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All 3 Portland Attractions »

Cape Nelson lighthouse

Point Nelson | 13km from Portland, Portland, Victoria, Australia
Cape Nelson Lighthouse
The sunroom in the Assistant Lighthouse Keeper's cottage
The view from the top of the lighthouse
The windows of Isabella's Cafe and the Lighthouse
10 visitor photos
Ranked #1 of 2 attractions in Portland
4.5 of 5 stars 10 Reviews
Type: Lighthouses
Owner description: Located only ten minutes from Portland upon the rugged cliffs of Cape Nelson, the Cape Nelson Lighthouse precinct comprises the 35 meter tall... more » Owner description: Located only ten minutes from Portland upon the rugged cliffs of Cape Nelson, the Cape Nelson Lighthouse precinct comprises the 35 meter tall lighthouse, the cosy Isabella's cafe, and two exquisitely renovated assistant lighthouse keeper's cottages available as accommodation.These historic buildings have been elegantly restored and now comprise two separate two-bedroom cottages.The cottages are ideal for a secluded couple's get away, families, or groups! The precinct is located within Cape Nelson State Park and is surrounded by spectacular views, excellent walking tracks, and tours of the historic lighthouse run daily.Isabella's cafe, located in the old stables, offers morning and afternoon tea and gourmet lunches daily.Each cottage includes two bedrooms with queen sized beds, a fully equipped kitchen, dining area and lounge room with TV, DVD and an open fire place. All properties include free Wi-Fi, reverse cycle air conditioning and breakfast of cereal, milk, eggs, bacon, toast and condiments, as well as tea and coffee. About the area:Cape Nelson is a well known whale spotting area - observe from the cliffs or climb to the top of the lighthouse to spot southern wright whales in the middle of the year and blue whales in summer months! Dolphins and seals are sometimes spotted in the water as well! As we are located on the Great South West Walk, we are surrounded by kilometers of walking tracks through bush, beaches and cliffs. The area is rich in native wildlife, including kangaroos and wallabies, echidnas, koalas, and is close to Australia's only mainland Gannet breeding colony. The beaches around Portland are also well known for having great surf for all levels at any time of year, so make sure to bring boards and wetsuits! « less
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10 reviews from our community

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Pakenham, Australia
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“stephen”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 14 March 2012

the light house was closed off due to repainting the cafe was not open till after 11 am.

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Melbourne, Australia
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
“wild waters, superb scenery”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 22 February 2012

only 20 mins drive from Portland. There are walks around the cape with stunning views on a great sunny day plus a bit of history about ship wrecks and settlement, the light house itself can only be visited at set tour times (admission fee). There is a cafe and accommodation on site.

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Melbourne, Australia
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
“Guided Tour was excellent”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 11 February 2012

We did the one hour guided tour ($15 adult) and found it to be very interesting, the views from the top of the lighthouse were stunning. Well worth the money

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Sydney, Australia
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
“What a grem”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 16 January 2012

The lighthouse tour was very interesting and worthwhile. Isabella's restaurant was a surprise too - great ambience, service and food. We stayed in one of the lighthouse cottages overnight and it exceeded our expectations (even better than the website). The cottage was very tastefully renovated and furnished, very comfy, and no detail had been overlooked. We loved the wild setting... More

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Queanbeyan, Australia
Top Contributor
113 reviews 113 reviews
Reviews in 39 cities Reviews in 39 cities
60 helpful votes 60 helpful votes
“As usual lighthouse”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 15 January 2012
1
person found this review helpful

If you travel on Great Ocean Drive you will find many lighthouses. This lighthouse is also one of it. The lighthouse and the building around it were beautiful. We went during Christmas holidays and it was closed, so we were unable to climb it. There is a public toilet available but unfortunately it was closed due to holiday. If you... More

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1 review
“Near the lighthouse”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 1 January 2012

Make sure you take the Enchanted Forest walk... Magical, cool (in the shade)... It takes you down to yellow rock which has rockpools for investigation too...

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Canberra
Top Contributor
65 reviews 65 reviews
Reviews in 39 cities Reviews in 39 cities
33 helpful votes 33 helpful votes
“good cafe- isabellas at the lighthouse”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 13 December 2011

Isabellas does good coffee and meals The cafe is adjacent to the lighthouse base

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Melbourne, Australia
2 reviews
“Great Little Spot”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 4 December 2011

It was fantastic to get out to the light house as we had heard much about it from our hotel. There was a quaint little cottage that does breakfast and lunch and we couldn't have been happier with the value for money. Portland is a place with lots to do and many places around it to visit. You could definitely... More

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Melbourne, Australia
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
“Great for wildlife viewing, history buffs and lovers of good accommodation”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 9 April 2011

We stayed in a cottage by the lightstation. The cottage was beautifully decorated and very cozy. The cottage had a fully equipped kitchen, luxurious bathroom and fireplace in the lounge. Breakfast ingredients such as eggs, bacon, bread, milk etc were supplied for us to make our own breakfast. The location is beautiful, we saw Blue Whales, dolphins and seabirds from... More

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Wathlingen, Germany
Top Contributor
56 reviews 56 reviews
Reviews in 40 cities Reviews in 40 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
“Ein lohnendes Ausflugsziel”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 17 December 2011
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