Innes National Park - Lighthouse No. 9

Cape Spencer Lighthouse

We visited this lighthouse on the same day as West Cape and although windy it was nowhere near the winds experienced at the other end of Innes National Park. Lighthouses can vary in age, look and materials and some stand out for all the worng reasons. Cape Spencer was one of these.

A concrete monstrosity with no architectural lines such as Cape Jervois. The fact of the matter is they have a purpose and Cape Spencer plays a significant role in ensuring ships are led in safely between Yorke Peninsula and Althorpe Island. Althorpe Island is one of our future destinations and hosts a Lighthouse and some cottages you can stay in. Once a cheap & unique holiday it is now a costly exercise only for those with a passion such as ours. Theonly way over to the Island is by chartering a boat and once on there, you are left to your own devices.

Some facts about Cape Spencer

1. New lighthouses don't have may stories to tell


2. Built in 1975


3. Prior to the exisiting Lighthouse a small beacon which resembled a metal box with a light on top.


4. Height: 3.4m


5. Elevation 78m
   
   

Innes National Park May 2011 - Lighthouse 8

West Cape and Cape spencer Lighthouses werethe focus of this trip along with taking time in Innes National Park to visit the pristine beaches and hopefully catch some fish.

What we weren't expecting was 150klm + winds that left us laughing, crying and crawling to reach one lighthouse. I felt as light as a feather and the wind made it impossible to do anything other than think of the next step. It made me realise how crazy human beings can be a times, Sir Edmund Hilary and many others suffered blizzards, freezing conditions and lack of oxygen to reach the top of Everest. I aligned ourselves with him as we staggered towards the stainless steel monstosity known as West Cape Lighthouse.

We had a lot of fun on this trip to Lighthouse no 8. You are never too old to be like little kids again and I am loving this journey.....

A few facts about West Cape -

1. Expect winds!



2. Built in 1980



3. Construction - Stainles Steel



4. Why stainless steel? The say to reduce environmental impact when costructing



5. Height -8.5 metres



6. Above sea level - 67.1 metres (it was a long wa to fall if the wind blew us over!)

A great day, one neither of us will forget....