Cape Otway Lightstation, Author at Cape Otway Lightstation

You Light Up My Life

Jun 25, 2018 | Events

Every year in August Lighthouses all over the world celebrate International Lighthouse Weekend. This year Cape Otway Lightstation had double cause for celebration as the Lightstation has reached the grand old age of 170!!

Lighthouse lovers from far and wide are invited to come and join in the celebrations of Australia’s most significant Lighthouse, fondly known as the ‘Beacon of Hope’. Built in 1848 it was a truly significant Australian landmark for many early immigrants to Australia who had been at sea for up to 3 months before sighting the Lightstation shining brightly at Cape Otway.

The current team of staff or shall we say lightkeepers or even keepers of history are busily preparing for this event. Enormous excitement abounds as special permission has been received from AMSA to turn on the light!! Since being decommissioned in 1994 with a satellite beacon replacing it, our guides have lovingly dusted the Fresnel lens, polished the brass & maintained the light to be in perfect working order. To see it once again shine its beams 40+km out to sea is bound to have all in awe!

Entry is free to all who are ready for a wild and windy Winter challenge to join us on this auspicious evening on the 18/8/18.

Celebrations commence at 18:00 sharp. Entry is free however we ask you to book tickets online. Please note limited tickets are available to climb the tower & these are issued in 15 minute segments to allow the lucky ones to have 5 mins of viewing from the lighthouse. General viewing will be possible from the Whale Viewing platform for those that miss out on lighthouse tickets.

Bonfire, music, mulled wine, curries, cake & coffee. Rug up and bring a warm blanket to sit on and a torch.

International Lighthouse Weekend at 18:00 hours on 18/8/18 – there’s something very auspicious about that …..

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Whale sightings this season!

Sep 9, 2017 | News

Victorian waters are home to a stunning diversity of marine mammals including whales, dolphins and seals, and Cape Otway is a perfect vantage point for whale watching between May and October.

At the Lightstation we celebrate these amazing creatures year-round in our Whale Interpretive Area.

Annually, 25 species of whales migrate past the Lightstation including Southern Right Whales, Humpback Whales, Blue Whales and Killer Whales (Orcas).

Many breed and socialise here before heading off to feed in sub-Antarctic waters. Southern Right Whales give birth to young in sheltered bays along the south-west coast of Victoria.

Apart from interpretive information to help you learn more about whales and how we can protect them, we have some large scale works of art celebrating these amazing mammals.

There is a geoglyph sculpture which is a full-scale Southern Right male adult, formed within the natural landscape, created with local limestone, and sandstone, featuring a weathered steel fluke.

We also have a baby Southern Right Whale carved from a cypress tree.

Visit the Lightstation for a chance to see these magnificent whales in their natural habitat and learn how to distinguish them from the their blow (cloud of mist of spray formed when whales exhale as they surface); learn to recognise their shape and behaviour.

Keep abreast of the latest sightings by visiting the Great Ocean Road website.

New Special Tours!

Sep 9, 2017 | News

Join us this peak season as we kick off a number of new tours!

Great Ocean Walk & Lighthouse Adventure Pass

Departs: 10.00am

Simply park your car at the Lightstation and hop on our bus transfer to be dropped off at Blanket Bay (11km walk) or Parker Hill (5km walk).

Includes General Admission entry upon completion of your walk.

$35 Adult / $15 Child

Cape Otway Heritage Tour

Departs 10.00am

Visiting Blanket Bay, Parker River and Point Franklin and explore vital heritage sites.

Includes transport and General Admission entry.

$55 Adults / $20 Child

Cradle to Grave – Life & Death at Cape Otway Lightstation in the 19th Century

Tour Time: 1.00pm – 2.30pm

Walking tour taking you on a journey back in time. Visit the Assistant Keepers Quarters (1849 -59), Telegraph Station (1859) and the Cape’s Cemetery.

Includes tour and General Admission entry.

$40 Adult / $15 Child

Bookings are essential – to learn more about these special tours and to book, visit our Tickets page.

Shakespeare in the Otways

Sep 9, 2017 | Events

Produced by Otway Country to Coast Tourism Association and Regional Development Victoria, Shakespeare in the Otways: 2017 Spring Trilogy will feature three of the most-loved and celebrated of William Shakespeare’s works.

We are very excited that the Cape Otway Lightstation – Australia’s oldest working lighthouse, will host the second performance in the series – fittingly, a performance of the enigmatic fantasy The Tempest on 4 November. Presented by Sly Rat Theatre Company, this production will combine the spectacle of ballet, the tragedy of opera, the delight of clowns and stunning visual effects, redefining what an outdoor Shakespeare event can be. The audience will be seated in the natural amphitheatre on the grounds in front of the Lighthouse, creating a unique and captivating experience.

Also in the series and performed first in the trilogy will be the comedic classic A Midsummer Night’s Dream on 21 October, 2017 which will be set against the majestic rainforest setting of The Otway Fly Treetop Adventures, and Romeo & Juliet, staged amongst the vines at Otway Estate on November 18 as the third and final performance.

Tickets can be purchased from $40.00 by visiting shakespeareintheotways.com, with additional discounts available if tickets to all three performances are purchased as a series.

This opportunity has been made possible by Regional Development Victoria and has been actively supported by the Colac Otway Shire and Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism.