Queen Elizabeth Lookout

The Queen Elizabeth Lookout sits on Rooty Hill Road on the rise above Kingston, and it holds the view the island is photographed by: the whole World Heritage area laid out below - the Georgian buildings along Quality Row, Emily Bay inside its reef, the golf course running along the shore - with Nepean Island close offshore and Phillip Island standing beyond it. It was opened and named by Queen Elizabeth II during her visit on 11 February 1974. The lookout is a cleared bay off the road with parking and a rail along the edge.

What you actually see

• The Kingston panorama - the Georgian settlement and Quality Row from above.
• Emily Bay - the lagoon and reef inside the shoreline below.
• The islands offshore - Nepean close in, Phillip Island beyond.
• The 1974 plaque - the naming during the royal visit.

When to go

September to May is warmer. Morning light is best over the water, and the lookout is a natural stop on the way down to Kingston. It is open at all hours.

Honest expectations

It is a roadside stop rather than a destination and ten minutes covers it. The view depends on the weather over the water. There are no facilities.

Nearby

Kingston and Emily Bay are directly below, and Burnt Pine is a short drive north.