Poombeeyt Koontapool – The Blowhole

Poombeeyt Koontapool is a curved viewing platform built around the Blowhole at Loch Ard Gorge, where waves surge into a limestone opening on the coast. The path frames the water from above; listen as the surf pushes in and echoes through the rock. This is a good stop if you like contemporary coastal architecture with your geology. The platform is bold and prominent, though, and can compete with the natural edge for your attention.

The main Loch Ard Gorge car park is about a 10-minute easy walk from the lookout. A smaller car park is closer to the blowhole, but spaces there are limited. Access is free, and the lookout is wheelchair accessible.

Poombeeyt Koontapool means “Breath of the Whale” in Keerray Woorroong. The platform’s curve draws on the Southern Right Whale, and its pale seats echo the callosities on a whale’s head. Those patterned patches are unique to each whale and help identify individuals. The design was developed with Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation.

The earlier lookout was removed after natural erosion of the limestone raised safety concerns. The current platform was completed in June 2025 after geotechnical investigations and community engagement. Its approach conceals and reveals the view, so the blowhole opens up as you arrive.

The ocean’s swell moves into the narrow opening, and the sound and spray change with conditions. The raised walkway also looks over coastal scrub and out to the Southern Ocean.

When the surf is active, include the curved platform edge with the foaming opening below it. That shows both parts of the stop: the natural blowhole and the whale-inspired lookout built around it.