Cape Wickham is the northernmost point of King Island with the most visited tourist attraction on the entire island.

In the middle of the grassy plains below the sand dunes stands the tallest lighthouse in Australia.

What is the height of the lighthouse?

Cape Wickham Lighthouse is 48 metres tall and was constructed in 1861. The lighthouse is built of stone and painted white. It has been minimally modified since it was built.

Only the light has been altered, and it is now fully automated with a power output of 1,000 watts and a range of 24 nautical miles.

Cape Wickham is the tallest lighthouse in Australia, although it is not the most visited due to its remoteness. The more famous Cape Otway Lighthouse can be found on the Great Ocean Road, which, like King Island, is most easily visited from Melbourne.

The lighthouse is sometimes incorrectly described as the tallest in the southern hemisphere, but there are actually several taller lighthouses in Indonesia and Argentina, for example.

Visiting the lighthouse

Cape Wickham is still an active lighthouse and its interior is not open to the public.

However, from the nearby dunes there are beautiful views of the entire structure and the ocean in the background.

Cape Wickham

How to get there

The main island road leads to the lighthouse, which is paved almost to the headland. Only the last 500 metres or so are unpaved, but any type of car will take you comfortably to the lighthouse.