Itineraries Home » New South Wales Itineraries » Visiting the Most Easterly Point of the Australian Mainland
After visiting the northernmost and the southernmost points of the Australian mainland, we had an opportunity to visit the most easterly point of the Australian mainland during our recent visit to Southeast QLD.
You can read more about visiting the northernmost (The Tip) and the southernmost (South Point) points of the Australian mainland in our posts below:
Visiting South Point - the southernmost point of the Australian mainland
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An Unforgettable Trip to the Tip (Cape York)
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The most easterly point of the Australian mainland is near the Cape Byron Lighthouse, located in the town of Byron Bay in New South Wales. Byron Bay is around 8 hours’ drive north of Sydney or slightly over an hours’ drive south of Gold Coast. Cape Byron Lighthouse is just a further 10 minutes’ drive from the Byron Bay town centre. There are two (2) paid carparks closer to the lighthouse, as shown below.
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However, on weekends and school/public holidays, these carparks get filled quite quickly early in the day so if you can’t access these carparks, you’ll need to park your car either at the Captain Cook Pay Parking Area or The Pass Carpark and take the Cape Byron Walking Track to access the lighthouse.
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In fact, the most easterly point itself is on a section of the Cape Byron Walking Track and is the easiest to access of all the extreme points of Australia! It’s just less than 15 minutes’ walk from the lighthouse and see, it’s that easy! In addition to being easier, the walk is very scenic too with ample possibilities to spot marine life along the way, with Dolphins being a common sight. We spotted a few dolphins on the day of our visit and the kids were so delighted!
From the lighthouse carpark, follow the path towards the lighthouse and continue onto the Cape Byron Walking Track and within 300 metres from the lighthouse, you will arrive at the sign saying the “Most easterly point of the Australian mainland”. That’s it, you’re officially at the most easterly point of Australia!!
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This is quite a spectacular sight from the lookout however don’t stop here! The views are even more stunning from the Cape Byron Lookout so continue on the walking track for another 250 metres where you will arrive at the intersection shown below.
Now, turn right at this intersection towards Little Wategos Beach and continue until the end of the walking track to access the Cape Byron Lookout. You will be mesmerised with the stunning views of the bay and the ocean from here!
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While you’re there, spend some time at the Little Wategos Beach as well; it’s a beautiful spot not to be missed.
After spending some time at the Little Wategos Beach, you can go back to the lighthouse carpark via the same path you took to come to this point. However, note that the 700m walk back to the lighthouse has an elevation of 65m! Otherwise, at the upcoming intersection, take right to complete a loop walk via Wategos Beach, The Pass and Captain Cook Lookout, before arriving at the lighthouse carpark, using the walking trail map provided at the top of this page.
Lastly, the Cape Byron Lighthouse is an iconic landmark and a popular tourist attraction itself so make sure to spend some time visiting the lighthouse. Built in 1901, the lighthouse is still operational today and the visitors can climb to the top of the lighthouse via a guided tour.
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