New Lookout at the Twelve Apostles Opens
The new lookout at the Twelve Apostles by Parks Victoria has opened to the public. Distinctive and dramatic, the lookout is perched on top of the cliffs to fully experience the scale and drama of the magnificent landscape.
The design for the new lookout was developed in close collaboration with the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation with Denton Corker Marshall, ARUP, Simpsons Constructions & Surface Consulting and is part of the Shipwreck Coast Masterplan. Located on Keerray Woorroong Country, the lookout design expresses the resilience of the broader Eastern Maar Nation. The two “clapsticks” of the structure are the colours of Ngayook (Sulphur Crested Cockatoo) and Ponponpoorramook (Red Tailed Black Cockatoo), which are primary totemic species to the Eastern Maar peoples.
To protect the region’s fragile coastal environment and cultural assets, the new lookout at the Twelve Apostles ensures the landscape is protected while offering a rich and engaging visitor experience. Drawing in over 2.6 million visitors per year, accessibility, shelter, and wayfinding were paramount, guiding movement through intuitive design.
Incorporating built form within such a sensitive natural environment, necessitated and understanding of the site’s unique character, underlying geology, and cultural values. The lookout elevates visitors atop the cliff so they can experience the scale and heightened drama of the incredible landscape.
Comprised of two long rectangular sections, one resting on the terrain’s ‘saddle’ and the other cantilevered towards the horizon, the design will momentarily conceal the coastline as visitors enter, before it is revealed as they continue further along. The lookout will be connected to the existing path network and Visitor Centre by a new concrete path and boardwalk.
The new lookout at the Twelve Apostles offers an enhanced and more accessible experience for visitors to view the iconic limestone stacks and coastal formations, one of Victoria’s most popular destinations.
