Kangaroo Island, Australia – Three Lighthouses

Lighthouses of Kangaroo Island, Australia

Kangaroo Island was my favorite part of Australia.  It has everything a person could want all in one place.  It has animals like penguins, wallabies, kangaroos, koalas, seals, short-billed geese, and others. Additionally, it has the best ice cream I’ve ever had. It has quirky mailboxes. It also has amazing natural formations, including Remarkable Rocks and Kelly Hill Caves, and multiple photogenic lighthouses. I’ll briefly discuss the 3 main ones here.

Cape Willoughby Lighthouse

Cape Willoughby Lighthouse was the first lighthouse in South Australia (i.e., not only the first on Kangaroo Island).  It is pictured at the left.  The bright white dazzles in the sunlight.  The grounds are quite nice and there are wallabies nearby.  You can go to the museum with old pictures and equipment and you can even book a night at one of the lighthouse keepers cottages if you want to see what staying out there basically on your own for miles and miles is like.

Cape Borda Lighthouse

The Cape Borda Lighthouse is unusual because it is a rare square lighthouse. If you come by at the right time for a tour, they even fire a cannon.  There is also a quaint cemetery nearby with former lightkeepers and their families. And a tiny gift shop with snacks. The lighthouse itself isn’t very exciting, but the guy who works there is very fun to have a conversation with.  He knows so much about the island and the history and is a really friendly guy, so if you go out there, make sure to chat him up :-). He’s probably lonely and bored due to the distance from anything.

Pro Tip: Talk to the park keepers, they have very interesting stories.

Cape du Couedic Lighthouse

The Cape du Couedic Lighthouse is the most recent lighthouse on the island.  It is very small but there are cute keeper’s cottages there that can also be rented.
You can even get into one of the old light lenses there.