Cape Cleveland - Beaches, Boulders, and the Lighthouse
A challenging coastal bushwalk adventure from Cocoa Creek to Cape Cleveland Lighthouse near Townsville, with beaches, mangroves, rock scrambling, remote headlands, and sweeping views across Bowling Green Bay National Park.
Date: Sunday 13 September 2026
Leader: Wilfred Karnoll
Photos: Brent C
Participants: 10
Ten keen walkers met at Alligator Creek at 5:30 am on Sunday, 13 September 2026, ready for a long and challenging day along the remote coastline to Cape Cleveland. After carpooling to the Cocoa Creek area, we followed the rough 4WD track north until a small mangrove swamp brought the vehicles to a halt. From there, we continued on foot, following an old motorbike and quad-bike track towards Launs Beach.
Once on the coast, we followed the beach to the hut at White Rock Bay, where the terrain quickly became more demanding. With the tide close to full, wading around the rocky headlands wasn't an option. Instead, we scrambled high over the rocks, squeezed through gaps between large boulders, and carefully picked our way around the granite headlands.
After reaching Long Beach Bay, we stopped briefly, then enjoyed a much easier stretch of beach walking. At the far end of the bay, mangroves again forced us inland, requiring a detour through the bush behind the mangrove swamp. We then climbed over a ridgeline and dropped into Red Rock Bay before continuing along the coast.
Beyond the next bay, we picked up the old telegraph track. This provided a welcome change from the earlier scrambling and took us towards the bay at the base of Cape Cleveland.
From there, a short climb up the old concrete pathway finally brought us to the Cape Cleveland Lighthouse. After several hours of rough coastal travel, it was a well-earned stop for lunch and to enjoy the views across Cleveland Bay.
From the lighthouse and headland, we could see Four Foot Rock and Twenty Foot Rock offshore, and spot turtles feeding over the seagrass beds below. A few members also took the opportunity for a refreshing swim before the return journey.
The lighthouse precinct remains a remarkable historic location, although it was disappointing to see the Queensland Heritage Register-listed buildings continuing to deteriorate. Government departments are making no attempt to stop the deterioration of this wonderful natural and historic site. Combined with the remote coastline and sweeping ocean views, the site remains one of the more distinctive destinations around Cleveland Bay.
Fortunately, the return journey coincided with a low tide of approximately 0.7 m. This made a considerable difference. Instead of climbing over many of the rocky headlands encountered earlier in the day, we could skirt around their seaward edges.
We also found a distinct quad-bike track running inland along much of Long Beach Bay, avoiding the awkward bushwalking behind the mangroves that we had tackled on the outward journey.
Our only significant navigational hiccup came near Launs Beach, where an attempted shortcut ended at a mangrove-covered inlet. After backtracking, a mapping app helpfully showed a track through the swamp that didn't appear to exist on the ground. We eventually regained our original route and continued towards the vehicles.
After a very long day of beaches, rock scrambling, mangroves, bush tracks, and coastal scenery, everyone was pleased to see the cars again.
The trip also generated plans for next year's Cape Cleveland adventure. The idea is to return in August for the Club's annual whale-watching trip, this time walking in with the low tide and camping on the sandy beach below the Cape for one or two nights before walking out again on a suitable tide.
Thanks to Wilfred for leading another memorable Townsville Bushwalking Club adventure, and to everyone who joined.
Photos by Brent C.
