The Eye of the Needle

November 25th, 2010 Cape Otway Lighthouse...... Raining and not feeling like a walk through the treetops without wet weather gear we opted for the safer option of a lighthouse tour.

Initially I thought the cost was a little rich but it was not long before I reliased the fascination of lighthouses and the mystery and tragedy associated with their history was going to not only have an impact on me but us.

My first memories of a lighthouse related to cold foggy mornings in Baliluie Street, Point Lonsdale, waking up as a small child and hearing the fog horn sounding from the Point Lighthouse. Knowing the streets would be desserted and the air would hang heavy with fog. It was a mystical feeling that has remained with me since my childhood.

So we did the tour of the Lighthouse Keeper's cottage and the way the first telegraph wire to Tasmania was laid on the bottom of te sea from the heads of Cape Otway across the Bass Strait. Lastly we climbed the stairs of the Lighthouse until we reached the final section where the intricate pattern of the wrought iron steps caught my fascination. The tour guide showed us books on Lighthouses around the world and I snapped a few shots.

We finished off the morning with devonshire tea (coffee) and I grabbed a book from the Shop on the Loch Ard shipwreck 1878. The book was easy to read and Dan and I sat in a corner booth and over the next 90 minutes or so I read aloud to Dan and the story of an 18 year old Irish girl Eva Carmichael who was one of only two survivors of 54 passengars and crew. The other survivor, a young crewman Tom Pearce, also 18 having swam to shore returned to the treachorous waters to rescue the only other survivor of the Loch Ard.

I was surprised to see Danny's face as he urged me to continue reading, hoping 'boy meets girl' would end in love. Well that's another story well worth reading. I think it was at this point that I started a real quest to learn more about the history linked to our land through the Lighthouses of Australia.

Travelling home with Eddie .....

After a successful acquisition of Eddie we hooked the van up and started driving home along the Great Ocean Road. We headed home on Tuesday 23rd November, 2010 with Eddie trailling behind. We stopped at Rye river along the way and spent our first night with really heavy rain and I learnt very quickly that my elbow was a perfect way to source a very wet bed. The Caravan Park was basic in amenities but the wildlife was amazing and a short walk to the beach.

How it began.....

In late 2010 I started getting a little restless. We had visited the Caravan and camping show in the middle of the year which had become the catalyst for this next stage of our life. Having no understanding of 'grey nomads' and no desire to become one (I am way too young to become one!) I decided to grow my hair and along with Dan we started looking at options to travel. Dan has never had any real desire to travel overseas, don't understand it but one thing we both have in common is we love Australia. So late last year we bought a Jayco Eagle campervan on EBay and drove to Melbourne to pick it up. That was November 2010