BLOG: Bring Mt Keira lookout back to life

We used to go up there every time we had an out-of-town visitor come to stay with us and I was always so excited. 

I loved the feeling of looking down on the whole world.

 It was always the same trip – my mum would pack the world's best picnic full of ham sandwiches and juice. 

My dad would hold me and my sisters up one at a time so we could see over the rails of the lookout and marvel at the magnificent view. 

I'd always try my hardest to see my house. I was always so sure I could. 

We would take whoever was visiting around the walking track so they could see Wollongong from every angle. 

And then I'd get to pick where to sit for lunch.

If I was really lucky, I would even get an ice cream from the kiosk.

The lookout was always bustling with people doing the same thing we were doing. 

Families out for a picnic with their kids running around everywhere. 

Tourists taking in the awe-inspiring view of Wollongong stretched along the coast. 

The cafe was always overflowing with customers. 

And in the summer months, you'd be hard pressed not to see a glowing bride getting her photo taken amongst the trees.

These were some of my happiest memories.

So when I had my son, I couldn't wait to give him the same experience I had and show him how great the world looks from the top of the mountain.

The view was still the same. The cafe was still there, even though it looked a little tired. 

The walking track was just as green. And yet something had changed.  

There wasn't the same hive of activity anymore. There wasn't the chaotic bustle that comes from a dozen families all trying to get the best picnic spot, or trying to get a seat at the cafe.

This wonderful spot had been forgotten. Taken for granted by the locals and missed by the tourists. And I was no exception – I hadn't been there in years either.

And now this place that had played such a huge role in my childhood is under threat of being lost forever. 

Along with the historic Scout Camp and the beautiful picnic spot, Byarong Park. 

Neglected and left to fade away.  

Not because we don't love our mountain. But because we always assumed it would always be there waiting for us.

I for one will be advocating for all levels of government and the private sector to work on ways we can once again bring back the magic of this special place.