Tasmania · Attraction
Iron Blow Lookout
A mine turned turquoise lake
schedule 1 min read / Updated Jun 2026
Perched on a cantilevered platform above one of Tasmania's most visually extraordinary sites, the Iron Blow Lookout in Gormanston offers a 180-degree view down into the former open-cut copper mine where Tasmania's industrial story began. Gold was discovered in the Linda Valley in 1883 and the ground beneath was found to hold some of the world's richest copper deposits, driving a mining boom that shaped the entire west coast.
Mining at Iron Blow continued from 1884 until 1929, removing millions of tonnes of ore and leaving behind a deep pit now filled with a vivid turquoise pool, its colour the result of heavy copper mineral concentrations in the water. Interpretive signs around the lookout trace the history of the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company and explain the geology that produced those striking mineral hues.
The surrounding hills display the famous Queenstown moonscape, bare coloured rock stripped of vegetation by a combination of sulphur fumes from the smelters, heavy rainfall and logging in the early twentieth century. The result is an alien-looking terrain of pink, orange and grey conglomerate that looks unlike anywhere else in Australia.
The sealed access road turns off the Lyell Highway at the top of Gormanston Hill and parking is ample and free. The lookout is open at all hours and takes 20 to 30 minutes to experience fully. Cold and windy conditions are common year-round, so bring an extra layer.
Scenic views
