You’ll come across this domed 1910 structure at around the half-way point on the Manly to Spit coast walk, surrounded by a quaint picket fence on a rocky headland near Dobroyd Head. Along with its sister light at Parriwi Head – which is exactly one nautical mile away – and their cousins, the Vaucluse Bay Range Front and Rear Lights, the Grotto Point beacon was constructed in a style that earned it the nickname ‘Disney Castle’. You can wander up to the smooth walls and rest awhile, keeping an eye out for sea birds like cormorants and white-breasted sea eagles.
Getting there from the CBD: If you’d like the challenge of the 10k walk, take the ferry from Circular Quay to Manly and stop in for a pack lunch at the lighthouse on your hike to Spit Bridge. Otherwise, you’ll want to stick to the roads for the half-hour drive (buses are a challenge).
