On the far NSW south coast, Green Cape forms the northern tip of Disaster Bay, named in 1802 by Matthew Flinders after eight of his men went missing just fetching water onshore – so it seemed like a good place for a lighthouse. The 29m octagon-shaped tower went up in 1883, and casts its baleful eye out over one of the best game fishing areas in the country, right on the junction between the Tasman Sea and the Southern Ocean, with the continental shelf drop-off close by.

Two nicely renovated Assistant Keeper’s Cottages are available here, and with nothing but Ben Boyd National Park, cliff and ocean to be seen from their windows, they make for one heck of a retreat. Overlooking a permanent seal colony, the close-knit white painted masonry cottages sleep six people each, contain fully equipped kitchens, dining room, bathroom and two bedrooms. Encircled by verandahs and with original timber finishes, slate fireplaces and wrought-iron gates, the only thing missing is a TV. Thank goodness.

Details // Ben Boyd NP, NSW. From $200 per night. www.environment.nsw.gov.au, (02) 6495 5000.