Light Keeper for a Day
Topic: Australia
I can't remember how many times I have been to the Wilsons Promontory Light Station, but it's still is one of my favorite trips. My first trips there where with "Uncle Reg" on his old cray boat in the 70's. At that stage the Light was still a manned light station and you where only permitted to visit on a prearranged trip. The light was on open Tuesdays and Thursdays, ten till two. A crusty old light keeper would begrudgingly show you around the place after opening the gate at the bottom of the hill. If you where lucky you got a ride up the last hill to the light in his land rover. As I got older we walked in, and camped at Roaring Meg Creek. You'd get up in the morning and race off for the hours walk to meet the Light keeper, and trudge back to the campsite for another night of sleeping on rocks and dehydrated food. My aunties once walked all the way there and back in one day. Not a bad effort as the walk in is 19km, 38 return, Lanie said she was a wee tired after that one. It would of killed me, but they made them tougher back then.
In 1995 AMSA automated the light house and handed the site over to the parks service. Shortly after we walked out and spent our first night sleeping in the old keepers quarters. Chris the ranger was not happy. He had been a the last light keeper there, and had transferred to the parks service when the light was demanned. AMSA where hopeless, but the parks where even worse. "They had no idea how to run a lighthouse." Lighthouse keepers are generally solitary creatures, so the addition of regular visitors to his schedule probably didn't help his day. He was full of great stories about the light, and the daily life of the keepers, if you agreed that the parks where a bunch of no hopers you'd get on fine with him.
The great thing about walking to the light these days, is it's bush walking without the hardship. You stay in old buildings that are a bit like farm houses. They have a big cosy kitchen, lounge and a couple of bunk rooms. Hot showers, 24/7 power, remoteness,and great all round 360 deg views, make it unlike any other campsite in Victoria. Standard walking supplies for this trip are, a leg of lamb, a cask of red, and a supply of good cheese and dips. Rock up ,chuck the lamb in the oven , hot shower, entr'ee, red, and you've forgotten about the walk in already. Book a doona and you don't even have to carry a sleeping bag. We stayed two nights, gives you a day to check out the place and recover. Then gentle walk back to the car, and a real coffee. Whats not to love.
Thanks to Mick for the logistics, and Emm, Hoola and Brendan for the porterage services.
The photos are Crap as I coulden't get the SD card to work in my real Camera and my phone was taking low resoloution photos. Sorry 007
Posted by bondrj
at 2:22 AM NZT
Updated: Wednesday, 16 February 2022 8:25 PM EADT
