Mountain Climbing and Rock Climbing in Oceania
Rock and mountain climbing throughout the Australia and South Pacific Oceania region are mainly focused in Australia and New Zealand. While there are some magnificent scenic and difficult climbs, advanced climbers looking for the best would not find them here.
The area is still worth a look, especially for beginners and intermediate climbers. Not taking anything away from the beauty but for sheer world-class, high rock faces, it would be better to look elsewhere.
Some of the best spots include Warepapa, with a plethora of challenging climbs, The Blue Mountains in Australia, which has a vast amount of difficult rock faces and the Grampians, which cover an impressive amount of land area.
Warepapa, New Zealand: Warapapa has some of New Zealand’s best crags and cliff faces, albeit only reaching heights of 100 feet. For what Warepapa lacks in height, the area makes up for with a fantastically unique climbing experience with many unusually shaped rocks and mountains. The challenging climbs will have you busy for weeks.
Blue Mountains, Australia: Located approximately 50 miles from Sydney, The Blue Mountains is a massive sandstone plateau that has been eroded over millions of years to form an amazing and endless labyrinth of crags and gorges. There is a large variety of climbs available with all grades from beginner to advanced.
Freycinet Peninsula - Tasmania, Australia: Situated on the east coast of Tasmania in the small town of Coles Bay, is the breathtaking Freycinet Peninsula, which is one of the most popular climbing spots on the small island. The main attraction to this site is the stunning 1,000-foot high pink granite dome.
Long Beach, New Zealand: On the east coast of New Zealand’s south island, Dunedin’s Long Beach can be found. With over 130 different climbing routes, the basalt rock face is very accessible and challenging for beginners and intermediate level climbers.
The Grampians, Australia: The massive climbing area of the Grampians covers an area of 770 square miles. The Grampians is one of the Australia’s best climbing sites with an array of climbs which range greatly in difficulty. The site is world-class and slowly becoming renowned among international climbers.
Wanaka, New Zealand: The magnificent views and fresh air around Lake Wanaka make climbing here an amazing experience. There are over 200 climbs with bolted passages through the schist rock faces. The climbs vary in difficulty, with some challenging rocks for advanced climbers. The area has many restaurants and accommodation options, making it a great climbing holiday destination.
Margaret River, Australia: Positioned approximately 180 miles south of Perth, the Margaret River region is very popular with not only great seaside cliffs, but also beaches and vineyards. There are over 200 hundred different climbs on the granite and limestone cliff faces, with difficulty ranging from beginner to advanced.
Warrambungles, Australia: The Warrambungles National Park is located around eight hours’ drive northwest of Sydney. The volcanic area is made up of Australia’s longest climbing routes available, ranging from 330 to 1,500 feet. The area is great for camping and spending a few days climbing the challenging mountains.