Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Australia Tasman Island Cape Pillar Sea Cliffs

Cape Pillar Sea Cliffs

The tallest sea cliffs on the Southern Hemisphere are a climber's worst nightmare.

Tasman Island, Australia

C cameronyarnall profile photo
Added By
Cameron Yarnall
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
  zharlita03 / Atlas Obscura User
  chrisjohntravellog.blogspot.com
  User submitted
  thesarvo
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Cape Pillar sea cliffs are intimidating, holding the record for the tallest sea cliffs in the southern hemisphere, and also the unofficial title of ″The Scariest Cliff in the Known Universe.″

The two gigantic cliffs of Cape Pillar are separated only by the emerald waters of the Pacific and the dark depths of a drowned sea cave. At a height of over 300 meters, these cliffs stand guard over the rest of the island.

There are a few adventurous rock climbers who have tackled the terrifying cliffs of Cape Pillar, and their excursions up its flat stone walls have been the stuff of legend. The winds and the water below aren't the only things to watch out for when ascending the chasm. 

Various climbers of the chasm tell stories that sound like they belong in the pages of The Odyssey. One of the climbers recalled seeing a great white shark lurking in the waters, and another climber believes that the Australian rock climbing grade of 22 (medium-hard) could not properly explain the amount of the fear and difficulty such a climb entailed. Tales full of rope burn, broken digits, and a few unexpected swims in the water below pepper the tales of the brave few who have climbed these jagged walls. Fortunately, there are no reported casualties. Yet.

Places

Discover your next amazing Atlas Place.

Get more unusual and extraordinary places each week with the Atlas Obscura Places newsletter.

Your newsletter subscriptions with us are subject to Atlas Obscura's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Related Tags

Cliffs Islands Geology Natural Wonders Geological Oddities Nature

Community Contributors

C cameronyarnall profile photo

Added By

cameronyarnall

M mattheyns profile photo Blindcolour profile photo S Sakshi profile photo Z zharlita03 profile photo

Edited By

mattheyns, Blindcolour, Sakshi, zharlita03

  • M mattheyns profile photo mattheyns
  • Blindcolour profile photo Blindcolour
  • S Sakshi profile photo Sakshi
  • Z zharlita03 profile photo zharlita03

Published

May 22, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.thesarvo.com/confluence/display/thesarvo/Cape+Pillar
Cape Pillar Sea Cliffs
Tasman National Park
Tasman Island, 7001
Australia
-43.221362, 148.007383
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Totem Pole

Fortescue, Australia

miles away

Remarkable Cave

Port Arthur, Australia

miles away

Port Arthur Penal Colony

Port Arthur, Australia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Australia

Australia

Oceania

Places 640
Stories 95

Nearby Places

Totem Pole

Fortescue, Australia

miles away

Remarkable Cave

Port Arthur, Australia

miles away

Port Arthur Penal Colony

Port Arthur, Australia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Australia

Australia

Oceania

Places 640
Stories 95

Related Places

  • Macquarie Island lengthwise, the research station at center.

    Australia

    Macquarie Island

    One of the only places where Earth’s mantle lies above water.

  • Lake Posta Fibreno

    Carpello, Italy

    Lake Posta Fibreno

    This serene, turquoise lake in an extraordinary nature reserve showcases a rare natural phenomenon.

  • Keahole Point Blowhole

    Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

    Keahole Point Blowhole

    This unusual lava tube spouts seawater during high surf.

  • The Smoking Hills, as seen from the sea.

    Inuvik, Unorganized, Northwest Territories

    The Smoking Hills

    These hellish-looking cliffs in the Canadian Arctic have been burning for centuries.

  • Driftwood Beach

    Jekyll Island, Georgia

    Driftwood Beach

    Constant erosion has created a surreal landscape of bleached and preserved fallen trees.

  • Balls Pyramid

    Australia

    Ball's Pyramid

    This dramatic sea spire is home to the world's rarest insect and is part of the lost continent of Zealandia.

  • Jindo-Modo Landbridge

    Jindo, South Korea

    Jindo-Modo Landbridge

    Landbridge created by the South Korean version of Moses.

  • Vulcan Point

    Philippines

    Vulcan Point

    An island in the middle of a lake, in the middle of a volcano, in the middle of a bigger lake, in the middle of a bigger island, in an archipelago, in the Pacific Ocean.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2026 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.