28-12-2024

Gadget and meeeeeeee

The south coast of NSW is one of Kylie’s favourite places and I can easily see why. The colours of the dramatic coast line are mesmerising, the escarpments are grand and as a bonus the mountain biking is truly awesome.

With a bit of leave over Christmas I thought I’d be mad not to join her on a road trip.

One of our goals would be to squeeze in this popular multiday walk.

The Light to Light stretches between Boyds Tower and the Green Cape Light house in Beowa National Park, south of Eden. Being about 30km it’s doable in a day but most people do it over 3 days, making use of the offical camps sites at Saltwater Creek and Bittangabee bay (these are drive in campsites with showers and toilets so bookings are essential in peek times.)

We wanted to enjoy the beaches and scenery so decided to do it as a 2 day trip. As we had the mountain bikes we opted to forgo the pick up and drop off logistics (You can pay for a shuttle service at approx $120 per person) and made use of the bikes for the return journey.

Boyds Tower appears to be the usual start to the walk but looking at the topography of the forestry roads we figured it might be an easier ride North to South so we stashed the bikes in the bush near Boyds Tower and drove down to Green Cape to start the walk from there.

Along the way we did a side trip into Saltwater Camp to stash some extra water.

Part 1: Green Cape Light house to Bittangabee Bay

Full of beans and anticipation we set off at the crack of 10am in high spirits. It is a stunning bit of coast down here which is why I’m a bit baffled as to why this section of trail stubbornly avoids it.

TBH, this was my least favourite section of the walk. We could hear the ocean, we could occasionally see the ocean but without large side trips we couldn’t see the coast line.

We wander through tunnels of mallee scrub and across open plateau, it’s like the trail is trying to avoid any elevation loss or gain for the sake of it and at one stage I find myself thinking, I hope I haven’t driven 5hrs for 30km of this shit.

Coming from the other way I can’t help but think this would be a disappointing end to the walk and you’d only be doing it for the sake of doing it and getting to the Light House.

NPs are doing a lot of upgrade work on the trail so perhaps this is a temporary diversion but it doesn’t look temporary.

Luckily the plethora of goannas and bird life were a distraction from the flat boring trudge.

8kms in Bittangabee bay was a welcome site.

Part 2: Bittangabee bay to Hegarty’s bay

NP were doing upgrade works to the trail around the headland so we were diverted in through the camp. It was packed. A sign near the toilet block directed us back on to the trail on the other side but, confusingly a few hundred meters along we came to a barricade and signage preventing people from accessing that section from the other direction.

From here the trail does a wide arc around Bittangabee with view after view of the stunning bay.

Beautiful from any angle.

We are now following the coast line with just the occasional diversion inland.

If Bittangabee bay was stunning, and it was, Hegartys bay is beyond words

Once a publicised walk in camp it’s now officially closed for camping. Again NPs were doing work on the trail here, this time though we are diverted down on to the rockshelf. This was one of my favourite parts of the walk and it seems nuts they would divert the walk around some of it.

Oh, did I mention the colours?

Part 3: Hegartys bay to Saltwater Creek

And we stroll into Saltwater creek around 4pm. Again despite the drive in camp being packed the beach was all but empty.

Kylie was getting blisters on her toes so we stop to tape them up while we refill our water bottles.

TBH we’d overestimated how much water we would need. Not knowing if it was going to be baking hot or how much the salt water spray would take out of us we’d packed 3 litres each. I have well over half left when we got to the drop.

We recalculate how much we’d need for the rest of the walk and push on.

Part 4: Saltwater creek to Mowarry beach.

Once again we follow gorgeous coastline where the colours seem too vivid to be real

And continue down to the beach, which the kangaroos also had to themselves.

We are surprised to find a camp spot right next to the beach so take advantage of it.

With some little side trips for swims and views we’d done about 28 or 29km today. For some weird reason flatter walks knock me around more than our usual scampering up and down canyons so I was feeling it. Kylie has sprained her ankle the week before and was suffering a head cold so was just as happy as me to have one more swim to wash off the grime of the day and set up camp.

Unbeknownst to us the offical camp spot is up above the beach on the next headland. A tribe of partiers descended in the middle of the night for a mini bush doof which was hilarious but a spattering of rain had them running for their beds not too late into the night.

Part 5: Mowarry beach to Boyds Tower.

With just 7 or 8km of walking left we could have had a lazy morning but we were also keen to get the 30km ride back to the cars knocked over before the day got too hot so we were up early for a brekkie with a view then hit the trail

Up over the headland it was a short walk to leatherjacket bay. Leatherjacket bay must be the easiest to reach drive in secluded spot. It was littered with fast food rubbish and toilet paper. Why people would do that to such a beautiful spot is beyond me.

And up the next rise we catch our first glimpse of Boyds Tower

But the walk wasn’t done yet.

Boyds Tower is an unfinished light house created by Ben Boyd. a character once respected for his early settlement down here but recently being cancelled due to him being one of Australia’s most infamous “Blackbirders”

Blackbirders imported cheap labour. Boyd had “recruited” labour from various pacific islands and shipped them to Australia. By the time he got them to Australia though the union movement, religious groups and city based politicians saw it for what it was, low key slavery, and basically outlawed the practice.

Those already at work on Boyds lands down tools and demanded to be sent home.

Find your own way home said Boyd. Many of those brought out found themselves stranded in Sydney with no way to get home…..

All that said his biographer claims he was considerably less racist and cruel than many of the politicians who had publicly condemned him.

Anyhoo, We reach the tower and the end of our walk. We woof down some food, swap backpacks for bikes and ride through the centre of the park, down Duckhole road back to the car.

It’s 30km on what my mate Bernard would refer to “gently undulating” dirt roads. At times the bull dust is so soft it feel’s like you are riding with flat tyres and there’s a few pinches to make sure the legs are still burning but it’s not a bad ride.

Kylie’s fairly new to mountain biking and injury has kept her off the bike for a bit so when we reach the junction with Green Cape light house road I offer to forge ahead and bring the car back to pick her up where ever she gets to.

There’s some fun and fast down hill sections here but also a couple of steepish pinches. It’s the stiff ocean breeze smacking you in the face in the last 2km that hurts the legs the most though.

I get to the car, quickly get changed and drive back up the road, Kylie’s not that far behind. It’s only a couple of kilometres to the end, isn’t it. asks she

Yep, says I. You want to finish it off don’t you?

She grins and pedals on…

All up 36+Km of walking and 30Km ride in 2 days. Not a bad effort.

Our review.

The Grade:

National Parks grade the walk a 4. “Grade 4: Bushwalking experience recommended. Tracks may be long, rough and very steep. Directional signage may be limited.”

Other than the length and a few short sections where you need to pick your way along the beach or over rocky outcrops I’m not sure how it’s 4. it’s fairly flat. I guess the recent upgrades have included adding stairs to any of the steeper sections so maybe before the upgrades….

Would I recommend it?

Sure. it’s definitely worth doing. The views are amazeballs

If your idea of bushwalking is well maintained and sign posted touristy type trails and you want to try something a bit longer or want to try your first overnight walk with the advantage of maintained camp sites this would be perfect.

Would I do it again?

TBH. I wouldn’t bother with the bit between Bittangabee bay and Green Cape Lighthouse again unless I was adding more time and doing side trips out to things like Pulpit rock and checking out the little bays.

The rest of it? Yeah probably. At least in parts.

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