Leather Jacket Bay is a rocky and wonderful bay. The walk through Ben Boyd National Park starts at Boyds Tower car park and passes through Red Sands bay with its stunning contrast of colour. The walk not only passes some beautiful coast line to Leather Jacket Bay but some superb examples of geological processes with rock folding and banding. There is a small clearing at Leather Jacket bay with some shade, making it a nice place for lunch before heading back. Let us begin by acknowledging the Yuin people, Traditional Custodians of the land on which we travel today, and pay our respects to their Elders past and present.
Information sign in Boyd Tower car park. | Photo by admin, 2009.Coast Walk at Boyd Tower car park. | Photo by admin, 2009.Information sign near Boyd Tower car park. | Photo by admin, 2009.Track off to the left with water views. | Photo by admin, 2009.Views from side track. | Photo by admin, 2009.One of many track markers bolted to a tree. | Photo by admin, 2009.Leaf litter beside track. | Photo by admin, 2009.A common sight broken branches. | Photo by admin, 2009.Boyd Tower in the distance. | Photo by admin, 2009.Birds sunning on island. | Photo by admin, 2009.Leaf scribble. | Photo by admin, 2009.Track marker through the trees. | Photo by admin, 2009.Arrow marker north end of red sands bay. | Photo by admin, 2009.Red sands bay. | Photo by admin, 2009.Red rock in the bay. | Photo by admin, 2009.Arrow marker in red sands bay. | Photo by admin, 2009.Arrow marker above red rock bay. | Photo by admin, 2009.Oil drum washed up in bay. | Photo by admin, 2009.Stairs south from red sands bay. | Photo by admin, 2009.Looking up the coast north Boyd Tower. | Photo by admin, 2009.Service trail between red sands bay and Leather Jacket Bay. | Photo by admin, 2009.Large ant north of Leather Jacket Bay. | Photo by admin, 2009.View from Light to Light walk. | Photo by admin, 2009.Acacia leafs. | Photo by admin, 2009.Arrow marker on service trail. | Photo by admin, 2009.Arrow marker down bushtrack north of Leather Jacket Bay. | Photo by admin, 2009.Leather Jacket Bay. | Photo by admin, 2009.Creek through Leather Jacket Bay. | Photo by admin, 2009.Signpost in Leather Jacket Bay. | Photo by admin, 2009.Clearing behind Leather Jacket Bay. | Photo by admin, 2009.
Before you start any bushwalk ensure you;
• Tell someone you trust where you are going and what to do if you are overdue
• Have adequate equipment, supplies, skills & knowledge for the whole journey
• Consider the impact of weather forecasts, park/track closures & fire dangers
• Can respond to emergencies & call for help at any point
• Are healthy and fit enough for this journey
If not, change plans and stay safe. It is okay to delay and ask people for help.
Car (A park entry fee is required for driving into the park.)
Directions
From Princes Highway, A1
Turn on to Princes Highway, A1 then drive for 1.3 km
At roundabout, take exit 2 onto Princes Highway, A1 and drive for another 27.3 km
Turn right onto Princes Highway, A1 and drive for another 6.7 km
At roundabout, take exit 2 onto Quondolo Street, A1 and drive for another 245 m
Turn slight right onto Bullara Street, A1 and drive for another 18.7 km
At roundabout, take exit 3 onto Mitchell Street, A1 and drive for another 18.3 km
Turn left onto Edrom Road and drive for another 17.1 km
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Track Notes
Turn by turn instructions & maps
Getting started From the information sign, the walk heads down the hill, following the low posts away from the information sign, to a signposted intersection on the left. From the intersection, the track follows the sign for 'Coastal Walk' down the hill away from the car park. The track soon passes an information sign on the right before tending right, down the hill to be above the coastline. The walk then continues with the coast on your left, down stairs into a gully and back out. The track winds and undulates for some time, leading away from the coast. The track then continues back towards the coast, to a view of the tower on your left and a rock island below in the sea.....
Turn map
Directions & comments
Start.
Boyd car park (about 15 m back from the start).
Boyd car park
Boyd car park
Boyd car park is found at the end 1.1km long unsealed Boyd Tower Rd, Edrom. The car park is spread around a turning circle at the end of the road. There is a concrete path leading to a toilet and water tank (empty) in the middle of the turning circle. Car parking bays are not marked, and there is space for about 20 cars plus a bus. There are no marked mobility parking areas. The surface is a fairly smooth gravel/clay. A manual pay station is available for park entry fees near the sheltered large information sign. The carpark is the start of the Light to Light walk and the path to Boyd Tower.
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Boyd car park is found at the end 1.1km long unsealed Boyd Tower Rd, Edrom. The car park is spread around a turning circle at the end of the road. There is a concrete path leading to a toilet and water tank (empty) in the middle of the turning circle. Car parking bays are not marked, and there is space for about 20 cars plus a bus. There are no marked mobility parking areas. The surface is a fairly smooth gravel/clay. A manual pay station is available for park entry fees near the sheltered large information sign. The carpark is the start of the Light to Light walk and the path to Boyd Tower.
There is a sign (about 10 m back from the start).
After 10 m find the "Pinch Point" (6 m on your right).
Pinch Point
Pinch Point
Timber bollard pinch points at the start of the track at the carpark. The gap between the bollards are 1.18m, they are 55cm high.
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Timber bollard pinch points at the start of the track at the carpark. The gap between the bollards are 1.18m, they are 55cm high.
After another 15 m pass the toilet (30 m on your right).
After another 2.4 km find the "Red sands bay" (10 m on your left).
Red sands bay
Red sands bay
Red sands bay (not officially named) is a north-facing bay between Boyd Tower and Leather Jacket Bay in Ben Boyd National Park. The rocky bay is accessed via the Light to Light walk. The beach in this bay is made up of small boulders and a fine red gravel. Most of the red gravel is on the western side of the bay. The gravel is made from the sea smashing the red siltstone into small pieces. The red sands/gravel of this bay makes for a fantastic contrast on sunny days.
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Red sands bay (not officially named) is a north-facing bay between Boyd Tower and Leather Jacket Bay in Ben Boyd National Park. The rocky bay is accessed via the Light to Light walk. The beach in this bay is made up of small boulders and a fine red gravel. Most of the red gravel is on the western side of the bay. The gravel is made from the sea smashing the red siltstone into small pieces. The red sands/gravel of this bay makes for a fantastic contrast on sunny days.
After another 690 m continue straight, to head along Light to Light Walk.
After another 185 m veer right, to head along Light to Light Walk.
After another 115 m continue straight, to head along Light to Light Walk.
After another 120 m continue straight, to head along Light to Light Walk.
After another 1.1 km find the "Leather Jacket Bay" (10 m on your left).
Leather Jacket Bay
Leather Jacket Bay
Leather Jacket Bay is a north-east facing beach between Boyd Tower and Mowarry Point in the Ben Boyd National Park. The bay has a sandy beach with small rock boulders between the sand and the ocean. The wooded forest behind the bay provides some shade, making this a great place to rest on the Light-to-Light walk. The bay can be access by the Light-to-Light track or by Newtons Road service trail from Edrom Rd.
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Leather Jacket Bay is a north-east facing beach between Boyd Tower and Mowarry Point in the Ben Boyd National Park. The bay has a sandy beach with small rock boulders between the sand and the ocean. The wooded forest behind the bay provides some shade, making this a great place to rest on the Light-to-Light walk. The bay can be access by the Light-to-Light track or by Newtons Road service trail from Edrom Rd.
Continue another 60 m to find the end. Then turn around here and retrace the main route for 4.6 km to get back to the start.
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Terrain
Know the Hills, grading & facilities
Boyds Tower to Leather Jacket Bay
Grading
Class 4/6
Hard track
Length
9.2 km
Time
3 h to 3 h 30 min
Quality of track
Rough track, where fallen trees and other obstacles are likely (4/6)
Gradient
Very steep (4/6)
Signage
Minimal directional signs (4/6)
Infrastructure
Limited facilities (such as cliffs not fenced, significant creeks not bridged) (4/6)
Experience Required
No experience required (1/6)
Weather
Storms may impact on navigation and safety (3/6)
Some facilities on route
Entity|toilet: There are 2 on route, on average they are 3.1 km apart with the largest gap of 9.2 km.
Bushwalk
3 h to 3 h 30 min
Entity|toilet: There are 2 on route, on average they are 3.1 km apart with the largest gap of 9.2 km.
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Boyd car park (about 15 m back from the start).
There is a sign (about 10 m back from the start).
After 10 m find the "Pinch Point" (6 m on your right).
After another 2.4 km find the "Red sands bay" (10 m on your left).
