Whale Watching at Fingal Head and Giant's Causeway

Fingal Head Lighthouse.  After the Cape Byron Lighthouse, it looks positively tiny.

Cook Island

Just south of Tweed Heads, at the border of New South Wales and Queensland, is Fingal Head. There are some really awesome basalt columns there called the Giant's Causeway, named after the famous rock formations in Ireland,  The Giant's Causeway in New South Wales is undoubtedly less impressive than its namesake, but it was really awesome nonetheless.

We didn't think the whale watching could get any better after Woolgoolga: but Fingal Head turned out to be the highlight of whale watching on our trip.  Three humpback whales, breaching over and over and over again.  It was fantastic.

Screwpine along the shore.

Looking to the south

Whale watching

There were two fishermen out on the rocks

Tweed Heads in the distance to the north

Columnar basalt

Whale watchers

Cook Island, surrounded by seagulls.

Cape Byron Light

Cape Byron Light, built in 1900-1901.

The whole area of Cape Byron is a popular whale watching spot during
migration seasons.  The rest of the year, it's an overlook with fantastic views.

The clock mechanism that used to turn the lens is inside this
central shaft.  It was was replaced by an electric motor in 1956.

Climbing the stairs up to see the lens

The view from the top

Looking south down the coast over the visitors parking area.

The city of Byron Bay, southwest from the lighthouse.

Looking north to Queensland

In the bay is the Julian Rocks Nguthungulli Nature Reserve. There is an
Aboriginal legend regarding the rocks, of star-crossed lovers and a sunken canoe.

Originally a kerosene burner and later a halogen lamp, it was just recently
changed to an LED light within the past year.

The original Fresnel lens is two meters in diameter, weighs 8 tonnes, and is
made up of 760 pieces of polished prismatic glass.  It floats on top of a bed
of mercury to prevent friction as it rotates.

Heading down again down the slate stairs.

Apparently the Southern Cross University's Whale Research Centre is located
at Cape Byron: it may well be one of the buildings near the parking lot.

We were lucky enough to see two manta rays skirting the
reef from the top of the cliff: although they looked
a bit like moving shadows.

It was a pretty windy day. Unfortunately, someone lost their hat on the
hillside and they were trying to retrieve it with a fishing pole.

The lighthouse from the Cape Byron walking track

The lens is almost better viewed from outside.  It is the only
lens of this type in Australia.

A lone fisherman out on the rocks

Port Macquarie Lighthouse

Views from the Port Macquarie Lighthouse, looking south over Lighthouse Beach.

From wikipedia:

Tacking Point Lighthouse is Australia's third oldest lighthouse. It was built on a rocky headland about 8 kilometres south of Port Macquarie in 1879 by Shepherd and Mortley, to a design by the New South Wales Colonial Architect, James Barnet. It is operated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and is classified by the National Trust of Australia (NSW).

Tacking Point was named by explorer Matthew Flinders in 1802 during his 1802–1803 circumnavigation of Australia. Its nearest lighthouses are Smoky Cape Lighthouse at South West Rocks, to the north, and Crowdy Head Light, to the south.