Cape Bruny Lighthouse
South Bruny Island
Directions - Located on the south west corner of South Bruny Island, the Cape Bruny Lighthouse is found at the end of Lighthouse Road. From The Neck, take Bruny Island Main Road to the end, turning right onto Lighthouse Road. Follow this all the way to the end where you will find a small car park in front of a few buildings. The walk starts at the end of the car park.
The Walk - Cape Bruny Lighthouse is another iconic site on Bruny Island and along with being a piece of the island's history, is a really pretty location. Found on the south east corner of Bruny Island, it's a bit of a drive to get there but certainly worth the visit. Having spent the morning hiking the nearby Labillardiere Peninsula Circuit, it made sense to visit the Cape Bruny Lighthouse while I was in the area. Hoping to visit while the weather was still good, it was a short drive from the Jetty Beach Campground to the Cape Bruny Lighthouse but when I arrived, it was super busy.
Parking up in the only space that would accept my hire car, it was a bit of walk from along the road as I watched a series of cars crawling along trying to find a spare car park. With great views over Lighthouse Bay and the beach below, this wasn't a bad extension to my visit. There are a series of buildings located near the car park, with only the museum open to the public. Deciding to visit on the way back, I found the path leading up to the lighthouse and dodged the people near the car park that all seem to have no sense of spacial awareness. The lighthouse is visible from the car park and is a short climb up the paved trail. There is a tunnel of vegetation that provided some cool wildflower finds including Slender Honey-myrtle and the invasive Common Centaury. Looking back from the top of the tunnel, there are great views over Lighthouse Bay and the hills of South Bruny Island. The lighthouse is a short walk up the hill and this impressive structure is the only lighthouse in Tasmania that offers tours (see this website for booking information).
Built in 1836 as a response to several shipwrecks in the area, it was electrified in 1959, finally being retired in 1996 and replaced with a nearby solar powered lighting system. Being right on top of the hill, you get some stunning views overlooking Cape Bruny, Courts Bay, Courts Island and the sweeping views across to the mainland. Being this far south, it wasn't that far away from the end of the South Coast Track that I'd finished a few days ago. There were plenty of people around either having a look around or on one of the tours, so I was never going to get a clear shot. That didn't matter as people provide a good scale for the 114m tall structure and there was plenty more to photograph than the lighthouse. With plenty of scenic shots on the memory card, I headed back down the hill and wandered around the museum that houses a collection of photos and old equipment, along with information about the history of the lighthouse and keepers. With an enjoyable visit under my belt, I headed back to the car and had a restful afternoon at my accommodation.
Final Thoughts – Like The Neck and Truganini Lookout, the Cape Bruny Lighthouse is a popular tourist spot that showcases the stunning scenery of Bruny Island, along with the history.
There's something enjoyable about visiting an old lighthouse and imagining the life of a lighthouse keeper and their family in much simpler times when modern conveniences weren't around.
It may be a bit of a drive to get here but it's worth it, more so if you book in a tour.
Get out there and experience it!
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