Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse
Climb to the top of Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse for breathtaking views of the Geographe Bay coastline.
Climb to the top of Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse for breathtaking views of the Geographe Bay coastline.
Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park, 1267 Cape Naturaliste Rd, Naturaliste WA 6281
Fully-guided | 30 minutes
Guided Tour Tickets
Adult (Age 17+)
$18
Senior (65+)
$16
Child (Age 4 - 16)
$10
Child (Age 0 - 3)
Free
Opening Hours
Monday - Sunday
9:00am - 5:00pm
Last entry: 4:30pm
School & Public Holidays
Open 7 Days
Closed Christmas Day
Tours Depart
Every 30 minutes
Hear the fascinating stories of shipwrecks, maritime history, and the lightkeepers who lived and worked here.
Experience sweeping coastal views from one of the region’s most spectacular vantage points. Climb just 59 easy steps to the tower balcony while discovering how the lighthouse has protected ships for generations.
What can I expect?
Join a fully-guided tour of Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse and discover how this working lighthouse has protected ships along the coast for more than 120 years. Along the way, your guide will share stories of shipwrecks, maritime history, and what daily life was like for the lightkeepers who once lived here.
Walk through the iconic red door and climb just 59 steps to the tower balcony, where you’ll be rewarded with breathtaking panoramic views of the Indian Ocean, Geographe Bay, and Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park. Between September and November, this is one of the best spots in the Margaret River Region to watch whales breaching close to shore during their southern migration.
An accessible observation platform at the base of the lighthouse also offers sweeping ocean views and excellent photo opportunities.
The Lightkeepers’ Museum
Before or after your tower climb, head to Lightkeepers’ museum, housed inside one of the original lighthouse keepers’ cottages. Here, you can read about the daily lives of the men, women and children who once called this remote cape home. Interactive displays encourage you to step back in time, and historic artefacts reveal what it took to live and work in this beautiful but isolated corner of the world.
- Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse is a comfortable climb. There are just 59 steps to the top, your guide will pause along the way to tell you facts and stories.
- If you’d like to learn more about the site accessibility, see the Access Guide for Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse.
Passes to explore the lighthouse grounds and visit the Lightkeepers’ Museum are available for purchase on arrival to Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse. As a not-for-profit, we reinvest proceeds from every visit to restore, conserve, and protect this iconic heritage precinct for future generations.
Adult: $6.00
Seniors: $5:00
Child (4 – 16yrs): $3.00
All lighthouse tours include free access to the museum and grounds.
- For school groups, find out more on our education page
- For trade inquiries, contact us for more information.
Amenities:
No Cafe
Gift Shop
Toilets
Access:
Wheelchair
Pram
Can I bring:
Camera
Caravan
No Dogs
No Drones
Suitable for:
Kids
Seniors
About Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse
A network of walk trails weaves through the coastal bushland of Cape Naturaliste, offering sweeping views of the ocean, glimpses of the historic lighthouse, and the chance to spot the local wildlife.
Built in 1903, Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse played a crucial role in improving maritime safety along the rugged south-west coast of Western Australia. Constructed over a ten-month period at a cost of £4,800, its establishment was part of a broader infrastructure boom enabled by the prosperity of the 1890s gold rush.
Before the lighthouse was erected, mariners navigating Geographe Bay relied on a simple marker known as “The Tub” — a barrel perched on a 30-foot pole in Busselton — to guide them to shore.
Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse was Australia’s last manned lighthouse, with its final lighthouse keeper departing in 1996. Today, it continues to serve as an essential navigational aid, operated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).
The cape was named in 1801 by French explorer Nicolas Baudin, who led an ambitious scientific expedition to chart the unknown coastlines of New Holland (now Australia). Commanding two vessels — Le Géographe and Le Naturaliste — Baudin’s voyage contributed significantly to early European mapping and understanding of Australia’s southern coast. Geographe Bay and Cape Naturaliste were both named in honour of his ships, cementing his legacy in the region.
