Walking towards Wategos Beach, which like most in Australia, is also a park, with benches, barbies, and public toilets:
Wategos Beach, looking south:
There is a 3.7 km walking trail from the beach, up Cape Byron, to the light house, and then down to Clarkes Beach:
Cape Byron. We saw a couple of dolphins swimming along the coast. Often, during their migration period, you can see whales from here.
Approaching the light house:
And here it is, built in 1901, still operating today. The cycle of Cape Byron lighthouse is 15 seconds. If you get lost in the Coral Sea and see a light appearing every 15 seconds, you will know that is a lighthouse at Cape Byron. If you see a red light, watch out, because you are close to the rocks:
Oh, you can drive up to the light house too, but the parking is scarce, and there is a fee:
Scheduled guided tours of the light house are available for a donation.
The lighthouse currently uses two electrical light bulbs, 1000W each, of which only one is on at any time and the other one is an automatic backup. The base for the rotating lightbulbs and mirrors weighs over 4 tonnes, and is turned by two small electric motors. This is possible, because the base floats in mercury, the same toxic metal used in the past in thermometers:
Going down the trail, a view towards Tallow Beach:
You are here:
Clarkes Beach:
Native vegetation planted on a steep hill:
A road block:
Back at Wategos Beach:
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