Updated: 11 Mar 2004

Continental Extremities

Australia is approximately 3700 kilometres long, from its most northerly point to its most southerly point in Tasmania, and it is almost 4000 kilometres wide, from east to west.

The table below lists the latitude and longitude of Australia's continental extents.

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The Cape York Peninsula in far-north Queensland is one of Australia's most distinctive landforms. It's tip is the northern-most point on the Australian mainland, and is renowned for its natural beauty and wildlife. Sparsely populated and difficult to reach, it is a popular place for 4WD and camping enthusiasts.

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Located just two kilometres east of Byron Bay, in northern New South Wales, Cape Byron is the eastern-most point on the Australian mainland. A popular destination amongst lighthouse enthusiasts and whale-watchers, the spectacular scenery of Cape Byron also attracts large numbers of tourist visitors every year.

The lighthouse was constructed in 1901, and when converted to mains electricity in 1956, became Australia's most powerful, its 1000 watt tungsten globe producing 2,200,000 candela.

Managed by the NSW Parks and Wildlife Service, the 47 hectares of the Cape Byron Reserve was made part of Arakwal National Park in October 2001.

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South Point can be found at the tip of Wilson's Promontory, Victoria, and is the southern-most point of the Australian mainland. Part of an extensive national park and marine reserve, Wilson's Promontory is one of the most pristine and beautiful places to visit in Australia, and offers a wide range of bush-walking trails and scenic views.

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The southern-most point of Australia is South East Cape, part of Tasmania's rocky southern coastline. Although beautiful, all manner of rough weather extremes prevail.

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Located a short distance from Shark Bay, between Dirk Hartog Island and Useless Loop in Western Australia, Steep Point is the western-most point on the Australian mainland. It can be reached by following the Useless Loop road on Edel Land, and offers spectacular coastal scenery. First named by Vlaminghin in 1697 as "Steyle Hock" (Translation: Steep Point), the location was later similarly called Point Escarpee (L. Freycinet, 1801) and Steep Point (P. King, 1822).

Sometimes resembling a moonscape, the rocky and peculiar landscapes in this area include such formations as the Zuytdorp Cliffs, which rise up to 170 metres above sea level.