Cape Capricorn forms the north-eastern tip of Curtis Island and represents a major change in shoreline direction. Due to its importance for navigation, a lighthouse is maintained on the 90 m high cape. The cape was sighted and named by Captain Cook in May 1770, the name deriving from the fact that it lies almost precisely on the Tropic of Capricorn, at a latitude of 23°30' S. Between the headland and the cape are the two small pocket beaches. Beach 1404 is 100 m long, faces north-west and is bordered by two 40 m high headlands, while beach 1405 is a 50 m pocket of sand wedged in between the cape and the first headland. Both beaches have moderately steep high tide beaches and a narrow, continuous bar. They are both backed by sand spilling over the cape from the eastern cape beach. Beach 1405 serves as a landing for the lighthouse on the cape, with a trolley system running from the back of the beach up to the lighthouse. Because of their protected nature and relatively deep water off these two beaches, they are also used as boat anchorages. read more

Beach Length: 0.05km