Fingal Head

Fingal Head and the small off-shore Island (Cook Island) were first sighted by James Cook about 17:00 on 16 May 1770 (log date and time). The area and small town is often just called Fingal. It is located on the Far North Coast of New South Wales, Australia in Tweed Shire, about 5 km south of the New South Wales and Queensland border, and south of the Gold Coast. At the time of the 2006 census, Fingal Head had a population of 575 people.

The Tweed River, (discovered by John Oxley in October 1823) on the north coast of New South Wales runs northwards close to the coast for about 6 km before reaching its mouth just south of present-day Point Danger. A spit about 500–800 metres wide called "Letitia Spit" (named after the first ship to enter the river in July 1840) runs south for 2 km to Fingal Head.

The headland itself was made from a lava flow from the now extinct Tweed Volcano. The rock composition in the area is mainly basalt or andesite. There are walking tracks all over this area. About 500 metres offshore from the headland is Cook Island, a rocky uninhabited island first charted by James Cook in 1770. The stretch of water to the island is called the "Giants Causeway", named after the famous Giants Causeway between Northern Ireland and Western Scotland. Cook Island was made a marine reserve in 1998 and as such fishing is prohibited in the waters nearby.

There has been controversy over the naming of Fingal Head by James Cook in May 1770 for many years. Strong evidence suggests that Fingal Head was, in fact, the point James Cook named Point Danger.

In 1823, John Oxley took shelter from Southerly winds, while sailing North from Port Macquarie. "At 3 made sail intending to anchor to the South of Point Danger. At 5 passed close to a Bold Headland about 3 Miles North of Pt.D. (Point Danger) On the South Side of this headland we had the satisfaction to discover a considerable river with an apparent clear entrance." (Tweed River)

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Wikipedia