Compared to its neighbouring lighthouses on Kangaroo Island and the Yorke Peninsula the lighthouses and channel markers guiding ships to safe passage into Port Adelaide are relatively humble and unremarkable. This is probably due to the fact that Adelaide was never a major port as was the case with some of the historic locations on […]

One of the best things about doing what I’m doing is that the lighthouses take me to places I’ve never even thought of, much less known anything about, and a case in point is the Yorke Peninsula, or YP as the locals like to call it. Prior to plotting my journey I had a vague […]

I’d always had a curiosity about Kangaroo Island but never had enough reason to go there, until now that is, as it has four interesting lighthouses which thankfully necessitated a visit. I’m not sure what I was expecting but don’t think it was what I found as it is an island of contrasts, the weather […]

Kangaroo Island occupies a unique place in Australia’s maritime history, for it was often the first landfall ships would make after leaving Cape Town on their voyage from England to the colonies of New South Wales. Upon this landfall, captains faced a critical decision that could mean the difference between safe passage and disaster, whether […]

What a great way to start Act 3 by driving the Great Ocean Road, surely one of the most spectacular coastal road trips in Australia, if not the world, possibly rivalled only by driving through Big Sur along the northern Californian coast. Interestingly The Great Ocean Road has a story as winding as its famous […]

Cape Jervis Lighthouse, built in 1871 at the tip of South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula, guards the strategically vital Backstairs Passage between the mainland and Kangaroo Island at the entrance to Gulf St Vincent. This location, known as “Lands End,” commands one of South Australia’s most critical maritime passages where vessels must navigate the narrow strait […]

Point Malcolm Lighthouse is unique in Australian maritime history, holding the extraordinary distinction of being the Southern Hemisphere’s only inland lighthouse. This modest yet significant structure rises from the stark rocky outcrop on the eastern shore of The Narrows, the crucial waterway connecting Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert in South Australia’s Murray River system. Built […]

Cape Jaffa Lighthouse stands as one of Australia’s most remarkable offshore engineering achievements, originally constructed 8 kilometres out to sea on the treacherous Margaret Brock Reef. Designed by George Wells and built using components manufactured by Chance Brothers in Smethwick, England, the lighthouse took three years to construct and opened on 6 January 1872. The […]

Robe Lighthouse, built in 1972 on South Australia’s southeastern coast, serves the historically significant Guichen Bay where complex maritime conditions create both sanctuary and hazard for vessels. The region’s limestone headlands and offshore reefs provide natural bay protection while creating navigational challenges that have demanded reliable aids since colonial times. During early South Australian colonisation, […]