Cape Byron Lighthouse: Byron Bay Travel Guide (4.7★)

White tower, end of the continent

The tower is bright white and squat, and you can see it from most of the town beaches. It was completed in 1901 from precast concrete blocks, and it is still a working light guiding ships along the New South Wales coast. It sits on Cape Byron, the most easterly point of mainland Australia. The Arakwal people, traditional owners of this country, call the headland Walgun.

Below the tower, the Pacific breaks on rock on three sides. Wategos Beach curves away to the north and Tallow Beach runs south. It is one of the most-reviewed attractions on the north coast, and on a clear day you can see why from the railing. The whole headland is protected as the Cape Byron State Conservation Area.

Walking up from the beach

Driving to the top is possible, but walking is the better way to arrive. The Cape Byron Walking Track is a loop of roughly 3.7 km, mostly boardwalk and staircase, and it passes through rainforest pockets and open clifftop.

• Start points: Clarkes Beach, The Pass or Captain Cook Lookout, all an easy walk from town.
• Direction: Anticlockwise from The Pass puts the steepest stairs early and the lighthouse halfway round.
• Detours: A short spur drops to the Most Easterly Point marker below the tower.
• Return: Carry on past Wategos Beach and down to Little Wategos, then back along the road to town.

Bring water and a hat, because most of the upper track has no shade. The stairs are steep, so allow extra time if you have knee trouble.

What’s at the top

The tower grounds hold the old keepers’ buildings. A maritime museum inside tells the story of the light, the coast and the ships it has guarded. Guided tours climb inside the tower itself. Check the NSW National Parks website for tour times before you go, because they are scheduled and not continuous.

From June to November, humpback whales pass close to the cape on their migration. Their spouts are visible from the lighthouse lawn, and binoculars help. Dolphins are often seen in the surf off The Pass and Wategos all year. The restored keepers’ cottages beside the tower are rented out as holiday accommodation.

Timing the climb and the car park

Sunrise draws the biggest crowd. The headland is the first spot on the mainland to catch the morning sun, so walkers are on the track before dawn. Bring a torch for the stairs if you go at that hour.

• Parking: The car park at the top is small and paid by machine or app. It fills fast on weekends and school holidays. Current fees are posted at the entry and on the NSW National Parks site.
• Cheaper option: Park near Clarkes Beach or in town and walk up.
• Hours: Gate, museum and tour times change, so check the official site before heading up for sunset.
• Etiquette: Stay on the boardwalk and fenced paths. The cliff edges are unstable and the vegetation is under protection.

A weekday morning after the sunrise walkers have left usually means a quieter lawn and a free parking bay.