Acknowledgement Of Country: Urban List respects and honours Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past, present, and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions, and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on this land.
WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that the following article contains the names of people who have passed away.
If there’s one thing NSW is never short of, it’s a damn breathtaking coastal walk. We’re fortunate enough as well to sport many beautiful coast-bound national parks that lead to endless vistas of the Pacific, rugged headlands, hidden beaches, and rocky heaths.
In saying this, we’d like to draw your attention to Ben Boyd National Park, home to the incredible Light To Light Walk. This multi-day walk stretches between the historic Boyds Tower and Green Cape Lightstation and takes about two to three days to complete if you’re keen to conquer the full walk. Alternatively, you can access the walk from different entry points and simply stretch your legs for an hour or two while you scope epic seafront vantage points where you’re likely to spot seals, seabirds, and whales.
Here’s everything you need to know about the must-do Light To Light Walk.
Need To Know
The Light To Light Walk is located within the South Coast’s Ben Boyd National Park, which, at the moment, is riding an important bid to be renamed due to the slave trader past of the park’s namesake. We’ve touched on this more deeply here.
You’ll find the walk in the southern part of the national park, an area known as Green Cape. This walk spans part of Yuin Country and within this area, the Thaua, or Thawa people are the traditional owners of the land. Along this walk, the Yuin People had an extremely close relationship with orca whales at Twofold Bay.
The Light To Light Walk starts from either end of the route, at Boyds Tower, or Green Cape Lightstation. It’s a rocky adventure with changing terrain, so you’ll want to make sure you’ve got a solid pair of walking shoes with you (leave the Birks at home). As mentioned, you can go for gold and hit the full 30-kilometre walk over two to three days, or lap up a small section of the Light To Light at any of the various entry points.
How To Get There
Depending on which part of the Light To Light you want to start off at, both ends will need to be accessed from Edrom Road. If you’re coming from Sydney, you’ll just need to plug the town of Eden into your GPS, continue south on the Princes Highway, and then turn off at Edrom Road. If you’re starting the walk at Boyd’s Tower, follow Edrom Road to the very end. If you’re starting from Green Cape Lightstation, you’ll need to turn right onto an unsealed road called Green Cape Road, and then just follow it for 21 kilometres.
Things To Do
Green Cape Lighthouse
This beauty is the southernmost lighthouse in all of NSW and it’s perched up on one of the most spectacular headlands in the country. If you’re committing to the full hike, we suggest staying here the night before in one of the three restored heritage cottages at the lighthouse. There’s also a path that leads you straight to Disaster Bay, a site of a number of shipwrecks.
Saltwater Creek Campground
This secluded campground is just a short walk from the beach that lies between Saltwater Creek and Woodburn Creek. It’s the perfect overnight camping spot for your multi-day walk, or an epic place to enter the Light To Light if you’re just doing part of the walk (and you can always reward yourself with a post-hike swim).
Leather Jacket Bay
If you're in need of a little pit stop on your walk, Leather Jacket Bay is a great option. While we don't recommend swimming at this rocky coastal enclosure, if you are looking for a little rugged coastal beauty to be the backdrop of your bushwalk picnic, Leather Jacket Bay's rust-red boulder, and quiet, sparkly shores are a must.
Boyd’s Tower
Finally, Boyd’s historic tower consists of some pretty accessible walking tracks (with a wheelchair-friendly boardwalk) and two different lookout points. One lookout peers over the Pacific Ocean and the other gives you panoramic views of Twofold Bay.
For your full guide to Ben Boyd National Park, head here.
Image credit: Destination NSW