Mount Tarrengower Lookout — Attraction in Maldon

Mt Tarrengower Lookout: A Peak Experience with a Side of Laughs!

If you’re looking for a place to contemplate life, admire nature, and possibly question your sanity, Mt Tarrengower Lookout is the spot for you! The hike up had me thinking I was training for an Olympic event—who knew a “short walk” could feel like a marathon?

Once you reach the lookout, the view is so stunning that you might forget your legs feel like jelly. Seriously, it’s like nature decided to show off. You can see for miles, and if you squint hard enough, you might even see your motivation for the climb slowly drifting away.

The lookout itself is a classic case of “nature’s beauty meets human ingenuity.” It’s like a fancy balcony overlooking a magnificent landscape, but without the wine and cheese (bring your own, folks!). Just be careful not to look down too quickly unless you want to give your stomach a free rollercoaster ride.

And let’s not forget the wildlife! I encountered a bird that looked like it was judging my every move. “You call that hiking? I could fly up here in two seconds!” The nerve!

In summary, if you’re in the mood for a workout with breathtaking views and a dash of sass from the local fauna, Mt Tarrengower Lookout is the place to be. Just remember to pack some snacks, your sense of humor, and perhaps some extra...

The tower is a manned fire lookout tower. I was fortunate enough to be invited up to the lookout cabin and see the method used to locate fires:

There is a map in the centre of the room, with a piece of string dead centre hanging vertically. The map is centred on the tower position. Around the edge of the cabin are the degree positions of the compass. If smoke is spotted, the tower occupant lines up by eye the string with the smoke, giving a bearing from the tower to the smoke, using the degree positions indicated around the cabin. This only gives a fire position along a bearing, not the exact location of the fire. There are similar towers nearby, and they do the same thing, allowing the fire position to be accurately triangulated. The tower occupant told me that they can generally locate a fire using this method to within 50m accuracy, and they are disappointed if they are less accurate than this.

It was an interesting to see how such a simple method can be used to locate fires. The occupant told me he can see approximately 100km in every direction, giving an effective coverage...

Together with the Beehive Chimney, this is a Maldon icon, for the tower and the view. In December 2018, the tower is emerging from its second refurbishment since being brought up by horse and jinker in the early 20th century. So come and enjoy the view from Pyramid Hill near the Murray River, Grampians, through the Pyrenees and Avoca, across Lake Cairn Curran, Daylesford, Mount Macedon, Mount Alexander and back to Big Hill. And Maldon, of course. Centre...