There’s a million dollar view over Mason Cove from the failed flour mill when the conditions are right. As they were for me on this fine and sunny autumn day.

I was outside.

It was warm.

And I was there by choice.

I was lucky. Those three factors aren’t always present on prison visits. They’re even less likely in a penal settlement as notorious as Port Arthur, Australia’s best known convict penitentiary on the Tasman peninsula, a 90 minute drive from Hobart.

Getting here at last had only taken … well, never mind how many years since I read about it. I was here now, so I slapped down the moral dilemma of whether or not it was ethical to spend money on being entertained by other people’s suffering and set off to enjoy myself.

Because that’s what you do in a World Heritage listed convict settlement, right??

A Room with a View

Despite being surrounded by evidence of suffering and death, Port Arthur is strangely serene. Although it’s unlikely the blissful serenity OR the staggering scenery would have been quite so noticeable to the 600+ convicts locked up in the flour mill – converted into the main penitentiary after a failed attempt to provide the colony with its own flour supply.

Perhaps the better outlook enjoyed by the well-behaved convicts from their bunks on the 3^rd and 4^th floors above the lower level cells containing the hardened criminals was a small consolation.

Maybe the only one.

As a secondary punishment site for repeat offenders from all over Australia, Port Arthur was modelled on the ideas of prison reformer Jeremy Bentham as ‘a machine for grinding rogues into honest men’*. That meant an unpalatable cocktail of discipline, religion, training and punishment by solitary confinement.

And all that grinding happened in an area with an annual rainfall of ~850 mm falling on ~190 days a year and maximum temperatures averaging below 15° C. That meant a LOT of cold, dismal days. No surprises about the high incidence of respiratory problems and rheumatic ailments.

Life at Port Arthur

Down here, with nothing much between the coast and Antarctica, a life sentence meant exactly that. At the narrow neck of land connecting the peninsula to the rest of Tasmania there’s a line of dogs. Around the peninsula are treacherous waters, massive cliffs and wild weather. Escape? I don’t think so.

So was ‘enjoying’ the ‘killer view’ during what I KNEW would be a short stay with a departure time chosen by ME profoundly disrespectful to the 1100 convicts and settlers buried on the Isle of the Dead out in the bay?

Because this view was the last one they’d seen??

Whether yes or no, I’m in good company. Renamed ‘Carnarvon’ when the prison closed in 1877 after nearly 50 years – and TEN commandants (yes, that’s what my post title means!) – the township soon became a tourist attraction and the name changed back to Port Arthur.

As tourist demand increased, it’s been re-developed and restored into a key site of the 11 that comprise the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage Property.

And the tourists who keep rolling in aren’t just here for the fine bakery food up in the Port Café!

There’s a fine line between having a keen and inquiring mind and just being plain nosey. So the fascination my glimpse into this other world so alien, yet so much a part of colonial Australian history, gave me could go either way. Right? RIGHT??

Discovering Port Arthur

Exploring the Port Arthur site makes those history lessons of (not so) long ago real.

There’s the contrast between the convicts and the officers spelled out in the rough stone cells vs the comforts of the commandants house.

The massive government gardens where officers and their families could escape the taint of the convicts under their charge.

The Dockyard employing up to 70, where 166 boats both large and small were built.

The first juvenile reformatory in the British Empire where boys from 9-17 were educated at Point Puer, just across Mason Cove.

The church where up to 1100 people attended compulsory services.

And questions I’d never before thought to ask were answered.

Questions like what happened when a convict ‘lifer’ became too old or ill work – and thus earn their keep? And what happened if the harsh conditions tipped a convict over the edge of sanity?

They were housed in the Pauper’s Depot (self explanatory) or Asylum – now a Museum and Study Centre – although I didn’t find out what happened to those still alive when the penal settlement was closed. Is this the forgotten tragedy of this era?

Modern Day Tragedy at Port Arthur

But the tragedies that define Port Arthur sadly didn’t end back in the late 1800s.

The Memorial Garden built around the remains of the Broad Arrow Café commemorates the 35 visitors and staff killed and 19 wounded by a gunman in 1996. It’s a place to honour the ordinary people like you and me whose lives were brutally and senselessly lost or changed forever.

And a place to re-affirm that life is to be enjoyed and savoured.

I’m still not sure if ‘enjoy’ is the right word to describe my day in Port Arthur. But I don’t think I’ll be taking my freedom, choices and life for granted any more.

Have YOU been to Port Arthur?  Do you have family connections from Port Arthur??  Let me know in the comments below!

Want MORE?

• Port Arthur Historic Site
• Australian Convict Sites World Heritage Property
• Discover Tasmania
• MORE Photos on Flickr

Don’t take my word for it – make your OWN date with history and see it for yourself!  These cheap flights will get you started!

* Quoted from the Port Arthur Historic Site Visitor Guide, also used extensively as a reference for this post.

The post The Ten Commandants, Port Arthur, Tasmania appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

With the world’s biggest rock AND largest monolith*, Australia’s the land of the ultimate ROCK – or at least the coolest Australian rock formations! But where’s a keen rockhound to go once they’ve seen Mt Augustus (biggest rock) and Uluru (biggest monolith)??

Check out a few more Australian Rock Stars – otherwise known as distinctive and unusual Australian rock formations – with this handy guide to 12 HOTTEST Rock spots from all around OZ!

1 Bald Rock via Tenterfield, NSW

This 750m x 500m monolith around 25 north of Tenterfield in New South Wales’ Granite Belt isn’t Australia’s largest monolith. But it’s Australia’s largest GRANITE monolith!!

Thrill seekers and the time-poor can take the short, steep exposed route straight up the face to the summit – 200 metres above the surrounding plains. Those wanting a more relaxing experience (read: more cowardly) can take the longer, more scenic route through the bushland up the back. Either way, the exposed summit has spectacular views over two states – and a spectacular drop down to the bottom!

MORE about Bald Rock National Park

2 Remarkable Rocks, Kangaroo Island, SA

The remarkable shapes of these rocks sculptured by wind, water and weather at the southern end of Flinders Chase National Park on Kangaroo Island off the South Australian coast are a real clue to what their ultra-imaginative name actually means

Australia’s 3^rd largest island – an intriguing blend of superb natural attractions, wildlife, gourmet treats and beaches – is South Australia’s answer to the tropics.

But whatever their reasons for visiting Kangaroo Island, sooner or later, most visitors head for the all-natural Remarkable Rocks – where they’ll take a photo remarkably like the one above!

MORE about Flinders Chase National Park, Kangaroo Island

3 Balancing Rock & Caves – Chillagoe, QLD

I’ve still got the cool Serpentine (I think) egg I bought from a Chillagoe shop on my only visit 20+ years ago, but it’s Balancing Rock and the Chillagoe-Mungana Caves National Park tour I remember.

Outside, the dramatic jagged edges of the reef housing the caves tower above the classic outback landscape.

It’s just as dramatic inside – a separate, subterranean world of limestone in intriguing formations, weathered caverns and towering columns.

Back outside and the self-guided walks to the historic smelter sites, Aboriginal rock art are interesting, but it’s the amazing Balancing Rock that’ll get you snapping!

MORE about Chillagoe-Mungana Caves National Park

4 Tessellated Pavement, Tasmania

I’m such a sucker for names that when I heard about an attraction in a place called Pirates Bay near the township of Eaglehawk Neck on the Tasman Peninsula, it didn’t matter what it was. I just HAD to go see Tasmania’s Tessellated Pavement – one of the best known examples*** of this complex geological phenomenon involving rock fractures, polygonal blocks, erosion and sea salts. If you’re not a geologist, this is probably enough information. If you ARE a geologist, then you’ll already know WAY more than this!

At low tide, the tessellations (like mosaic tiles) make an interesting patchwork on the flat rock platform just above the water level. But make sure your cool pavement shot isn’t ruined by slipping on the wet rocks!

MORE about the Tessellated Pavement

5 Mirima National Park, Kununurra

Tiny Mirima National Park on the outskirts of Kimberley town Kununurra, with its wildlife, walks and wheelchair access, is a chance to experience the MUCH bigger West OZ attraction Purnululu (aka Bungle Bungles) in miniature.

Formed by the same process as its larger counterpart, Mirima’s sedimentary rock layers glow in the early morning and late evening light. And with the right angle of perspective and the right level of concentration, a more skilled photograper than I could ALMOST convince viewers that the shots were taken elsewhere!

But I had no time for photographic trickery – I was more interested in avoiding the 3 metre snake!

MORE about Mirima National Park

6 Devils Marbles, Northern Territory

Snapping a killer sunset or sunrise in what is arguably Australia’s most intriguing rock pile without other people in your shot can be a challenge!

But the complicated geological theory involving weathered layers of sandstone and granite that’s the standard scientific explanation for the almost perfectly spherical shapes doesn’t quite do justice to the magical setting and extraordinary light.

So forget the ‘facts’, settle back, and drink in the magic of Karlu Karlu with the story of the Rainbow Serpent. According to this Indigenous legend, those spherical shapes are the Rainbow Serpent’s fossilized eggs!

Now … isn’t that a FAR more satisfying explanation for this geological phenomenon?

MORE about Devils Marbles (Karlu Karlu)

7 Island Rock, via Kalbarri, WA

According to the tourist information brochure, Island Rock, one of the more spectacular of Kalbarri National Park’s Coastal Cliff attractions, ‘can be enjoyed from the safety of the lookout enclosures’!

But it doesn’t explain how safely walk the coastal trail atop the sandstone cliffs so high above the pounding sea below it’s almost impossible to fit them into a photo! Perhaps that’s why many tourists opt for a visit to the park’s best known rock formation, Natures Window!!

If you can tear your eyes away from Island Rock and the amazing sculpted cliff face, so treacherous to ships and bumblefooted tourists, you may be lucky enough to see whales far out to sea. But if the sheer drop gives you vertigo, turn and face inland – and you’ll see one of Australia’s most scenic loos**!

MORE about Kalbarri National Park

8 Sawn Rocks, via Narrabri, NSW

It’s an easy walk from the car park to the dramatic Sawn Rocks – Australia’s best example of the columnar jointing phenomenon more commonly called organ piping located a few kilometres from Narrabri in the shadow of Mt Kaputar National Park. Best viewed in the morning when the sun (if it’s out!) strikes the rock face, bringing out the amazing colours and shadows.

Standing underneath the soaring rock face can be awe-inspiring – until you realise that those enormous Greek temple ruinous rock columns all around can only have come from one place.

Yep, directly above!

MORE about Sawn Rocks, via Narrabri, NSW

9 Hollow Mountain, Victoria

You can’t swing a brush-tailed possum in Victoria’s Grampians National Park without hitting some kind of rock. So much so that walking through the park could give you a serious case of rock overload that only a fix from the awesome Halls Gap Bakery could cure

But I’m betting even the most jaded rockhound couldn’t fail to be impressed by Hollow Mountain, in the Northern Grampians. Exploring the wind-sculpted caves, caverns and crags can actually be more fun than reaching the summit!

And I’m not just saying that because I’m exercise-averse! No, REALLY!!

MORE about Hollow Mountain and Northern Grampians

10 Balls Pyramid – via Lord Howe Island, NSW

For pure rock star awesomeness, there’s not much to beat the 552m high spire of the world’s largest volcanic rock stack, out in the middle of the ocean and one of the only points of the mostly submerged continent of Zealandia still above sea level.

It’s an achievement to even get there. A 700+ km flight from Sydney to Lord Howe Island in a small plane that, depending on wind and weather conditions, may or may not be able to land. Then a 23 km boat journey that, depending on wind and weather conditions, may or may not actually depart as scheduled.

Once you’re on the boat, it’s easy. Unless you suffer from seasickness, in which case the hardest part of the trip is NOW!

MORE about Balls Pyramid, via Lord Howe Island

11 Bunda Cliffs, South Australia

Is it possible to have TOO much limestone??

If you’re not sure, head down south and drive the Nullarbor Plain skirting the Great Australian Bight. There’s nothing much between the road on the southern edge of Australia and Antarctica – except the majestic Bunda cliffs, ranging from 60 – 120 metres high and stretching for ~100 km.

That makes them the longest unbroken line of sea cliffs in the WORLD!

If that’s not quite enough limestone for you, then factor in the 270,000 km² of the Nullarbor Plain itself – World’s largest limestone karst formation!

MORE about the Bunda Cliffs and Nullarbor Plain

12 Mount Moffatt, Carnarvon National Park, Queensland

Mount Moffatt, 220 km north of Mitchell, part of the Carnarvon National Park and containing Queensland’s highest plateau (the Consuelo Tableland) is worth the long drive – and the flat tyre we got the instant we drove into the park many years ago!

Its remoteness made it the ideal hideout for the bushrangers, including the violent Kenniff brothers and notorious cattle duffer Harry Redford (sometimes known as Captain Starlight), who operated in the area. And the local Bidjara people, who refused to be ousted from their land, left a legacy of rock imagery throughout the park.

But it’s the sandstone formations we came to see – an awesome array of arches, ‘chimneys’ and monoliths scattered decoratively around the park. There’s no doubt about it – these rocks ROCK!

MORE about Mt Moffatt, Carnarvon National Park

That’s just a sample – and I bet I’ve missed YOUR favourite HOT Australian Rock Formations!  Tell me below!!

Want even MORE?

• My Aussie Alphabet so far: Aussie ABC A-Q

* According to www.answers.com HERE

** Yes, it’s in my book HERE

*** According to Wikipedia HERE

The post Aussie ABC: R is for Rocks appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Spotting a scenic loo was a FAIL on my first Mount Wellington ascent 30 minutes up from Hobart’s docklands on the River Derwent 1271 metres below.

But I didn’t care.

After a LOOOOONG conference, I had a few hours to kill before heading back to the mainland. Hanging out at the airport with the same work buddies I’d been closeted with for the last four days wasn’t going to do it for me. But seeing something other than the inside of the conference room might.

The bus tour I found – so long ago that a house with a killer view on Battery Point could still be purchased for around $250,000 – promised Hobart highlights including a trip to the summit, then delivery to the airport. I signed up on the spot.

In my defence, my now carefully cultivated loo-lover credentials weren’t even embryonic back then. That’s the only reason I have for not noticing whether or not the summit even had a relief station*, let alone one with a view.

And there on the summit, just over 200 years since its first recorded ascent, with the staggering scenery and extraordinary panorama spread out before me, I vowed to return.

Fast forward to March 2014 and a 10-day teaser trip to Tasmania departing two days after we seized the day and decided to go.

(Aside: It IS possible to get jet-lag despite the relatively short distance from Adelaide to Hobart. At least it is if you get up at 3:00 am, stash the car in long-term parking and take two flights separated by a 3 hour wait, lug your baggage all over Hobart airport until you find the car hire terminal, drive through unfamiliar streets to your accomodation, then hit the tourist trail and Mount Wellington by mid-afternoon).

This time I’d done my research.

So the upmarket architect-designed loo perfectly placed to catch as much of that amazing Mount Wellington view as it possibly could wasn’t a complete surprise. The glass-fronted amenities block made multitasking on the mountain-top too easy with that killer view almost as good from inside as out.

Better if you’re a toilet tragic like me.

Even climbing the summit was anti-climactic after THAT!

And it just happened to tie in with the deadline for my first book Aussie Loos with Views! Coincidence? You decide!

MY BOOK!

Mount Wellington is one of over sixty dunnies of distinction from all around Australia featured in Aussie Loos with Views! illustrated with glorious colour photos! It’s the perfect answer to almost ANY gift giving dilemma – with the possible exception of your 90 year old granny. It’d even do her if she has a wicked sense of humour!

GIVE it!

Where to get it? Check out the RedzAustralia My Book page for all the information you need!

It’s the perfect accompaniment to my Dunnies of Distinction calendar, available from my RedBubble shop. Start the calendar from any month of the year and make it a birthday present.

WIN it!

And for a chance to win a copy of Aussie Loos with Views, register and verify your request to receive RedzAustralia updates via email by 31 December 2014 (12:00 pm AEST).

Registration is easy!  Just visit the RedzAustralia homepage sidebar OR CLICK HERE and Register to get RedzAustralia updates by Email

See below** for giveaway terms and conditions.

Want MORE?

• Mount Wellington

• Hobart, Tasmania

• Tasmania

• The other 39 (so far) Aussie Scenic Public Toilets

• My Book

* ‘Relief station’ = yet another euphemism for ‘Toilet’. Add it to the list along with amenities, bathroom, can, conveniences, dunny, john, lavatory, loo, potty, privy, thunderbox, toilet, water closet (although that one does have a mildly disturbing mental image).

Do you know any more? Let me know in the comments below! It’d be sick great to have the whole A-Z, yes?!

** For entry into the draw, you must have registered and verified your email address (verification will stop your email address being registered without your consent) by 12:00pm (AEDST) 31 December 2014. All those who are registered, including existing readers, will be entered into the draw. One winner will be selected by random.org in early 2015. The winner will be notified by email. The winner must reply to the email and supply a valid postal address (to which the book can be posted) within 5 days of the email notification date to claim the giveaway. Failure to do so means the prize will be offered to the 2^nd place holder on the random.org list.

The post OZ Scenic Public Toilet #40 – Mt Wellington, Tasmania appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Bruny Island

As far as I could tell, the fashion police hadn’t made it down to Bruny Island’s Adventure Bay.

Just as well.

If they had, they’d have been handing out infringement notices left, right and centre on board our purpose-built Naiad.   We were donning the Bruny Island Cruises complimentary waterproof onesies – our only protection from the winds and open waters of the Great Southern Ocean.

It was my first time on Bruny Island, off the Tasmanian east coast.

The first time I’d ever worn a cross between a hooded sleeping bag with no feet and a straitjacket.

And it was the furthest south I’d been. Anywhere, ever.

The Monument

On an island the same size as Singapore, but with 0.1 of 1% of their 6 million population, there’s a lot of room to move. There should have been a lot more room in the open sea – but we were hurtling straight towards The Monument, a rocky sea stack parallel to the perpendicular cliffs of South Bruny National Park. At 270+ metres high (~900 feet), they’re the second highest in the Southern Hemisphere.

The swell heaved and sucked against the wet rocks between The Monument and the cliffs.  Instead of holding back, our guide turned the boat, gunned the motor and expertly rode that surging current through the gap like a seasoned surfer!

Praise be we’d lucked out with a CALM day!

Rock Caves

The flat sea didn’t stop Breathing Rock – aka the Back End of Bruny – from backfiring to spew its salty sea spray towards the boat.

Or the kelp at the entrance to the sea cave – with walls so close we could touch them – from swirling its trailing tentacles through the shifting seas towards the boat.

Or the heavy sea spray drenching my straitjacket, but NOT the camera beneath.  That alone proved the worth of this all-protective neck to knee suit WAY beyond reasonable doubt. Then, with a blast of the horn, we reached the Tasman Sea limits and officially entered the Southern Ocean.

Friar Islands

But what did I expect? The tourist brochure had promised a ‘close connection with the wildlife and natural environment’. Now it wasn’t just the sea spray delivering a dose of natural drama. As we neared the Friar Islands we caught a whiff of the unmistakeable aroma of the thousands of seals which call them home. The wildlife part of the tour was about to kick in.

Big time.

360 kg love machine probably isn’t the obvious word association result for ‘male Australian Fur Seal’.  This description, presented by our (ironically male) guide is apparently accurate during mating season! Call me crazy, but is ‘love machines’ the collective noun for ANY heaving throng of overweight males grunting, fronting up to each other and jockeying for position in a competitive hierarchy?

I guess it depends on who’s doing the calling

FAR less confronting (and controversial!) was the pod of dolphins.

‘It’s around about now that a lot of people get nice shots of the water,’ our guide announced as the cameras aimed towards those speedy shapes clicked, in some most cases pointlessly. She was right. See what I mean?

Cruising the Southern Ocean

As the first gusts of wind preceding the approaching storm front blew in, the sea spray hits ratcheted up a notch.  We turned for the open sea – a VERY clever way to monitor the effects of seasickness.  It was also a good tactical manoeuvre to bring the twitchers* on board, and the rest of us face to beak with the original riders of the storm.

It worked.  Even though I have no photos to prove it.

An amazing experience for non-birdwatchers and bird-watchers alike, a flock of Bullers Albatross (Thalassarche bulleri) riding the storm front swooped around us, gliding in the currents while feeding all around. Spending most of a 30-odd year life span on the wing over a 16,000,000 km² range, these Albatross land to mate and nest in a 4 km² range in New Zealand.  Thank you Wikipedia!

A rarity near mainland Australia, it’s a piece of extraordinary luck – or maybe karma – that we actually saw the albatross. If this awesome tour hadn’t already received multiple awards including Tasmania’s best tourist attraction and best in Australia, AND rave reviews on TripAdvisor I’d be nominating it for EVERYTHING!

The Return Trip

As the sky turned to lead above, we returned to the relative shelter of the coastline – Jurassic Dolerite never looked so good! After another thunder ride thrill between the rocky spire of The Monument and the cliffs we left the drenching sea spray behind and headed for harbour. Had our 2½ hours already passed? Unbelievable!!

No, 10 days in Tassie wasn’t nearly long enough. In retrospect, I could’ve spent the whole 10 days on Bruny Island – and ‘doing’ this FAAAAABULOUS wilderness/wildlife cruise over again. And again. But for now it was over.

Giving up my own personal fashion statement of the seas was like parting with an old friend as I emerged dry and warm from the wet outer layer.  With a DRY camera!  Fashion police be damned!

When being so unfashionable is THIS rewarding, whatever I have to wear I’m sure I’ll be trying it again. SOON!

Get started with the best flights for your own Bruny Island Adventure!

Want MORE?

• Bruny Island Cruises
• Bruny Island
• Tasmania
• Red Nomad OZ’s OTHER Bruny Island Discovery!

*Twitcher = Bird watcher! Who knew?!

The post Beauty and the Beasts: Bruny Island Cruises appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

If you like your landscapes complete with killer views, superb natural attractions, unusual wildlife and a touch of history, Truganini Lookout overlooking ‘the Neck’ on Tasmania’s Bruny Island ticks all the boxes.

Pretty good, huh?!

But this already FINE outlook is elevated from pretty good to perfect by its scenic public toilet. That’s it, right down there near the car park and the beginning of the OH-so-many steps to the viewing platform.

Perfect, right?!

Our day on Bruny Island just off the Tasmanian east coast south-east of Hobart hadn’t started so well. How could the Mirambeenavehicle ferry be merrily motoring across the D’Entrecasteaux Channel from Kettering to Bruny Island WITHOUT US? We’d got up early. We’d made good time on the drive south to the ferry departure point. We’d joined the queue. And when the car in front of us went up the ramp, we thought there’d be room for our smallish hire car too.

BUT THERE WASN’T!!

At least the 1.5 hour wait for the next service gave me a welcome opportunity to practice my water reflection photography skills. And my marina photography skills. And my ‘is-that-tiny-speck-on-the-horizon-the-ferry-coming-back-yet-please-goddess’ shots.

That ‘practice’ time was welcome to ME, anyway. I’ll leave you to judge by these snaps whether those 90 LONG minutes of my life I’ll never see again were 90 minutes well spent. Or not!

At least we were first in line for the next ferry service. And the day started to look a bit brighter – literally – as the morning fog and cloud rolled away and we disembarked at the Roberts Point ferry terminus AND BAKERY!! YESSSSSS!!!

But the day was to become even brighter.

Nearly half-way down Bruny Island’s 100km length is the (I can’t believe they called it that!) Neck – a (yes, you guessed right) narrow neck of land joining North and South Bruny Island and separating the D’Entrecasteaux channel from Adventure Bay.

It’s also a penguin and shearwater rookery – an apparently rare combo. And the area is significant to the Tasmanian Aboriginal people so the lookout is dedicated to the memory of Truganini, one of the last tribal Aborigines in Tasmania.

Of course we HAD to stop and check it out.

Just as well we did or we would have missed one of the most scenic Australian Public Toilets I’ve had the pleasure of doing my business in.

And I would have missed the chance to include it in my first book!

‘Aussie Loos with Views!’ is what’s kept me from this blog for so long.

That, and the ‘long service leave’ I’d earned from four years of blogging!

It’s hard to imagine that after a dramatic dunny like this that the day could get even better. IT DID! But that’s a story for another day!! Stay tuned!!!

Want MORE?

• Truganini Lookout and The Neck
• Bruny Island
• Tasmania

The post Australia’s Scenic Public Toilet #38 – The Neck, Bruny Island appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Downunder, a sign pointing to a LOOKOUT isn’t a warning to LOOK OUT! – it’s a vantage or viewing point from which to better admire the surrounding landscape.  Like this completely gratuitous one above – serving no other purpose in this post but to attract your attention!

It worked, didn’t it?!

In this relatively flat land, where the highest mountain is a mere 2228 metres high, finding a suitable spot from which to survey the scenery often doesn’t require too much elevation, with many lookouts accessible by vehicle or a short walking track.

And what you see when you get there is often so extensively, ecstatically panoramic that taking a tour – virtual or otherwise – of these 14 lookouts in strategic locations around the country will show you a LOT of Australia!

Finding these AWESOME landscapes is half the fun – or at least it is with TravelSIM! Let them help you take the guesswork out of getting there so you’ve got that much more time to enjoy the scenery!

Meanwhile, enjoy the virtual tour!

1  NEW Lookout, via Boroka Lookout, Grampians, Victoria:

On many visits to Victoria’s magnificent Grampians region, we thought we’d ‘done’ all the lookouts. But in October 2012, we found a new one! SO new, I can’t find its name anywhere – and tragically can’t recall the name we saw on the sign!

On the back road between Lake Wartook and Boroka Lookout – in itself a magnificent spot – this is the only lookout from which both Lake Wartook (at right) and Lake Bellfield above Grampians Town Halls Gap can be seen – along with the great stretch of wildnerness separating them.

Read more: The Grampians

2  Five Rivers Lookout, Wyndham, Western Australia:

Visitors to Wyndham start to ascend the Bastion range escarpment well before dusk to get the best vantage point from the Five Rivers lookout platform as the sun sets over the – yes, you guessed right – Five rivers that flow into impressive Cambridge Gulf.

But the view is just as impressive by day – bear in mind this photo shows only about half of it – with the saltworks below, tidal salt plains in the middle distance and the Cockburn range in the background.

Here, you’ll find the answer to that most pressing of questions: Does the picnic ground have Australia’s most Scenic Public Toilet?

Read more: Five Rivers Lookout

3 Inspiration Point, via Point Pass, South Australia:

Between Point Pass and Robertstown in South Australia’s mid-north, an unsealed road that leads high above the surrounding plain to Inspiration Point, where the colour of the landscape depends on the season! Look back, if you dare, from the lookout to the rocky retaining wall holding the road in place. South Australia’s mid north has a fascinating heritage that’s worth exploring, and Inspiration Point makes a fine starting point.

Read more: Point Pass

4 Transit Hill Lookout, Lord Howe Island, New South Wales:

Transit Hill isn’t the highest lookout on Lord Howe Island nor the one with the most extensive view. But in the late afternoon sun, the outlook over the distinctive – and impressive – twin peaks of Mounts Gower and Lidgbird forms a Bali-Hai-esque backdrop to the rest of this little gem 600 km off the New South Wales coast.

Read more: Lord Howe Island

5 Jarnem Lookout, Keep River National Park, Northern Territory:

The spectacular scenery of Keep River National Park, only a few kilometres from the Northern Territory/Western Australian border is best appreciated on the 7 km Jarnem Loop trail. Ascending to the lookout at the highest point above the surrounding plains is the best way to experience the vast magnificence of the 360° panorama, with only rock stacks and a distant mountain range for company!

But if you’re a bird watcher, a sighting of uncommon White-quilled Rock Pigeon beats the view from any lookout!!

Read more: Keep River National Park

6 Flagstaff Hill, Port Douglas, Far North Queensland:

Make sure your car is up for the vertiginous drive from sea level to ex-fishing-village-now-tourist-town Port Douglas’ best vantage point – through billions of dollars worth of prime coastal real estate. If you like the view over Four Mile Beach, there’s a block of land for sale just below the lookout platform.

Imagine waking up to that view, while directly behind your new home, throngs of tourists scale the heights to admire the sights by day and night!  Anyone who gets to this idyllic spot should thank the local council who, despite pressure from the locals (yes, the ones who live in those $multi-million properties) to close the public access road to the summit, kept it open!

Read more: Port Douglas

7 Mt Wellington, via Hobart, Tasmania:

Tragically my only visit to the Apple Isle, as Tasmania is affectionately known to the rest of Australia, was for a conference.  That meant I didn’t get to see anything except the inside of the conference venue. Until the last day when in the hiatus between conference end and flight departure I booked a tour to the top of Mt Wellington, 1270 m above Hobart and the Derwent river below.

This glimpse of the vast and untouched natural wilderness – for which every Australian should say ‘thank you, Bob Brown’ – has been a six year teaser for touring this often forgotten corner of Australia. BUT … at least this gets Tassie on the board for my blog!

Read more: Mt Wellington,Tasmania

8 Mt Warning, via Murwillumbah, Northern New South Wales:

The steep ascent to the Mt Warning (also known as Wollumbin) summit, first place the sun’s rays reach on the Australian mainland, will reward the lucky climber with a panoramic 360° view. I’ve made the 9km return hike three times – but never in the pre-dawn darkness to reach the top by sunrise!

In the Wollumbin World Heritage area, the view FROM Mt Warning’s summit lookout is one of New South Wales’ finest – but the best view OF Mt Warning is in Springbrook National Park just across the border in Queensland at the aptly named ‘Best of All’ Lookout!

Read more: Wollumbin National Park; and the Best of All Lookout

9 The Horn, Mt Buffalo, via Bright, Victoria:

It’s not all red rocks, dirt and sand from Australia’s lookouts – the Victorian Alpine region’s layer upon layer of mountainous wilderness can easily be viewed from several vantage points. The Alpine National Park crosses state boundaries with Mt Kosciuszko, at 2228 metres Australia’s highest, on the other side of the state border in New South Wales.

But the 1723 metre summit of the Horn atop Mt Buffalo – my personal favourite – is on the Victorian side of the border. Who knew you could have adventures in the cold like this?!

Read more: Mt Buffalo

10 Natures Window, Kalbarri National Park, Western Australia:

Take a break from the hordes of tourists queueing for a photo shoot at well known tourist hotspot Natures Window and admire the unframed view – to which a panorama shot does not do justice. Known for its wildflowers, the park is also a bonanza of natural attractions with deep gorges, stunning rivers and red RED rock!

To the left of the photo, a walking track leads along the ridge, then drops below into the gorge for what must be one of the most scenic walks in Australia. Ask me what it’s like next visit – because I wont let it pass me by again!

Read more: Western Australian Wildflowers; Kalbarri National Park

11 Tylers Pass Lookout, Central Australia:

At the very Western Edge of the West MacDonnell National Park, Tylers Pass marks the descent from the range into the plain below, its endlessness broken only by the massive bulk of Gosse Bluff.

An unexpected end to a day exploring the ‘West Macs’ as the park is less formally known, the road continues into what for us is absolute virgin territory. And an absolute must for next time!

Read more: Central Australia

12 Cawnpore Lookout, via Winton, Outback Queensland

It’d be difficult to accidentally find yourself in remote Outback Queensland’s Lilleyvale Hills between Winton and Boulia, but this stunning lookout with a stupendous view over spectacular rock formations only found in one other place in the world is more than enough reason to visit.

While the lookout isn’t really that far above the plains the 360° view is a great place to experience the emptiness of the Outback with a falling down fence – and highway – the only signs of civilisation. Besides, it’s great fun watching other travellers trying to drive the steep, rocky road to the top!

Read more: Cawnpore Lookout

13 Sillers Lookout, via Arkaroola, South Australia:

I’m jealous as hell. This is the only one of these awesome lookouts I HAVEN’T visited – but as (arguably) South Australia’s finest view, I couldn’t leave it out. Luckily, Wayne’s photo showing the stupendous view over the Northern Flinders ranges whilst on the world famous 4WD ‘Ridgetop Tour’ will have to do before I get there myself. Really soon!!

STOP PRESS!  I HAVE been there – read about it HERE!

Read more: Arkaroola Resort, the Ridgetop Tour & Sillers Lookout

14 Point Lookout, New England Ranges, New South Wales:

But there are no guarantees of a view from some lookouts – as we found at Point Lookout in the New England National Park. Only a few metres from the summit, 1500 metres above sea level, after a long and winding ascent through bright sunlight, the mist and fog blew in. Our rush for the lookout viewing platform too late for anything but a thick, soft whiteness, the otherworldly semi-darkness closed in around us and we were left with the haunting cry of the forest raven …

One day we’ll see what the view’s REALLY like!

Read More: Point Lookout

Sharing that killer view to EVERYONE when you get there is the other half of the fun – get the latest technology from TravelSIM so you can IMMEDIATELY make your mates jealous as hell!  Go on … you KNOW you want to!!

The post Aussie ABC – L is for Lookout! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.