Rottnest Island - Bathurst Lighthouse

Bathurst Lighthouse

The instinctive urge to deviate from the actions of a regular tourist and seek the paths less travelled, is how a travelling photographer captures sights and moments that would have otherwise stayed hidden from the whole world. With this however, comes free an element of risk of getting in to unforeseen troubles. Still, more often than not, it is worth it.

It took just over a half an hour for the ferry to arrive at the Island Jetty from the Fremantle docks. First thing I did after landing was to visit the information centre. I had to know what the main attractions on the island are and what the suggested tracks are for tourists before I could try out more adventurous ones. I grabbed a map and set out to hike.

Rottnest Island map [1]

Although I decided to hike though the island, there are other means of travel available on Rottnest like rented bicycles and coaches operated by island authorities. But for me coaches were out of the question. I was torn between whether to rent a bicycle for as little as 25 Australian dollars a day, and take up the hassle to paddle uphill and cover most of the island or; to hike and cover less ground while enjoying freedom to stray from the designated tracks. I chose the latter.

When travelling alone, it is always good to enjoy some music all the way. Fortunately, it is possible to listen to all of Perth's radio channels on the island. So, with the earphones in my ears, I headed north looking for Bathurst Lighthouse. The houses along the road, which were mostly occupied by tourists, resembled the ones at a coastal Mediterranean town (check the picture of the settlement house in my previous post).

Path leading to Bathurst Lighthouse

Bathurst Lighthouse, which is situated on a hillock in the north-eastern part of the island, had been activated back in 1900 after a series of shipping disasters in the area [2]. Currently, it is a prime spot for photography on the island. From this point, it is even possible to make out a faint silhouette of Perth city across the Indian Ocean.

Sparkling blue water cove beside the lighthouse

Just below the lighthouse is a small cove with a white sandy beach and blue crystal clear water calling the weary travellers to take a dip and chill out. It was not yet time for me to hit the water, but I was determined to come back here before the end of my journey. For now I have to head inland, where the next attraction awaits me.

To be continued…

References:
[1]. http://www.rottnestfastferries.com.au/pdf/Rottnest2.pdf
[2]. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathurst_Lighthouse