Complete guide to Light to Light walk

Do you fancy a hike that provides spectacular views of the ocean and also gives a taste of the bushes? Then the light to light walk in Eden is the one for you. This multi day hike in the Ben Boyd National Park is an absolute delight. The path goes along the South coast of New South Wales (NSW) with the views of the never ending ocean. The light to light walk is one of the few multi day hikes I have done in Australia.

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About Light to Light walk

The Light to Light walk is in the Ben Boyd National Park, near Eden coastal town of NSW. Ben Boyd National Park has a coastline of around 47 kilometres. The walk lies in the southern section of the national park called the Green cape area. And it has been rated as one of the top walks in the South Coast of NSW.

!! Watch out for dolphins during the hike. We saw plenty of them during the hike and at the camp ground in Mowarry Point. The walk is also great to spot whales during the whale watching season (between the months of May and September).

Transportation (Driving)

The best way to commute for this hiking trip is by driving. We had taken two cars as it does require a car shuffle. As the hiking route is one way, one car was left at Green Cape lighthouse and the other at Boyds Tower.

• Note: One needs to have a National Park pass for the days the car is parked. The pass can be obtained on the National Park NSW website.
• The annual pass works out cheaper if you visit the national parks regularly. If you do not have the annual pass, then the cost is usually AUD 8 per vehicle per day.

Sydney to Boydtown Beach Holiday Park

The drive from Sydney Central Business District (CBD) to Boydtown Beach Holiday Park is about 480 kilometres along the coastal towns. The drive is picturesque and has a lot of fuel stations/ food points.

Boydtown Beach Holiday Park to Boyds Tower

The drive from Boydtown Beach Holiday Park to the Boyds Tower is about 30 kilometres. The drive has restricted access and parts of it is on the dirt road.

Green Cape Lighthouse to Sydney

The distance between Green Cape lighthouse and Sydney is approximately 520 kilometres. The initial 10 to 15 kilometres is on the dirt road. And then it is on the Princess Highway along the coastal towns of NSW.

• Note: There are toll roads on the route.
• There is also an inland route that goes through Canberra, which is slightly a faster route.

Hiking and Camping details

The Light to Light walk is an easy to moderate hike of 30 kilometres spread across 3 days. The terrain is along the coastal region of NSW and provides amazing views from the cliffs. It goes through various landscapes and bushes and the path is very well defined and marked. There are signs and pink ribbons that provide the markings of the trail.

!! Keep your bags light. The backpacks have to be carried for the entire 3 days along the trail. One needs to carry camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, portable stove), food for 2.5 days, drinking water, personal things (clothes, toiletries) and medicines (personal and first aid) for all the days.

Itinerary

Our hiking trip including the drive from Sydney and return was for 4 days. The trip was organised and planned by the organisers Norman and Jules from Aussie Explorers meetup group. They were excellent and the entire meetup was organised so well.

Note: The Light to Light walk and camping is for experienced hikers only.

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Day 1 – Sydney to Boydtown (Drive)

On the first day of the trip, we mostly spent our day driving from Sydney. The drive was about 8 hours with all the stops for lunch and toilets. We reached the Boydtown Beach Holiday Park in the evening just in time for the check-in. After check-in at reception, we were provided with a code to get into the park.

Note: If you have time, you can do Boydtown Historical walk. The information can be found at the entrance of Boydtown Beach Holiday Park.

Boydtown Beach Holiday Park

The Boydtown Beach Holiday Park is a camping/ caravan park. It has all the facilities including the hot showers. The campsites are unmarked but one needs to check-in at the reception.

• The campground has access to an isolated beach.
• It has water and toilets/ shower facilities.
• The campground is a car camping ground which means one can expect lots of cars and caravans.
• There is a local pub close to the holiday park called Seahorse Restaurant. One needs to book if there is a large group. Note: The food is quite expensive.

Day 2 – Boyds Tower to Mowarry Point (Hike)

The starting point of the hike is the Boyds Tower. The Boyds Tower is a tower overlooking the South Pacific Ocean at the Red Point. Built in the year 1847, the Boyds Tower was initially constructed to serve as a lighthouse. Because of the permission issues, the tower was then converted as a whale watching tower.

• There is a drop toilet facility at the Boyds Tower.

The hike from Boyds Tower to Mowarry Point campsite is approximately 9 kilometres. The path is along the coast and is very scenic. It is an easy hike with a bit of elevation and stairs. I loved the walk with the views of the ocean.

We spotted dolphins along the way on this day.

We had our lunch as the Leatherjacket Bay. The Leatherjacket Bay also has an unofficial/ official campground and also has a stream of water that provides as a drinking water source. The water needs to be treated.

Ensure to carry sufficient water for the day and the night as there are no dedicated water source at the camping site in Mowarry Point. However, we did find one stream of water near the campsite. The water collected from here was brown and dirty and needs to be treated. Carry sufficient water purification tablets or a filter.

Hiking stats

• Starting point: Boyds Tower.
• Finishing point: Mowarry Point.
• Distance hiked: 9 kilometres.
• Grade: Easy. Mostly flat with occasional stairs.

Camping at Mowarry Point

The best camping site I have ever camped at as the camping can be done right on the beach. I had amazing views of the ocean and it was a delight staying at this campsite.

• The camp site does not have any facilities. So there is no water, or toilet facility.
• Beware of goannas. Do not leave your food outside of your backpacks as it tends to attract goannas. A goanna is a lizard found in Australia. They are not aggressive by nature and usually mind their own business.
• One can swim in the ocean. However, be alarmed as the water is usually freezing cold.

I saw two sting rays by the shore and many dolphins pass through the ocean while sitting in my tent. The campsite also has zero light pollution and due to which one can see millions of stars and the Milky Way by the beach.

Day 3 – Mowarry Point to Bittangabee Campground (Hike)

The hike from Mowarry Point to Bittangabee campground is quite long.The distance is around 15 kilometres and the trail passes through some amazing points such as the Saltwater creek campground.

One can get water at the Saltwater creek campground. The water needs to be treated. Also, be careful of the ticks in the campground.

Hiking stats

• Starting point: Mowarry Point.
• Finishing point: Bittangabee Campground.
• Distance hiked: 13 kilometres.
• Grade: Moderate. Mostly flat with occasional stairs.

Bittangabee Campground

The Bittangabee Campground is a maintained campground. The sites are marked and allocated. One needs to book the sites on the National Park NSW website. The cost for 2 people on the campsite is AUD 24 per night.

• The campground has drop toilets and barbeque facilities with water source. The water needs to be treated.
• Be careful of possums and goannas and do not leave your food outside the tents unattended.
• There are lots of mosquitoes and ticks so be careful of them and carry insect repellents.
• The campground is a car camping ground which means one can expect lots of cars and caravans.

Day 4 – Bittangabee Campground to Green Cape Lighthouse (Hike) & Green Cape Lighthouse to Sydney (Drive)

The last day included the hike from the Bittangabee campground and the drive from Green Cape lighthouse to Sydney. This was the reason we started the day earlier than the previous days. On this day, at the end of the walk the organisers drove to Boyds tower to pick up the car that was left behind. The drive from Green Cape lighthouse to Boyds Tower and back took sometime and the rest of us waited at the lighthouse.

• There is a drop toilet facility at the Green Cape lighthouse.

I personally found the walk on the last day really boring. It was in between the bushes and did not have any views of the ocean. However, Jules, one of the organisers did see a Lyre bird in the bushes.

The Light to Light walk finishes at the Green Cape Lighthouse. The Green Cape lighthouse is the southernmost lighthouse in NSW.

One can do a private tour at the Green Cape lighthouse and can go inside the lighthouse. This is at a cost.

Hiking stats

• Starting point: Bittangabee Campground.
• Finishing point: Green Cape lighthouse.
• Distance hiked: 8 kilometres.
• Grade: Easy. Mostly flat.

Other things to see on the last day

There are two other points of interest to see before finishing up the hiking trip at Green Cape lighthouse.

Ly-ee-moon Cemetery

This site, just 500 metres before finishing the Light to Light walk is the cemetery dedicated to the night of Ly-ee-moon disaster. In the year 1886, a paddle-steamer had ran into the rocks at the base of the lighthouse and had broke apart. Seventy one lives were lost in the tragedy out of which only 24 bodies were recovered and were buried in this cemetery.

Disaster Lookout

There is a beautiful lookout just when you drive through from the Green Cape lighthouse. It is the Disaster lookout that provides breathtaking views of the ocean. The waves are in the Disaster Bay where there have been lots of disasters such as ship wrecks that had happened.

One can also stop at Narooma and see the Australian Rock while driving back to Sydney.

Logistics and Route of Light to Light Walk

• Starting point: Boyds Tower.
• Finishing point: Green Cape lighthouse.
• Total distance: 30 kilometres.
• Time taken: 2.5 to 3 days.
• Grade: Easy to Moderate. Moderate only because one needs to carry the heavy backpacks all the way.

Safety for solo female travelers

As a general rule, it is always advisable to have a hiking buddy while hiking in the national parks. This helps hikers prepare for any unforeseen situations that may arise during the hiking and camping. The national parks do have a lot of wildlife and one needs to be careful of them. So I would definitely recommend doing this trip with at least one hiking buddy.

Closing Notes

I enjoyed the 4 days and was an amazing learning experience for me. The group consisted of 9 people from various phases of life and backgrounds. It was diverse but everyone were so welcoming and friendly. I absolutely had an awesome time and as I said I learned so much during my trip. I will always cherish this wonderful hiking and camping trip.

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