South Solitary Lighthouse Emerald Beach, New South Wales, Australia
By earthly65 and robbieracer66 on 20-Jul-13. Waypoint TP6760

https://youtu.be/GhclGJMhCco

This trig and destination have intrigued me for ages. Driving from Halfway Creek to Coffs on the highway and gazing out to sea, it’s always been out there, staring back at me. I’d imagine the history it holds and wondered of the lives that the folks that lived out there. It seemed like better times, a simple existence – an important job to keep the lighthouse going, but also one of close family life and of being resourceful with what you have on the island.

Today we got to find out. Over to the island by chopper after a nice lunch at the jetty. The weather was perfect, and the views from the air were amazing. On the island we were given a tour of the lighthouse, keepers and assistant keepers quarters and of the old gantry – the whole time being told stories from the days where this place was manned by up to three keepers and their families.

Plenty of whales and turtles showing off in the ocean below too that added to the experience. It was great to be in the company of another avid trig hunter – though the island offers up more than just another trig find. I’d recommend this trig to anyone.


Trig Hunting in Style

Rated: for Overall Experience

C○3 ♀ Ɛ○<<○3

Okay, where do I start? Maybe with the fact that my head is still spinning from the thrill of today's adventure and it was over 6 hours ago. I still can't believe I finally made it here!!! I'm actually still a little overwhelmed/overstimulated by it to write this log properly so I might just return to update it later. But, wow!!!

First a helicopter ride which I thought was awesome on it's own, and then flying by the island on approach, and over the archway on Arch Island. And then there was being up close to and climbing up to the platform of that lighthouse I'd seen so many times in the distance. And then getting to wander around the island, through the cottages there, and hearing lots of interesting stories about the place. And then of course the company - nice way to see in another year, hey.

[24hrs after initial log... it's taken me that long to sort through my thoughts and feelings after yesterday's adventure]

Seriously, the weather was perfect. Whilst the word perfect has been so poorly overused that it seems to have lost it's true meaning, here I really mean it. I had been dreading a big band of cloud and a trough visible on the HD satellite image and BOM predictions. Looking at my phone the night before, I kindly asked the cloud band and trough to please just hold off or maybe just scoot around a tiny bit further south. I think everyone on the island this day was thankful for what I had done. haha.

I have this thing I started about ten years ago called a 'No Tomorrow List'. Essentially, it's a bucket list, but with the aim to just do these things as soon as possible rather than wait till 'one day'. I add new items to it each year. The original list has almost been fulfilled. I just need to get a truck driving licence. In the second year I added a bunch of different ways to fly. A helicopter flight was one of these. In fact, I think this might be the only flight related list item I've now finally fulfilled. haha. A few years ago I added a visit to South Solitary Island. I got to tick that one off too. The problem is, I can't find the list to actually cross the items off and see what remains, so maybe it's time to rewrite it, start afresh.

I'd been up in my dad's old light plane over mountains and sea a number of times, so the flying over didn't scare me at all but was a real thrill. My heart first started racing in a good way though when I saw the rocks. I'm a weirdo, I know, but seeing different shaped and coloured rocks somehow gets me a bit excited. The arch of Archie Island and the high walls of rock and almost cave like section were just breath-taking to see as we flew over them coming in to land. WOW!

Once on the island we had to stick with the NP tour guide, stopping me from running off all over the place looking at and touching things. haha. First stop was climbing the stairs to the gallery. We learnt a heap of stuff on the way up and whilst there then were left to enjoy the view. It was at this stage I found I was glad to be on mood levelling medication otherwise the child in me would have been climbing the railing, running around it, making music on every surface, and touching everything. Oh, wait, I did touch everything and see what sounds I could make on different surfaces. haha. I was way over excited about being there and getting to experience all this. Then it was on to the keepers lodgings and then where the jetty/ies once stood and the gantry had aaaaaalmost all fallen down. There was a group of volunteers from Biodiversity Doctors there cleaning up weeds for the weekend, raising the number of humans on the island to about ten, meaning the island had probably seen the most people on it at one time in over 20 years or something.

I didn't want to ruin my experience by seeing it only through the lens of my camera, but did want to capture a bit of it to look back on and/or share, so both MattyRx and I got a few little bits that will make a nice short video or two. I'll share the result at a later date when I've made it. However,

I seriously recommend spending the money and making the trip out here if you like things like isolated places not many people get to set foot on, lighthouses, and a bit of history... and helicopter flights.

I would have put this one off for another year if MattyRx hadn't shown as much interest in visiting the island and lighthouse as myself. I was so grateful to be in good company there.

What a day!

Rated: for Overall Experience

MattyRx

As per the cache page there is limited, and specialist access for this trig, so have lifted the Terrain rating from T1 to T5.
Hope to get there one day, just like TP7032 - "Port Stephens Lighthouse TP".

Robbieracer said he thought he knew where there was a trig, so dressed in usual trig hunting/bush bashing attire we headed off...I was confused when we turned off to the airport and then completely gob smacked when robbieracer, with a huge grin on his face, pulled in at Coffs Helipad! An incredible surprise and a grand experience. This lighthouse was the last to be decommissioned in Australia, it was a privileged opportunity to visit and learn of the lifestyle of the lighthouse keepers and their families and the workings of the lighthouse, we would thoroughly recommend the trip

Rated: for Overall Experience

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