Honeysuckle Creek Collimation Tower: Historic Apollo Site in the ACT Mountains

Why Visit Honeysuckle Creek Collimation Tower

Perched on a ridge in the Brindabella Range, the Honeysuckle Creek Collimation Tower stands as a tangible link to the Apollo era. The structure once helped align the massive antennas of the Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station, which received the first television images of Neil Armstrong stepping onto the Moon in 1969. Today the tower and surrounding concrete footings offer visitors a quiet, open-air history lesson set against sweeping mountain views.

Getting There

The site lies within Namadgi National Park, roughly 50 kilometres south-west of Canberra. Most travellers drive via the Cotter Road and then turn onto the unsealed Apollo Road. A high-clearance vehicle is recommended after rain. From the parking area near the former station site, a well-formed walking track climbs steadily for about 45 minutes to the collimation tower. The route is signposted and passes through eucalypt forest with occasional kangaroo sightings.

Best Time to Visit

Autumn and spring provide the most comfortable temperatures and clearest skies for photography. Summer days can exceed 30 °C on the exposed ridge, while winter brings frost and occasional snow. Early morning starts avoid afternoon winds that often sweep the ridge.

What to See and Do

At the summit the collimation tower itself is a slender steel lattice about 15 metres tall. Walk around its concrete base to inspect the original alignment markers still visible on the rock. Panoramic views extend across the Cotter Valley to Mount Tennent and, on clear days, the distant Snowy Mountains. The return walk can be extended along the nearby Honeysuckle Creek Trail for additional wildflower displays in spring.

Nearby Attractions

• The main Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station ruins, 1.5 kilometres downhill, feature interpretive panels and the original antenna foundations.
• Corin Forest, 20 minutes north, offers mountain biking and a canopy chairlift.
• Namadgi Visitor Centre at Tharwa provides maps and current park conditions before you set out.

Practical Considerations

No facilities exist at the tower, so carry all water, food and rubbish. Mobile reception is patchy once you leave the sealed road. The track is rated moderate; allow two to three hours for the round trip including time at the summit.