Cape Otway Lightstation
1140 Lighthouse Road, Cape Otway, Victoria, 3233
Mainland Australia’s oldest surviving lighthouse, the Cape Otway Lightstation perches high on a cliff above the Bass Strait. A Great Ocean Road landmark, it offers spectacular views, including whale watching in season. Travelers can delve into history at the telegraph station and a World War II radar bunker or stay in heritage cottages on site.
The basics
Almost everyone visits the Cape Otway Lightstation as part of a Great Ocean Road adventure, be it self-guided or a tour. It’s most commonly seen on 2-day or 3-day tours, which allow you more time to soak up the charms of the Shipwreck Coast than on day trips.
There’s a significant charge for tickets, which you buy on arrival, with discounts for children and families. These let you explore the 200-acre (80-hectare) heritage precinct and enjoy history talks. Due to a recent earthquake, climbing the 78 steps to the lighthouse is impossible.
Things to know before you go
The Cape Otway Lightstation is excellent for photographers, families, and history buffs.
There’s a café, gift shop, and bathrooms on site.
Allow 30 minutes to 2 hours to explore the Cape Otway Lightstation.
Rugged terrain and unconverted heritage buildings make this a challenging destination for travelers with mobility issues.
How to get there
The Cape Otway Lightstation sits off the Great Ocean Road, about 140 miles (225 kilometers) southwest of Melbourne and about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of the Twelve Apostles. There’s no public transit, so you should self-drive or join a tour.
When to get there
May through October is the whale-watching season at Cape Otway, with 25 species of whales to spot if your luck is in, including Southern right whales, humpback whales, and orcas, but the heritage precinct is worth a visit at any time of year. It’s open 9:30am–5pm daily, with the last entry at 4:30pm, and closes on Christmas Day and for occasional special events.
Cape Otway Lighthouse Station history
Built in 1848 after hundreds died along the Shipwreck Coast, Cape Otway Lighthouse Station has a fascinating history—not least because it was many migrants’ first sight of land in Australia. In 1859, a telegraph station was founded to help Victoria communicate with Tasmania; it once housed operators and their families. During World War II, a radar station let air force personnel hunt for enemy airplanes, submarines, and ships.
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