Rodney Campbell's Blog

Cape Willoughby Lightstation is in Cape Willoughby Conservation Park. Situated in the easternmost point of Kangaroo Island, Cape Willoughby Lighthouse was the first lighthouse to be built in South Australia in 1852.

We headed out on the 26km dirt road from Penneshaw to the Cape Willoughby Lightstation late in the morning. One of three main lighthouses on the island (there are actually a couple of other smaller less accessible ones) we’d visit them all during our stay.

Note: These photographs (especially the wider shots) look much better when larger – so click any of the images below to see larger versions in an inline overlay slideshow gallery viewer.

On the dusty drive out there I saw this view out across the straight to Cape Jervis on the mainland.

Cape Jervis

NIKON D600 + 24.0-70.0 mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm, 1/160 sec at f/5.6, ISO 100

We’d received the Kangaroo Island Tour Pass as part of our accommodation (later) at the Cape du Couedic Lighthouse Keepers Cottage. Along with entry to the various national parks on the island it also gave us access to a number of the guided tours including the Cape Willoughby Lightstation tour.

Unfortunately the original large lantern and this massive lens was replaced a number of years ago by a small automated LED beacon. Thus technically this “lighthouse” has been downgraded to a “lightstation”.

Refractions

NIKON D600 + 24.0-70.0 mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm, 1/25 sec at f/5, ISO 640

The isolation, ruggedness and beauty of this part of Kangaroo Island, is striking. Standing 27 metres high with 102 steps to the lookout tower, Cape Willoughby Lighthouse offers a stunning panoramic view across Backstairs Passage and the Kangaroo Island coastline. As it happens this was the only lighthouse on the island which allowed you to climb to the top and outside at the top to look around. I took this opportunity to take this handheld stitched panorama (taken whilst walking around the walking platform at the top of the lighthouse).

Cape Willoughby

NIKON D600 + 24.0-70.0 mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm, 1/400 sec at f/8, ISO 100