If you ask me, Round The Twist is partly to thank for a generation of lighthouse enthusiasts. But even if you’ve never seen the show (a children’s comedy show following the adventures of a family who live in a lighthouse on the Victorian coast), it’s hard to deny the appeal of these magical coastal towers.
Perched along the coastline, lighthouses were introduced to warn ships of dangerous reefs or rocky coastlines, and while many of them are no longer operational, their significance is still felt in the beautiful silhouettes they cut into the sky along our clifftops.
Sydney itself is home to seven main lighthouses, but if you’re up for a day trip, there’s a particularly special one in a stunning reserve on the Central Coast – here’s everything you need to know about Norah Head Lighthouse.
Where is Norah Head Lighthouse
Norah Head Lighthouse is at the tip of the Norah Head peninsula on the Central Coast, around an hour and a half outside of Sydney’s CBD, close to the small town of Toukley.
How to get to Norah Head Lighthouse
Getting there from Sydney, the drive takes around an hour and forty minutes. Take the M1 north out of the city, then turn off onto the A43 and A49 to Noraville. Signs from Noraville will lead you to the lighthouse, which sits at the end of a beautiful, bush-shrouded peninsula.
Is Norah Head Lighthouse a working lighthouse?
Norah Head Lighthouse is one of 13 lighthouses still operational along the NSW coast. From the grassy reserve surrounding the lighthouse, you can watch the beautiful crystalline lantern rotating at the top of the 27-metre tower. Want to explore? A team of volunteers run tours throughout the day – tours cost just $10, and you'll get the chance to climb the stairs right to the top of the tower, and learn all about the history and science of the lighthouse.
What is Norah Head Lighthouse near?
Norah Head is a coastal peninsula on the Central Coast, just over an hour north of Sydney, close to the small seaside town of Toukley. The coastline is a registered National Surfing Reserve, and to the west you’ll find the beautiful, vast Tuggerah Lake – a favourite spot for fishing, boating and other watersports.
Can you stay the night at Norah Head Lighthouse?
Absolutely. The lighthouse keepers’ cottages, just steps from the lighthouse itself, can be booked for a night or longer. Read more about what a stay at Norah Head lighthouse is like over here.
Want more lighthouse action? These are the other lighthouse keeper's cottages you can book around NSW.
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