Cape Bruny Lighthouse on Bruny Island

Cape Bruny Lighthouse was built in 1836 on the dolerite cliffs of South Bruny, and it is the only lighthouse in southern Tasmania you can climb. The grounds are free to walk with a parks pass; the tower needs a guided tour. Here is how to see it, and which Bruny Island day tours go inside.

Built in 1836, lit in 1838

Governor George Arthur ordered the lighthouse after a series of shipwrecks off the south coast. When it was first lit in 1838, it was the third lighthouse in Tasmania and the fourth in Australia. The Parks and Wildlife Service calls it the second-oldest lighthouse in the country.

The original lantern had fifteen lamps, each burning 600 ml of sperm-whale oil an hour. The keepers rewound a clockwork mechanism every eight hours to keep the light's pattern. Cape Bruny Lighthouse Tours credits the design to the architect John Lee Archer.

The grounds and the museum

The tower is 13 metres tall, but it stands 114 metres above the sea on the cliff. A steep path climbs from the car park to its base, and the view runs out over the Southern Ocean.

Grounds:

Open at any time, the Parks and Wildlife Service says

Cars:

Can drive in from 9:30am to 4:30pm; walk in outside those hours

Museum:

The Lightstation Museum, a small building by the car park, holds maritime objects

Also here:

A track to the beach passes a grave thought to hold two children, from 1875 and 1898, and an old dry stone wall

Facilities:

Parking, toilets and a short walk

Climbing the tower: only on a guided tour

To climb the cast-iron spiral stairs and walk out onto the balcony, you must join a guided tour. Cape Bruny Lighthouse Tours runs them through the day, and sunset tours can be arranged on request. The guides tell the stories of the shipwrecks, the convicts who built it and the keepers who lived here.

The tours were developed by Craig Parsey, who lived at the light station as a child in the 1970s. It is part of Bruny Island Safaris, which is why only that operator's day tours include the climb. Book a lighthouse tour ahead if you drive yourself: bookings are essential. Its published prices have expired, so check the current fare when you book.

Which tours climb it, and which stop at the grounds

Most day tours reach the island's south, but only a few go this far, and only one kind goes up the tower. This table shows what you get at the lighthouse on each.

If the climb is the point, you want the Bruny Island Safaris food day, with a 30-minute guided tour, the museum visit and the parks pass all in the fare. The Tassie Tours days give you the grounds and the view, not the stairs.

The parks pass

The lighthouse has been part of South Bruny National Park since December 2000, so you need a parks pass to visit, and Cape Bruny Lighthouse Tours asks for one to join a tour. A daily pass is $49.15 per vehicle or $24.55 per person, in Australian dollars. The operator suggests a Holiday Pass if you plan to visit other parks in Tasmania.

The fees and the other passes are on the visitor guide.

Getting there yourself

Cape Bruny is at the far south-west of the island. The Parks and Wildlife Service puts it at 1 hour 15 minutes from the ferry at Roberts Point:

1. Drive south on Bruny Island Main Road. Cross The Neck and carry on through Alonnah.
2. Turn right at the T-junction in Lunawanna. Take Lighthouse Road (C629).
3. Follow it for 20 km to the car park. Then walk up the steep path to the tower.

Part of the way is gravel, and the drive back ends near dusk if you stay late. Read the roads and wildlife guide before you set off.

With children

The grounds have unprotected cliff edges, and the Parks and Wildlife Service asks you to supervise children closely. On the Bruny Island Safaris days, children under 5 cannot climb the stairs. The path up from the car park is steep, so allow time for small legs.

Questions about the lighthouse

Where these facts come from

The history, the grounds, the hours and the route are the Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania's own, from its lighthouse page last updated on 2 September 2026 and checked 21 September 2026. The tour business, its founder and the architect are Cape Bruny Lighthouse Tours' own. Which tours climb it is from each operator's own description.

• Cape Bruny Lighthouse (Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania)
• Cape Bruny Lighthouse Tours
• Park passes and entry fees (Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania)
• South Bruny National Park (Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania)

Days that climb the tower, or stop at its grounds

All Inclusive Bruny Island Day Tour Plus Guided Lighthouse Tour

Morning tea on the beach, lunch over the water and three tastings, plus a guided climb inside the lighthouse. The ferry and national park entry are in the fare, and only drinks with meals cost extra. Leaves central Hobart at 7am.

From $203 per person

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Hobart: All-Inclusive Private Bruny Island Discovery Tour

A private day for your own group, from two people, with breakfast, a vineyard lunch, the ferry and park fees in the fare. The afternoon is your choice, and the lighthouse tour is one of the options.

From $720 per person

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SHORE EXCURSION - Full-Day Guided Bruny Island Tour from Hobart

Collects you at the Hobart cruise terminal for lookouts, a beach, a rainforest walk and the lighthouse grounds, with an eye out for the pale wallabies. Food is at your own cost; ask at booking whether you need your own pass for the park.

From $130 per person

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