Four Wheel Drive Victoria has received the following update from Parks Victoria
Parks Victoria would like to provide an update on the Saddle Lookout project in the Twelve Apostles visitor precinct, Port Campbell National Park.
The lookout was a key project discussed during community consultation in 2018, and with environmental, cultural heritage and planning assessments now complete works are set to commence this month, continuing until 2023.
Part of the Shipwreck Coast Master Plan, this $9.2 million project will replace viewing areas that no longer cater for visitor numbers, providing a safer and more accessible lookout that will help boost the regional economy and future-proof this iconic destination. Situated on Kirrae Wurrung Country, the lookout design will express 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.
Parks Victoria partnered with Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation on the design, which is comprised of two long rectangular sections, one resting on the terrain’s ‘saddle’ and the other cantilevered towards the horizon. The new lookout will be complemented by a one-way circuit loop walking track connecting back to the existing path.
This is the second project as part of the Victorian Government’s $16.5 million investment in Stage One of the Shipwreck Coast Master Plan. The first, a new pedestrian suspension bridge connecting the Port Campbell National Park with Port Campbell, was completed last year.
Following onsite preparations this week, works are expected to begin on the lookout, with no access to the Castle Rock and Saddle viewing areas from the middle of the month. During construction, visitors will continue to enjoy to the other lookouts, boardwalks and visitor areas at the Twelve Apostles and elsewhere in the stunning Port Campbell National Park.
Further information is available on the Parks Victoria website
www.parks.vic.gov.au
