BELLEVUE HILL LOOKOUT
Ask a local for the best view in town and chances are they’ll say Billy Goat Hill.
Situated in the Cowra Peace Precinct near the Cowra Japanese Garden & Cultural Centre and Nature-Based Adventure Playground, Bellevue Hill Reserve is one of Cowra’s most popular parks. Better known as Billy Goat Hill, the lookout offers uninterrupted views of the Cowra township and farming land.
Wiradjuri Elder, Aunty Robyn Coffey shares: “In Wiradjuri, Cowra means rock. And a lot of the landscape is a lot of rock. In particular, Bellevue Hill or Billy Goat Hill. At the lookout, it’s very steep. The reason it is called Billy Goat Hill is because it was home to roaming goats for many years. And there are rocks everywhere because there’s a lot of traditional areas, where a lot of our ancestors lived, camped and lived right around Billy Goat Hill and further down towards the POW section”. You can hear more about Billy Goat Hill from Wiradjuri knowledge custodians, Aunty Robyn Coffey and Isabel Coe on the Cowra Voices App.
You can drive directly to the summit via Len Whiteley Drive, where ample parking is available for both cars and caravans. From the car park, a short, gentle walk or a set of stone steps leads you to the highest lookout points. To make a day of it, pack a hamper of local goodies from the Cowra Visitor Information Centre and take advantage of the shaded picnic areas and free BBQ facilities.
For the ultimate experience, aim to arrive just before sunset to watch the sky transform over the rural landscape.
