Cape Byron Headland Reserve 

The lighthouse is the centrepiece of the Cape Byron Headland Reserve, a 92ha strip of parkland that climbs the cape and straddles the coast to its north and south. There are three main routes through the reserve up to the lighthouse from town: the single-lane road and accompanying footpath; an exposed coastal walk from Wategos Beach that skirts the most easterly point, and a shaded track through bushland that’s filled with diverse plant life and birdsong.

Where the forest opens out to the sea on these trails there are many observation platforms and clearings where, especially in the winter months, you will find yourself involuntarily looking out for the migrating whales and dancing dolphins that swim close to shore. The headland is one of the finest whale-watching spots in the country because of the close proximity of a deep shelf offshore, its easterly situation, jutting out into the Pacific Ocean, and the height of the cliffs.

• The reserve is a national park run by a community-based trust that includes representation from the local Arakwal people, a sub-group of the Bundjalung nation. A management plan seeks to protect the remnant rainforest on the headland while maintaining high-level access for visitors on foot, by motor vehicle or in wheelchairs.

Car parking

The road up to the lighthouse is getting busier and parking fees are charged ($6 for cars, $3 for motorbikes) as well as at the nearby Cosy Corner and The Pass car parks ($3 for 4 hours). National Parks pass holders free.