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Walking to the Cape Byron Lighthouse in Byron Bay, Australia

by Dean Wickham on August 28, 2012

in Australia, Destinations, Oceania, Photo Essays, Photos

Standing on the most eastern tip of the Australian mainland, is the Cape Byron Lighthouse. From the popular tourist town of Byron Bay, the rocky peninsula of Cape Byron extends out into the Pacific Ocean.

One of the best ways to explore this beautiful area is to walk the 3km trail that runs from town and along the spectacular coastline to the lighthouse.

View of the beach at Byron Bay, Australia

View of main beach in Byron Bay

Walking along the boardwalk in Byron Bay, Australia

Walking along the boardwalk near the start of the walking path

The path follows the lighthouse road from the main beach, before turning off and heading along the rocky coastline to Watego’s Beach.

Watego's Beach in Byron Bay, Australia

Watego’s Beach

View of the lighthouse from Watego's Beach in Byron Bay, Australia

View of the lighthouse from Watego’s Beach

At the other end of the beach, the path then enters into the National Park, climbing up and around the steep rocky side of the peninsula, before heading back down to give access to Little Watego’s Beach and the very tip of Cape Byron.

View of Watego's Beach and coastline in Byron Bay, Australia

View of the coastline at Watego’s Beach as we climb up the peninsula

The rocky coastline at Cape Byron in Byron Bay, Australia

The rocky coastline at Cape Byron

Pathway leading to Cape Byron in Byron Bay, Australia

The pathway leading to the viewing area at Cape Byron

Walking path at Cape Byron in Byron Bay, Australia

Looking away from Cape Byron towards the lighthouse and most easterly point of Australia to the left

Little Watego's Beach in Byron Bay, Australia

Little Watego’s Beach

The tip of Cape Byron in Byron Bay, Australia

The tip of Cape Byron

From here, you have to climb up a series of steps to get to the top of the headland where the lighthouse is located. There are amazing views of Cape Byron, the lighthouse and the coastline as you climb up and get to the top of the steps, and this is where you will be standing at the most Easterly point of Australia’s mainland.

View towards cape byron as climbing up steps in Byron Bay, Australia

View towards Cape Byron as I climb up the steps

View of Cape Byron from near the lighthouse in Byron Bay, Australia

View of Cape Byron from the top of the steps

The Cape Byron Lighthouse in Byron Bay, Australia

The Cape Byron Lighthouse

It is now only a short walk along a flat path before climbing the final set of steps to the lighthouse itself.

The Cape Byron Lighthouse has been alerting ships to the dangerous coastline since 1901, and it is now the most popular attraction in Byron Bay.

Steps leading to the lighthouse in Byron Bay, Australia

The steps leading up to the lighthouse

Cape Byron Lighthouse in Byron Bay, Australia

The Cape Byron Lighthouse

The Cape Byron Lighthouse

The front of the Cape Byron Lighthouse in Byron Bay, Australia

Looking up at the Cape Byron Lighthouse – built in 1901

Binoculars at the Cape Byron Lighthouse in Byron Bay, Australia

Binoculars at the Cape Byron Lighthouse, with Byron Bay township in the distance to the left

Cliff at the Cape Byron Lighthouse in Byron Bay, Australia

The cliff drops nearly 100m below the lighthouse

If you’re travelling to Byron Bay, Australia, definitely take a walk along the coast to the Cape Byron Lighthouse. It’s a great way to spend a morning or afternoon and experience the true beauty of the area.

 

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{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }

Johan Horak @capeholidays August 28, 2012 at 11:02 pm

Hi Dean lovely post. I am in South Africa Cape Town and am far away form Cape Byron. But we have a lot in common. We have a lot of light houses. And beautiful nature like yours. I like the way you created your post with lots of great photos. As bloggers we can can use a lot more images like you did.

I am writing a post on all the light houses around Cape Town using Google Maps to map them. But the idea is that only people who join my newsletter will get access to the map. These can be done via a day trip in one day.

Do you guys have more Light Houses in this area or are they far apart?
Johan Horak @capeholidays recently posted..Slangkop Lighthouse – Cape Town Things To Do – KommetjieMy Profile

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Dean Wickham August 29, 2012 at 2:02 pm

Hi Johan. Cape town is a city I would really love to visit, and in fact, all of South Africa! It looks beautiful there.

There aren’t any other lighthouses in this particular area as the coast certainly isn’t as dangerous as it is around Cape Town :)
Dean Wickham recently posted..Walking to the Cape Byron Lighthouse in Byron Bay, AustraliaMy Profile

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Johan Horak @capeholidays August 29, 2012 at 3:47 pm

It will be great to have you visit our country. Have a lot of blogging fun.
Johan Horak @capeholidays recently posted..The Steam Train Cape Town to Simon’s TownMy Profile

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Brock - Backpack With Brock August 31, 2012 at 8:44 am

Beautiful photos! I am definitely jealous that you’re in such a beautiful place
Brock – Backpack With Brock recently posted..Mendoza and Salta, Argentina – A Wine Tour on a Bicycle – Nuff Said!My Profile

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Dean Wickham September 1, 2012 at 5:25 pm

Thanks Brock. I am definitely lucky to live in this area! Cheers

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Spanish Translator @latinAbroad September 1, 2012 at 6:07 am

what an absolutely stunning coastline. LOVE that first shot! =D

- Maria Alexandra
Spanish Translator @latinAbroad recently posted..Travel bucket list photos: Get inspired by delicious food and gorgeous views!My Profile

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Dean Wickham September 1, 2012 at 5:30 pm

Hey Maria. It is a very spectacular coastline with a lot of beautiful features. Glad you liked the photos. Cheers!

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Lauren from Explore Australia September 3, 2012 at 4:14 pm

Byron Bay has to be one of the most beautiful spots in the world (I’m not biased at all!). Stunning photos :)

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Dean Wickham September 4, 2012 at 9:22 am

I’d have to say that I definitely agree with you Lauren. It will always be one of my favourite spots :) Cheers

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The Time-Crunched Traveler (Ellen) September 4, 2012 at 9:19 am

This looks like a beautiful walk! What a unique looking lighthouse.
The Time-Crunched Traveler (Ellen) recently posted..The Weekly Worldview: Chicago’s Millennium ParkMy Profile

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Dean Wickham September 4, 2012 at 9:23 am

Hey Ellen. It is a very beautiful walk. The coastline is stunning, and the lighthouse at the end is the big reward :)

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Deb December 3, 2012 at 11:55 pm

wow! What a great walk. I love taking an afternoon stroll along the coast and this one looks like one of the top coastal walks out there. Thanks for showing us some great scenery in your beautiful photographs.
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Dean Wickham December 4, 2012 at 9:57 am

I’m glad you liked the photos Deb. This is a very beautiful walk. There’s not much better than a nice stroll along some beautiful coastline :)

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