Green Cape

Why Green Cape is the southern product

Green Cape is the cliff, camp and lighthouse half of Beowa. It sits south of Eden and Twofold Bay. Boyds Tower (1847 sandstone) is the usual first stop and the official start of the Light to Light Walk. Green Cape Lightstation is the southern finish and a whale lookout. Official visitor info treats this as a separate area from Pambula-Haycock.

Beowa is pronounced “beeuhwah” and means orca / killer whale in Thaua. The park was renamed from Ben Boyd National Park in 2022. Custodians are Yuin Nation (Thaua, Dyirringan, Bidwell). Stay on formed tracks around historic and cultural sites. This guide does not speak for Traditional Owners.

This is the $8 vehicle section. Pay machine at Boyds Tower carpark; cash may be needed at Green Cape Lighthouse carpark. [VERIFY] machines on the official visitor-info page. Pedestrians and cyclists are free. Camping is still extra.

Boyds Tower — the honest first stop

Official Boyds Tower walking track: 0.8 km return, Grade 1, 30 minutes–1 hour. Accessible boardwalk, accessible parking, toilets and seating. 2WD via Boyds Tower Road. This is the walk to recommend when someone wants Beowa without Light to Light logistics.

You are there for the tower and a sit-down. Whales in season from the platforms. The red cliffs beside the boardwalk are not a shortcut. The track continuing south is a booked multi-day — not an afternoon add-on after lunch from Eden.

Pay the $8 (or show an annual pass) if you drive in. Treat the carpark as a remote trailhead if you are walking through: NPWS notes overnight vehicle security risk. No valuables.

Walks that belong here

Light to Light: official 32 km one-way, Grade 4, typically 2–3 days and 2 nights. Start Boyds Tower, finish Green Cape Lightstation / lookout. Official day shape: Day 1 Boyds Tower to Mowarry Point 9 km, 2–3 hrs; Day 2 Mowarry to Hegartys Bay 10 km, 2.5–3.5 hrs (passes Saltwater Creek; tide creek wades); Day 3 Hegartys to Green Cape 13 km, 3.5–4.5 hrs (Bittangabee, Pulpit Rock, stairs).

Official day sections if you split differently: Boyds Tower–Saltwater Creek 13.2 km Grade 4, 4.5–5.5 hrs; Saltwater–Bittangabee 9 km Grade 3, 3–4 hrs; Bittangabee–Green Cape 7 km Grade 4, 2–3 hrs. Creek crossings at Saltwater, Woodburn and Bittangabee may require wading. There is an inland alternative Bittangabee–Green Cape in rough seas — official walk page.

Green Cape loop: 7 km loop, Grade 4, official 2–3 hours. Rock platforms, melaleuca, seals/penguins possible, ground parrot. Skip in strong wind or storm surge. Check the Green Cape tide chart before you commit to shelves.

Camping, platforms and closed cottages

Saltwater Creek: marked unpowered sites (tent, camper trailer, beside vehicle). Official booking page (checked 16 Aug 2026): book up to 9 sites / 40 people online. Toilets, BBQs, picnic. Unpatrolled beach. Rainwater tanks exist — treat them and still bring water. Check-in 2pm / out 10am. Max stay 2 weeks. No mobile coverage at the campground (intermittent on the access road).

Bittangabee: marked unpowered sites (tent, camper trailer, motorhome-capable). Official booking page: up to 9 sites / 40 people online. Toilets, BBQs, picnic. Treat tank water. Beach, storehouse ruins, lyrebirds. Access road can be boggy after rain. No coverage at the campground.

Light to Light: 10 hardwood platforms each at Mowarry and Hegartys Bay (5.4×3.6 m, 1–2 hiker tents, bring guy ropes). From $115 for 2 nights per campsite [VERIFY]. Hegartys is booked via the official Light to Light self-guided camping page / RezExpert — no standalone campground page found at last check. Separate Mowarry campground page also lists 4 gravel walk-in pads (4WD to the carpark, about 600 m walk) plus a school-groups-only natural-surface site.

Keepers’ Cottages and Telegraph Station: closed for refurbishment until at least 31 December 2026. Lookout, carpark and walking tracks remain open. Do not plan a cottage night on this site’s say-so. [VERIFY] live alerts.

Whales and the lookout finish

Peak southward migration is September to early December (females with calves). A broader April–November window is often cited in regional material. Those are windows, not a live sightings board. Boyds Tower and Green Cape lookout are the platforms. Stay on signed lookouts.

You can do both southern lookouts in one paid day if you skip walks. Adding The Pinnacles means crossing Eden — make it a second morning. Commercial Eden whale boats are optional, weather-cancelled, and not a park tour.

The lightstation is not a shop. The lookout is not a staffed refuge. Pack as if help is slow.

Transfers, cars, water and comms

Light to Light is one-way. You need a car shuffle or a commercial transfer. Navigate Expeditions publishes Light to Light transfers — this site is not affiliated. Confirm current service yourself. Official camping page: pay machine at Boyds Tower; cash may be needed at Green Cape Lighthouse carpark. Park entry is not included in the platform booking.

Official pages disagree on Green Cape drive kilometres. Park visitor-info: about 16 km south of Eden, 4 km Edrom, then about 8 km Green Cape Road to the park entrance (or 10 km along Edrom then Boyds Tower Road). Light to Light camping page: 18 / 6 / 21 km. Campground visitor-info pages use another mix. Follow signs and [VERIFY] the page for the destination you are driving to.

Treat all tank water. Carry at least 5 L on Light to Light. Official notes: tanks at Mowarry and Hegartys are small and not a reliable supply. Saltwater Creek and Bittangabee have more reliable tanks — still treat them. Limited reception throughout the park. Saltwater Creek: none at the campground. 000 needs a signal. Emergency+, NSW Parks app offline maps, trip intention, free PLB hire at Merimbula (47 Merimbula Drive, (02) 6495 5000).

Highlights at a glance

• Boyds Tower walking track — 0.8 km return, Grade 1, accessible boardwalk, toilets, seating
• Light to Light Walk — 32 km one-way, Grade 4, 2–3 days, Boyds Tower to Green Cape
• Green Cape Lightstation lookout and 7 km Grade 4 loop (skip in surge)
• Saltwater Creek and Bittangabee vehicle campgrounds (book official only)
• Mowarry and Hegartys hardwood platforms — Light to Light nights
• Peak whale window September–early December from the two southern lookouts

Walks nearby

Grades, times and open/closed status change — open each guide and verify on NSW National Parks before you go.

Itineraries that use this area

Map

Orientation only — confirm trailheads and road status before you drive.

FAQ — South of Eden