Spectacular lookout reopens six years after 'nuclear bomb' bushfire
A Black Summer bushfire left Pulpit Rock in the Blue Mountains "looking like a moonscape", but six years on it has finally reopened.
The Pulpit Rock lookout in the Blue Mountains, once scorched by the Black Summer bushfire, has reopened after six years, thanks to over $4.5 million in restoration efforts. Visitors must now pay $12 per hour to park at the site. Neil Monteith witnessed a massive plume of smoke, resembling a "nuclear bomb going off," while climbing near the lookout in December 2019.
The Gospers Mountain fire had been pushing up the back of Mount Banks, turning the surrounding area into a moonscape covered in black ash. Blue Mountains Mayor Mark Greenhill, who was a firefighter during the blaze, described the ground as "literally baked," with the cliffs covered in inches of ash. The six-year closure was largely due to the complex nature of the restoration work, which stabilized the area and rebuilt much of the timber infrastructure in sandstone for better fire resilience.
The new upgrades include improved lookouts, walking trails, picnic facilities, toilets, and shelters. However, the council has also installed paid parking meters, with a rate of $12 per hour, which Monteith suggests may cause some visitors to reconsider their plans.
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