- Smoky Cape
Smoky Cape (coord|30|54|S|153|06|E [cite web|url=http://www.ga.gov.au/bin/gazd01?rec=84474|title=Place Names Search: Smoky Cape|publisher=
Geoscience Australia ] ) is a headland inAustralia on theNew South Wales Mid-North Coast. It lies just south of the town of South West Rocks, and within theHat Head National Park .Cape
The cape was named "Smooky Cape" by Captain Cook when he passed it on
13 May 1770 , writing of "a point or headland, on which were fires that Caused a great Quantity of smook, which occasioned my giving it the name of Smooky Cape". [Parkin, Ray, "H. M. Bark Endeavour",Miegunyah Press , second edition 2003, ISBN 0-522-85093-6, page 227.] "Smook" was his usual spelling of "smoke", the spelling for the cape now follows the modern spelling. The hills there were an important meeting place for aboriginal people from various surrounding areas, it's possible Cook saw fires from such a gathering. [ Neil, Marie H.. (1972) "Valley of the Macleay". ISBN 0-85587-037-0. chapters 2 and 3]A lighthouse was proposed for the cape in
1886 and completed in1891 , built from concrete and local granite aggregate in an octagonal shape at the highest point on the cape. In1962 the light was electrified and some time around1988 it was automated. The optic system is still the original first orderFresnel lens . The light's characteristic is a triple flash every 20 seconds, thefocal plane is located at 128 metres above sea level. [cite web|url=http://www.lighthouse.net.au/LIGHTS/NSW/Smoky%20Cape/Smoky%20Cape.htm|title=The Smoky Cape Lighthouse|publisher=Lighthouses of Australia] cite web|url=http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/lighthouse/nsw.htm|author=Rowlett, Russ|title=The Lighthouse Directory|accessdate=July 24|accessyear=2008]Today the head keeper's cottage is run as a
bed and breakfast , and two other cottages as holiday houses, leased from the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.Fish Rock
Fish Rock is a small bare rock which juts out of the sea just south-east of the cape. It's a noted
scuba diving location and home to various fish species. [cite web|url=http://www.michaelmcfadyenscuba.info/viewpage.php?page_id=200|title=Fish Rock - Sahr Gutters|author=McFadyen, Micheal|accessdate=July 24|accessyear=2008] A 120 metre cave runs right under the rock and there are various gutters nearby whereGrey Nurse Shark s live. The area is one of about a dozen in New South Wales recognised as critical for the shark, and for that reason fishing is restricted.cite web|url=http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/species-protection/species-conservation/what/register-of-critical-habitat/grey-nurse-shark-critical-habitat-and-buffer-zones|title=Grey nurse shark critical habitat and buffer zones|publisher=NSW Department of Primary Industries |accessdate=July 24|accessyear=2008]Green Island
Green Island is a small island close to the coast just north of the cape. It too is a critical habitat area for the
Grey Nurse Shark .cite web|url=http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/species-protection/species-conservation/what/register-of-critical-habitat/grey-nurse-shark-critical-habitat-and-buffer-zones|title=Grey nurse shark critical habitat and buffer zones|publisher=NSW Department of Primary Industries |accessdate=July 24|accessyear=2008]References
External links
* [http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/parks.nsf/WebContent/AD7752F4329FC874CA256CD30022DDC3?OpenDocument Smoky Cape Lighthouse page] at the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
* For photos of the area see the [http://www.southwestrocks.org South West Rocks Photo Gallery]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.