Wonderful Teddy’s Lookout: Amazing Views To Lift The Spirit
Amazing view from Teddy's Lookout down onto the St. George River, Lorne.
With great views of the surrounding landscape Teddy’s Lookout is one of my favourite locations for landscape photography along Australia’s Great Ocean Road.
Where Is Teddy's Lookout?
You'll find Teddy's Lookout just a few minutes drive behind the tourist town of Lorne. Just follow George Street up into the hills until you reach the carpark.
Alternatively you can trek up the hill, or even take your dog for a walk. It’s a 1.5 mile (2.4 km) walk up to the lookout. While it’s a steep walk up the hill, the walk down should be easy and quite quick.
It’s also possible to link your trek to Teddy’s Lookout with some other nearby walks.
Amazing Views From Teddy’s Lookout
Once you reach the carpark at Teddy’s Lookout you’ll notice a newly constructed walkway which will take you onto two viewing platforms from where spectacular coastal views await.
The upper platform looks down onto the mouth of the Saint George River and, beyond that, out towards the spectacular Southern Ocean.
Views from the lower platform show the Saint George River winding its way into fern covered valleys and gorges surrounded by spectacular mountainous terrain.
You'll find the views from Teddy’s Lookout to be impressive at any time of day and under all but the bleakest weather.
I’ve find the warm, soft light contrasting with the cool blue of the sea around the edges of the day, to be particularly attractive.
For this reason I suggest making the most of the fantastic photo opportunities by scheduling your visit to Teddy's Lookout for sunrise or sunset.
About To Travel?
Why Is It Called Teddy’s Lookout?
My research indicates the two most likely reasons why this lovely place is called Teddy’s Lookout.
Teddy is often used as a less formal version of the name Edward, and Teddy’s Lookout is probably named after Edward, the son of Queen Victoria.
But there’s a local legend that the location is named after a donkey who was frequently sighted up at Teddy’s Lookout over the years.
weather at Teddy’s Lookout
Be aware that Teddy's Lookout is quite exposed to the weather. Just be sure to dress appropriately.
If you find yourself hanging around for an extended photography session, or even a picnic, you'll want to bring warm and windproof clothing at the edges of the day or during the cooler months.
Naturally, at any time of year, sunscreen and a hat are important at an exposed and often windblown location like Teddy's Lookout.
Photos From Teddy’s Lookout Over The Years
The photo at the top of this post was made from Teddy’s Lookout along Australia’s Great Ocean Road.
I guess it was made in the early 90’s and it’s a favorite image from those days. I can still remember the thrill I experienced when making it.
Having originally printed it in the darkroom as a 16" x 16" print I decided to bring out the negative, have it scanned and bring it onto the desktop so that I could put some life back into it.
I plan to get a much better scan, providing a sharper and more highly detailed image, in the not too distant future.
Teddy’s Lookout, Third Time Lucky
Driving through the tourist town of Lorne, on Victoria's Great Ocean Road, I headed for Teddy's Lookout, a short drive from town.
It was the third time I'd visited the lookout in as many weeks. Despite the picturesque location, the first two visits were uninspiring.
It’s a good two hour drive, each way, from Melbourne when the traffic is light. And it rarely seems to be these days.
Both times heavy traffic delayed me to such an extent that I arrived at the lookout just as the light had begun to fade.
In each case the light upon arrival was flat and the tide had come in too far for an interesting image.
I wanted desperately to make a good photo, so I returned for a third attempt.
I’m nothing if not determined and the scene that awaited me, on my third visit to Teddy’s Lookout, was indeed beautiful.
This time the tide, elevated viewpoint and light were all working in my favor.
The warm, early evening light illuminated the sand and foliage, while the cool skylight reflected onto the surface of the road and water.
Teddy’s Lookout and the Human Element
I just needed one other element to bring the image together in a cohesive manner.
I noticed a group of people exploring the shallow pools of water on the edge of the St. George River.
I kept a close eye on them and waited, hoping they’d add a sense of cohesion and harmony to the image.
My patience was rewarded when the people came together to gather around a small, circular pool the shape of which had been emphasized by a stone being dropped into the water.
The image was made as follows:
Hasselblad 500C camera
Hasselblad 150 mm f/4 Sonnar lens
Kodak Professional Ektacolor Gold 160 film
I originally printed my own RA-4 color enlargements on Kodak Supra Glossy Paper. Back then I was working at Kodak in Coburg, Australia and I made good use of an Autopan processing machine.
Thankfully the days of rocking chemical filled trays in a darkroom were well and truly gone for me by then.
For this most recent version I've employed Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop to bring the image back to life.
St. George River and the spectacular Great Ocean Road from Teddy’s Lookout.
Returning to Teddy’s Lookout
This second image from Teddy’s Lookout was made while running a landscape photography workshop along the Great Ocean Road.
The group and I were driving between Erskine Falls and the Swing Bridge in Lorne, prior to heading off to the Split Point Lighthouse at Aireys Inlet for sunset.
As the day was overcast there seemed little chance of a spectacular sunset. With this in mind I decided a quick stop off at Teddy's Lookout would add some extra variety into the day.
Just after we arrived the sun shone through the clouds and provided us with the highest contrast we experienced all day.
Often the best way to manage high contrast conditions is through composition. With this in mind I framed the scene to emphasized the shape and textural qualities of the trees, water, roads and grass.
The original color image was converted into black-and-white then split toned in Adobe Lightroom. A few final touches, including a sprinkling of fairy dust, were applied in Adobe Photoshop.
Despite predominantly overcast conditions and fairly uninspiring light we all had a lot of fun and made the best of our time together.
Employing a 24 mm wide angle lens on my full frame Canon camera allowed me to record the sweeping hillsides and the snake like nature of the roadway as it wound its way around the Great Ocean Road.
I applied a heavy warm/cool split tone to the image to add mood and provide separation between the brighter sand and grass and the darker tones of the surrounding trees.
Summer Time At Teddy’s Lookout
It’s great to revisit Teddy’s Lookout through these old photos, with each one telling a quite different story.
The color image at the very top of this post explores the joy of the moment, of play and of being in nature.
The black and white image speaks to me of a watchful, brooding presence within the landscape and the excitement of driving through it.
It’s been ages since I last ventured to Lorne. With the long days of summer fast approaching in my neck of the woods I think I’II make it a priority to revisit some familiar haunts along the Great Ocean Road.
I hope to include Teddy’s Lookout as part of that exploration. It will be interesting to see what story the landscape presents this time around.
