Lighthouse and Cottages high on the Headland.
Are you a lover of lighthouses? They’ve never been on my “must do” list but that has changed after spending time at three of these amazing structures on a recent road trip.
Parking our caravan at Shelley Beach, Central Coast of New South Wales, we drove to Norah Head Lighthouse (15 minutes away) that sits on a headland high above the Pacific Ocean.
Balcony with a view.
Table of Contents
Daily Tours of the Lighthouse
Now this beauty (built in 1903) sits on the headland at Central Coast, New South Wales and offers daily tours from 10 am until 1 pm.
As luck would have it, the parking lot is right next to the lighthouse so there isn’t any steep hill to climb – bargain!
Volunteers, who are a wealth of knowledge, give the daily tours and for half an hour (or longer) you will learn about:
- what a day in a lighthouse keeper involved
- how the light was operated in days gone by
- the history from 1903
- information on all the tragic shipwrecks in the area, and
- lots of funny stories along the way!
Garry – our volunteer tour guide.
We climbed 96 narrow steps to the top, all the time holding onto the railing for grim death, then enjoyed 360-degree views from the tower.
You’ll hear about the original light as it compares with the one used today. Frankly I don’t think I’d be keen on cleaning the 700 lenses of the prism, or polishing the curly handrail, that goes to the top from the ground, on a daily basis. Yes, that was one of the Lighthouse Keeper’s chores!
You want me to what? Clean all of them!
Tour Cost
- Tours operate between 10am and 1 pm
- Cost is $6 per person.
Accommodation at the Lighthouse
To fully enjoy the views and surroundings why not take a huge step back in time and stay for a while? The three fully self-contained heritage listed cottages next to the lighthouse are available to rent. Imagine the breathtaking ocean views waiting for you each morning! (NB – take a beanie for when you venture outside).
Take your pick of the Lighthouse Keepers’ cottages!
Maybe get married?
Lighthouse weddings are in demand. Book one of the entire wedding package on offer – this will reduce the stress of arrangements, except maybe a windswept hairdo. A wonderful idea, but I’d go for a dress only and no veil!
All set for a wedding.
Whale Watching
Just a Humpback taking his time heading back south.
From May to November you can watch out for the Blue Whales, Humpbacks and Southern Rights from the balcony of the lighthouse. We were captivated watching a Humpback slowly making it’s way back down the coast to the colder southern waters. Although he didn’t breach or leap out of the water, he certainly came out a long way every few minutes to show us how big he was!
And…now and again Fairy Penguins pop in for a visit!
Bucket List
My bucket list has grown because spending two nights in a Lightkeeper’s Cottage has been added!
Trivia – Did you Know…
That Lighthouse Keepers had to be male, married and short! Why you ask – well….
- Men (back then) were considered far stronger than women
- Married men were more stable
- They had to be short because of the low head room!
Treacherous rocks for unsuspecting ships.
Lighthouse location
40 Bush Street, Norah Head, NSW
Rather than long winded instructions, the easiest way is to put the address into the Google Maps app on your phone and follow the directions.
How about you – are you going to experience a lighthouse life for a day soon?
Life Ring used many times over the years.
Being short for a light keeper, not true, lol my husband was Head Lightkeeper at Norah Head for eight years and he is 6ft2” . You just had to know how to duck. He was a keeper for 20 years.. but you did have to be married, and the women went thru a very rigorous interview before the men were hired.
Wow, what an interesting life that would have been. I bet he learned to duck very quickly! Thank you so much for your comment. 🙂