Another perfect day in paradise here at South West Rocks, so the easy decision was made to extend our stay here another two days. The park appeared to be emptying ahead of the forecast strong winds as we packed our picnic and headed for Smoke Cape Lighthouse, about an 8-minute drive from our cabin.
The road headed through bushy tracks for a while before beginning to climb, and when the road finally cleared, we looked up to see a stunning view – a gorgeous B&B Cottage and Lighthouse straight out of a postcard. It was what you’d expect from a picture of Greece and the view was nothing but jaw-dropping. 360-degree views of the ocean and surrounding coastline, miles of beaches, private coves and 4WD tracks along the beach. An ideal location for another bit of whale spotting, the steep 5-minute walk up the hill from the car park is worth it. Do not miss out on this site if you are ever in the area!
Right by the car park, and also with stunning views of the northern beaches, was plenty of open picnic spots on the lawn alongside tables and BBQs ready to go. A bush track led off to one side from the picnic area, so we decided to make the most of the location and cook ourselves up a fresh chicken wrap with our portable gas cooktop before hitting the track.
Within a minute we spotted out first bit of wildlife – a stunning black cockatoo. The bright red tail feathers, visible only once it is in flight, are just beautiful to see.
It took about 10 minutes to get down the track to the beach below, and it was just as beautiful up close as it was from the air. It looks like only a few who make the drive to the Lighthouse actually make the trek down to the beach, though we did come across a rather unusual timber structure and thought it rather suitable for a bit of meditation.
The water was cool but crystal clear and the vision recorded with our GoPro absolutely beautiful. A small clamber around some rocks led to another little cove, and with no clouds in the sky it would have been a perfect spot to soak up some rays.
There is no charge or National Park fees to visit the lighthouse, but if you do decide to hit some of the sandy tracks at the base of the hill heading out to the beach you will require a permit, which can be collected from the on-site shelter. There is also a bush caravan park complete with toilets and pre-cut firewood and easy access to the beach, though you will need a permit for this also.
By the time we finally returned back to our cabin we felt tired but exhilarated from such an unexpected find, and with the wind picking up and temperature dropping we called it a day and settled in for an evening of movies indoor.
