Cultural sites
Bittangabee Bay ruins
Location:
shown on Boyds Tower to Green Cape map
Bittangabee campground
Wheelchair access: medium
Assistance may be required to access this area
- Mostly unsealed surface; there is a large shelter with a concrete floor
Make the most of your beachside surroundings at Bittangabee campground and spend your days fishing, swimming, snorkelling and diving. You can also paddle on the little beach.
You can drive in to the campground for the weekend or a week; it’s suitable for motorhomes and there are sites for camper trailers. Once you’ve set up camp, you can explore the historic ruins of a storehouse once used to service Green Cape Lightstation or take a walk along the coast. At the end of the day, you can relax with a barbecue dinner while enjoying a colourful evening sunset.
Don’t forget your camera – superb lyrebirds are frequently seen displaying their tails and there’s often a lovely vista of yachts anchored in the bay.
Bitangabee campground is one of the stops on the renowned multi-day Light to Light walk, so you might see some weary walkers resting for the night.
Audio tour: you can download an audio tour of the Light to Light Walk to your mp3 player or phone. Sections 2 and 3 provide information about Bittangabee campground and the surrounding area.
Activities: walking, paddling, snorkelling, swimming, fishing, picnicking, playing and socialising
Location:
shown on Boyds Tower to Green Cape map
Getting there: Bittangabee campground is in the southern section of Ben Boyd National Park. To get there:
- Travel south from Eden on the Princes Highway for 18km
- Turn off at Edrom Road and follow it for 6km
- Turn right onto Green Cape Road and follow it for 15km
- Turn left to Bittangabee Bay and follow the signs to the end of the road
Road access: Unsealed road/trail - 2WD vehicles.
Facilities: picnic tables, wood barbecues (bring your own firewood), gas/electric barbecues, non-flush toilets, carpark, trackhead/access point
Water supply: There are rainwater tanks here.
Vehicle entry fee: $7 per vehicle per day. Please note vehicle entrance fees are not included in your accommodation or camping fees. Purchase at the local office or buy an annual pass online.
Camping fees: All campsites – site fee: $20 per night (2-person inclusive). $10 per night per additional adult (16 years+), $5 per night per additional child (5-15 years), infants free (0-4 years).
Online bookings: use a secure payment facility to book online
Alternatively, please contact the Customer Experience Team on 13000 PARKS (13000 72757) to make a booking.
NB: All reservations incur a booking fee of 2.5% in addition to the total amount payable.
Boyds Tower
Wheelchair access: medium
This historic feature has a 350m wheelchair-accessible bitumen track with a lay-by, running through melaleuca trees. The lookout here is not accessible but there are good views from the track. You can also see interesting geological formations.
Boyds Tower at Red Point on the southern shore of Twofold Bay stands as a monument to Boyd's brief reign. His name is inscribed at the top. The tower was originally built as a lighthouse from sandstone quarried in Sydney. Because of a dispute with the government, the lighthouse never came into service and was mainly used by the Davidsons for spotting whales.
Audio tour: you can an audio tour of the Light to Light Walk to your mp3 player or phone. Section 1 provides information about Boyds Tower and the surrounding area.
Location:
shown on Boyds Tower to Green Cape map
Facilities: non-flush toilets, lookout
Davidson Whaling Station historic site
Wheelchair access: medium
Assistance may be required to access this area
- A gently sloping paved path and boardwalk run down to the historic house
- The try-works site and beach are not wheelchair-accessible
Discover a lifestyle from the past at Davidson Whaling Station historic site, located at Kiah Inlet on the shores of Twofold Bay, just a short drive from Ben Boyd National Park.
Plan a trip in the summer or easter holidays or during the Eden Whale Festival and take a guided tour to see the fascinating 1890s weatherboard homestead. See where the Davidson family took to the seas, assisted by a pack of killer whales. The skeleton of the pack’s leader, ‘Old Tom’, is today displayed at the Eden Killer Whale Museum.
Check out the historic try-works, where blubber was processed, and learn all about the whaling operation. Walk a few steps to the beach to enjoy a picnic, swim, or just feel the sand between your toes.
Activities: birdwatching
Location:
shown on Boyds Tower to Green Cape map
Getting there: Davidson Whaling Station Historic Site is approximately 10 minutes' drive south from Ben Boyd National Park.
To get there:
- Travel south from Eden on the Princes Highway for 18km
- Turn off at Edrom Road and drive for 11km
- Turn left into Boyd Road
- Drive for 4km to the station’s carpark
Road access: Unsealed road/trail - 2WD vehicles. Dry weather only.
Opening hours: Entry to Davidson Whaling Station Historic Site is available at any time without a guide. Tours operate during the Eden Whale Festival. Please contact the park office to arrange a tour.
Facilities: non-flush toilets, amenities block, picnic tables
Green Cape Lightstation Keeper's Cottage (2 bedrooms, up to 6 people)
Wheelchair access: medium
Assistance may be required to access this area
Enjoy an unforgettable weekend getaway at Green Cape Lightstation Keeper's Cottage in Ben Boyd National Park.
Perched on the edge of a peninsula, there are two beautifully-restored keepers' cottages available, each offering 3.5-star heritage accommodation with open fireplaces and charming nautical decor.
Along with a fully-equipped kitchen and dining and lounge rooms, each cottage offers a comfortable verandah, ideal for enjoying the sea air and whale watching. You can take a guided tour of the lightstation and walk part of the Light to Light walk.
You’ll find a paved path to the lookout at the tip of Green Cape. Stop to look for whales during season and for breathtaking views across Disaster Bay, the site of many shipwrecks. And keep an eye out for bandicoots, they’re often seen nearby.
Things to do: Experience the peaceful, misty mornings and relentless pounding seas from the comfortable isolation of the lightstation. Use it as a base to enjoy and explore the area in and around Ben Boyd National Park, returning to the cosy cottages and a warm fire during the winter months. The coastal walking track is nearby, along with beaches and great spots to fish. Whales can be seen on their migratory route between late May and December, along with seals and a number of seabirds. A free tour of the lighthouse is also available to guests.
Audio tour: you can download an audio tour of the Light to Light Walk to your mp3 player or phone. Section 3 provides information about Green Cape Lightstation and the surrounding area.
Activities: walking, fishing, whale watching
Location:
shown on Boyds Tower to Green Cape map
Getting there: Green Cape Lighthouse is in the southern section of Ben Boyd National Park. To get there:
- Travel south from Eden on the Princes Highway for 18km
- Turn off at Edrom Road and follow it for 6km
- Turn right onto Green Cape Road and follow it for 21km
Road access: Unsealed road/trail - 2WD vehicles. Dry weather only.
Bookings: Please email Auswide Services or phone (02) 6495 5555.
Historic roads and tracks
Boyds Tower to Saltwater Creek
- 13.2km
Walking (easy, 4 hours 30 minutes)
General information
From Boyds Tower the walking track heads south and you'll see magnificent coastal scenery with sandy beaches, rocky bays, ocean platforms and sheltered inlets. Leather Jacket Bay (3.5km from Boyds Tower) has a colourful display of folded red rocks that provide a strong contrast against the sapphire of the ocean. The red colouring is caused by the iron oxide which cemented the sand particles together at the time of the rock's formation, some 320 million years ago.
Between the gently curving rocky landscape of Leatherjacket Bay and Mowarry Point, hike through coastal forests and heath and across red-rocked platforms. Mowarry Point, which has a basic campground (no facilities or water), has a direct line of sight to both Boyds Tower and Green Cape. See if you can pick out other headlands along the way from where you might be able to see a lighthouse. Look out for these landmarks along your route.
Between Mowarry Point and Saltwater Creek, explore melaleuca thickets and woollybutt forest which open out to a clearing at Mowarry Point.
You can camp at Saltwater Creek.
Directions: note that this is part of the Light to Light Walk and connects with Saltwater Creek to Bittangabee Bay in the south.
Plant communities: dry eucalypt forests, heathlands
Location:
shown on Boyds Tower to Green Cape map
Boyds Tower walking track
- 300m
Wheelchair access: medium
Assistance may be required to access this area
- There is wheelchair access to the viewing platform looking north over Twofold Bay.
Walking (easy, 15 minutes)
General information
Follow this gentle walking track and boardwalk around the imposing Boyds Tower. Find out about the eccentric entrepreneur Benjamin Boyd, who built Boyds Tower only to never see it commissioned as a lighthouse.
Take a good look at the historic tower to see a missing section displaced by lightning. You can also see Boyd’s name inscribed at the crest.
Nearby, you can visit two lookouts to see superb views – one over the Pacific Ocean and the other over Twofold Bay. If you’re there during whale watching season (June - November) you will probably see whales performing their ocean acrobatics in Twofold Bay. Bring a picnic along to enjoy at the informal picnic area.
Audio tour: you can download an audio tour of the Light to Light Walk to your mp3 player or phone. Section 1 provides information about Boyds Tower and the surrounding area.
Plant communities: dry eucalypt forests, heathlands
Location:
shown on Boyds Tower to Green Cape map
Green Cape to Pulpit Rock
- 2.5km
Walking (easy, 1 hour )
General information
This is an ideal walk if you're staying at the Lightstation. You'll see superb scenery along this short section of the coastal track.
Plant communities: dry eucalypt forests, heathlands
Light to Light walk
- 30km
Walking (easy, 3 days )
General information
Light to Light walk hugs the coastline between historic Boyds Tower and Green Cape Lightstation. It’s one of the best walks on the far south coast of NSW.
The views are stunning and ever-changing – from heathland to forest, tea tree groves to banksia woodlands, and sheltered coves to towering red-rock platforms. Plus, with so many seafront vantage points, you can spot seals, seabirds and whales.
Enjoy a small section of the walk – most sections of this walk are easy - or embark on a self-guided, multi-day hike, stop overnight and have a swim at the beach campgrounds. Be sure to download the audio guide before you go to acquaint yourself with the area’s Aboriginal heritage, plants, animals and more.
And from September 2013, not-for profit organisation, Auswide, will be offering a four-day guided tour along Light to Light walk. For more information, contact Auswide.
Walking options
You can do easy, short return walks from any of the key access points, Green Cape, Bittangabee Bay, Saltwater Creek and Boyds Tower. For longer walks start at either end, Green Cape or Boyds Tower, walk one section, or a combination of the following sections:
More information
View safety and supplies information for the walk.
Find out more about camping and accommodation in the park.
Audio tour: you can download an audio tour of the walk to your mp3 player or phone to take with you. This self-guided tour will be your companion on the walk and will guide you through each section of the track.
Directions: it doesn't matter which direction to take, however, you'll have the sun at your back if you walk north to south. Either way simply follow the green, blue and white track markers with the Light to Light track icon.
Plant communities: dry eucalypt forests, heathlands
Cultural heritage: The name of the Light to Light walk reflects the location of an historic lighthouse at either end of the walk. At the northern end overlooking Twofold Bay, Boyds Tower was constructed in the late 1840s as part of an ambitious plan by Benjamin Boyd to establish Eden as a major commercial port. He was however denied official approval to use the tower as a lighthouse and the main use for his tower came from shore-based whalers looking for migrating whales off the coast.
Before European settlement the coastal country along and near the Light to Light Walk was home to Aboriginal people. This country still holds great significance for them, and the community plays an important role in making decisions about how the landscape is managed. You can hear stories from local Aboriginal elders on the Light to Light Walk audio tour.
To the south, Green Cape Lighthouse commenced operations in 1883 as part of a plan by Francis Hixson to 'light the coast like a street with lamps'. This was an especially important development in an age when coastal shipping offered the main communication and supply line between isolated coastal communities and ports such as Sydney and Melbourne. Today the Lighthouse is fully automated and the NPWS looks after the historic lightstation precinct.
Location:
shown on Boyds Tower to Green Cape map
Light to Light walk
- 30km
Walking (easy, 3 days )
General information
Light to Light walk hugs the coastline between historic Boyds Tower and Green Cape Lightstation. It’s one of the best walks on the far south coast of NSW.
The views are stunning and ever-changing – from heathland to forest, tea tree groves to banksia woodlands, and sheltered coves to towering red-rock platforms. Plus, with so many seafront vantage points, you can spot seals, seabirds and whales.
Enjoy a small section of the walk – most sections of this walk are easy - or embark on a self-guided, multi-day hike, stop overnight and have a swim at the beach campgrounds. Be sure to download the audio guide before you go to acquaint yourself with the area’s Aboriginal heritage, plants, animals and more.
And from September 2013, not-for profit organisation, Auswide, will be offering a four-day guided tour along Light to Light walk. For more information, contact Auswide.
Walking options
You can do easy, short return walks from any of the key access points, Green Cape, Bittangabee Bay, Saltwater Creek and Boyds Tower. For longer walks start at either end, Green Cape or Boyds Tower, walk one section, or a combination of the following sections:
More information
View safety and supplies information for the walk.
Find out more about camping and accommodation in the park.
Audio tour: you can download an audio tour of the walk to your mp3 player or phone to take with you. This self-guided tour will be your companion on the walk and will guide you through each section of the track.
Directions: it doesn't matter which direction to take, however, you'll have the sun at your back if you walk north to south. Either way simply follow the green, blue and white track markers with the Light to Light track icon.
Plant communities: dry eucalypt forests, heathlands
Cultural heritage: The name of the Light to Light walk reflects the location of an historic lighthouse at either end of the walk. At the northern end overlooking Twofold Bay, Boyds Tower was constructed in the late 1840s as part of an ambitious plan by Benjamin Boyd to establish Eden as a major commercial port. He was however denied official approval to use the tower as a lighthouse and the main use for his tower came from shore-based whalers looking for migrating whales off the coast.
Before European settlement the coastal country along and near the Light to Light Walk was home to Aboriginal people. This country still holds great significance for them, and the community plays an important role in making decisions about how the landscape is managed. You can hear stories from local Aboriginal elders on the Light to Light Walk audio tour.
To the south, Green Cape Lighthouse commenced operations in 1883 as part of a plan by Francis Hixson to 'light the coast like a street with lamps'. This was an especially important development in an age when coastal shipping offered the main communication and supply line between isolated coastal communities and ports such as Sydney and Melbourne. Today the Lighthouse is fully automated and the NPWS looks after the historic lightstation precinct.
Location:
shown on Boyds Tower to Green Cape map
