lookout car park along a winding sealed road, followed by a short walk to the viewing platforms.

7. Echo Point (Blue Mountains, New South Wales)

This is one of the best-known lookouts in the country, and for good reason. Echo Point is quite literally on the edge of Katoomba, where the cliffs drop away to the vast, heavily forested valleys and ridges of the Blue Mountains wilderness.

On a clear day, there are sheer escarpments as far as the eye can see, with the view often tinged by the bluish eucalyptus vapour that’s given these mountains their moniker.

In the forefront stand the iconic Three Sisters – towering sandstone pillars that hang over the valley.

For a closer look at the sisters, and more glorious views, take a stroll along the Three Sisters Walk. Intrepid strollers can descend the 998 steps on the Giant Stairway to Honeymoon Bridge, which leads to a ledge on the first sister.

Getting there: Echo Point is in Katoomba, 102km west of Sydney.