Light to Light Walk: update May 2024

Have your say

From Friday 24 May to Friday 5 July 2024 the draft amendment to the Ben Boyd National Park and Bell Bird Creek Nature Reserve plan of management will be available for feedback.

In 2021 the plan of management was initially amended to include the Light to Light Walk as a new and iconic walking experience, including the provision of supporting facilities such as accommodation. The 2021 amendment identified that:

• New accommodation facilities will be constructed at Mowarry Point and Hegartys Bay and may be constructed at Green Cape to support Light to Light walkers.
• Accommodation facilities at Mowarry Point may include walkers' huts and other hard-roofed and/or tented accommodation and a low-key, walk-in public camping area with basic facilities.
• Accommodation facilities at Hegartys Bay may include walkers' huts and other hard-roofed and/or tented accommodation. If Hegartys Bay proves unviable, walkers' huts and other hard-roofed and/or tented accommodation may be built at Bittangabee Bay, or its surrounds, instead.

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service has maintained its dialogue with key stakeholders to inform delivery of the project and establishment of the new multi-day walking experience. As an outcome of this consultation, we propose that a walk-in camping area be provided at Hegartys Bay, with Mowarry Point and Bittangabee Bay identified as the location for future walker's hut accommodation. This outcome requires a minor update to the current plan of management to include establishment of the camping area at Hegartys Bay, which will include 10 camp platforms and a remote toilet.

The draft amendment also:

• incorporates the new name of Beowa National Park, meaning 'Orca' in Thaua language, into the plan of management following the park renaming in 2022
• identifies that, after consultation with traditional owner groups, the area currently referred to in the plan of management as North Head will be amended to 'Worange Point' to be consistent with the Geographical Names Board naming of this area. (Note: the current spelling with the Geographical Names Board is being updated from Worang to Worange).

You can view the draft amendment and provide feedback by Friday 5 July 2024 at: Draft amendment to the Ben Boyd National Park and Bell Bird Creek Nature Reserve plan of management: public consultation.

Walking track and car park progress

Boyds Tower to Saltwater Creek Beach

Work is now complete and opened on 19 February 2024.

Saltwater Creek Beach to Bittangabee Bay

Closed 19 February until July 2024 for track upgrades.

Pulpit Rock to Green Cape

Construction underway until July 2024 on the new track alignment.

Track closures

You can view details of upcoming and active closures at Alerts for NSW National Parks.

Green Cape car park

Construction of the car park commenced 12 February, with work to the car park, landscaping and seating now complete. Upgrades included:

• car park improvements and expansion to provides 28 car spaces
• enlargement of the parking area and turning circle to accommodate small buses
• a new visitor shelter
• stone retaining walls, stone steps and new pathways improving accessibility and separation of pedestrians and vehicles.

Work to the campground and facilities is now complete.

The campground has:

• 10 hardwood camp platforms and 4 camping pads
• a double-stall skillion toilet block with rainwater tank
• a natural ground group camping area to accommodate up to 12 x 2-man tents for use by education groups.

The campground is a key overnight location for people doing part or all the Light to Light Walk experience. To manage numbers we will open the camping area and introduce bookings for the site when the Light to Light multi-day walk experience is launched. Bookings will be available for the 4 camping pads from July 2024.

Next stages of delivery

Interpretive and wayfinding signage continues to be developed, in consultation with key stakeholders for the Boyds Tower precinct and the Light to Light Walk.

We continue working with our contractor and commercial tour operators to provide visitor access to as much of the Light to Light Walk experience as possible, where it is safe and practical to do so. Visitors should check the National Parks and Wildlife Service website for the latest closures.

We expect to be able to open the Light to Light track linking Boyds Tower to Green Cape from August 2024. However, if the project team experience poor weather conditions, this date could be delayed.

Subject to approval of the plan of management amendment (likely to be a couple of months), the project team will be able to schedule the Hegartys Bay campground works and update the timeframe for the commencement of the complete new multi-day walk experience.