Last weekend, while on the road with work, I found myself driving past a local lookout I’d never visited before. I had plenty of time to get back to the office, so I decided to take advantage of the beautiful day and go and check it out…
Morgan’s lookout is on the outskirts of Walla Walla – a cute little town about an hour south of Wagga Wagga and half an hour north of Albury. I wasn’t even aware there was a lookout in the area, until earlier this year when a colleague of mine put together a story on a refurbishment planned for the site.
The work is all done now and it’s a beautiful little spot, that’s marked on the aptly named Lookout Road. After following a well maintained gravel road through farmland, you arrive at a series of huge rocks set on a natural rise in the land. At the base of the rocks are picnic tables, compost toilets, and a number of interpretative signs talking about the history of the area – it was a hide out of notorious Australian bushranger, ‘Mad’ Dan Morgan.
After weaving your way through the rocks, you come to a metal staircase which takes you to the top of the lookout. The view is spectacular – a full 360 degree panorama of the surrounding farmland and countryside. It was an absolutely stunning and clear spring day when I visited and it was just divine to take a few minutes to enjoy the countryside.
There were a number of other visitors to the lookout when I stopped by – a family having a picnic lunch and a couple out on a Sunday drive. Both told me how lovely the spot was, saying it was a bit of a hidden gem of the area. I couldn’t have agreed more. It’d be a perfect spot to meet up with friends for a long lunch and walk and I’m definitely adding the lookout to my list of places to visit next time Adam and I have visitors.
I love how even after spending years in a region, there are still new places to explore and visit. Adam and I have been so flat out the last few months with work, visitors and preparing for the wedding, we’ve not had the time to do many weekend day trips. This was such a good reminder that there are some beautiful spots nearby, that we shouldn’t forget.
Do you have any ‘secret’ spots close to your home?
Have a wonderful weekend. x
Wattle and Ash 