Palm Beach and Barrenjoey Lighthouse

Palm Beach occupies the tip of the peninsula where Pittwater meets the Pacific, an hour and a half from the city by bus and a world away in feel: a wide surf beach on one side, calm estuary water on the other, and expensive houses climbing the hills between them. At the northern end, a tombolo of sand joins the mainland to Barrenjoey Headland, and a steep track climbs about a hundred metres to the sandstone lighthouse built in 1881, with views over Broken Bay, the Central Coast and the ocean. The beach has appeared for decades as the fictional Summer Bay in a long-running television series, which brings a steady trickle of visitors looking for it.

What you actually see

• Barrenjoey Lighthouse - the 1881 sandstone tower at the headland summit.
• The headland view - Pittwater, Broken Bay and the open ocean from the top.
• The double coastline - surf on one side, calm estuary on the other.
• The tombolo - the sand isthmus linking headland to mainland.

When to go

September to May for beach weather; the headland climb is best early in the day before the heat. Sunday is when lighthouse tours usually run. Whales pass offshore from May to November and are often visible from the summit.

Honest expectations

The climb is short but steep and exposed, taking around thirty minutes, and there is no shade or water on the track. Parking at the northern end fills early on weekends. Public transport from the city takes well over an hour each way.

Nearby

Pittwater and Ku-ring-gai Chase lie west across the water; Avalon and Whale Beach are just south.