Lightkeepers on Kangaroo Island

Out of 66 people with correct answers for the January ’05 “Where in the World?” photo quiz — re The Remarkable Rocks on Kangaroo Island off South Australia — I was fortunate to have my name drawn.

A last-minute decision while in Australia in November ’03 took us to Kangaroo Island, where we stayed at one of three lightkeepers’ cottages located nine miles from where the January photo was taken. We booked at a travel agency in Adelaide.

The 3-bedroom cottages had 14-inch-thick walls of limestone AND nine inches of plaster on the inside. During our 2-night stay, the other two cottages were not occupied.

Flying from Adelaide to Kangaroo Island and picking up a rental car was the quickest way to reach Flinders Chase National Park. The only town shown on the car rental map between the airport at Kingscote and Flinders Chase was Parndana. Including downtown and suburbs, Parndana extended two blocks in length. About 30% of the lots along the 2-block stretch were empty. Two small convenience stores vied for local and tourist trade.

Not knowing what to expect at Flinders Chase, food purchases became necessary. After stocking up on breakfast cereal, bread, peanut butter, whipped honey, potato chips, rolls, bottled water, soda and wine, the road once again beckoned.

Forty miles later, the road changed from asphalt to hard-pack washboard gravel. Ten miles on, the Rocky River Ranger Station came into view. The ranger station, gift store and grocery were housed in a small “construction trailer.”

As we exited the car, an emu strolled past, heading for a couple seated at a picnic table. Approaching the woman from her backside, the emu reached over her shoulder and plucked a half sandwich off her plate. It happened so quickly that the only picture I got was the emu heading back across the parking lot.

Inside the ranger station, groceries amounted to a freezer case with frozen pasties and a few sandwiches. The ranger explained that the only food available that day was pasties; the sandwiches were sold out. The couple at the picnic table had purchased the last sandwich and the emu took half of that. Inquiring where the closest grocery store was located drew a smile and the reply, “Did you pass a little town before the road turned to gravel?”

The ranger informed us that the lightkeeper’s cottage had linens, a full kitchen, a bath and three bedrooms. Leaving the ranger station with a supply of frozen pasties, we headed down a single-lane hard-pack sand road for nine miles to Cape du Couedic. All three cottages were situated in a swale about a block inland from the lighthouse. They were built in 1906 and occupied until 1968. A manual light in the lighthouse required winding every two hours in the old days.

Heading up to the lighthouse after unpacking brought us face to face with a cold, unrelenting wind. As evening approached, the wind increased; inside the cottage, it was silent. One space heater in the living room and one in the bedroom increased the temperature minimally.

The oven should have warmed our frozen pasties and the room, except the oven didn’t work. Using a double boiler to steam pasties worked, but somehow a mushy crust removed the enjoyment of eating pasties.

After dinner, an anticipated spectacular sunset fizzled into a cold gray sky, and as evening progressed, several realizations came into focus. The wind was picking up and the temperature, dropping. A gray sky faded to total darkness. Up on the point, Cape du Couedic lighthouse scanned the Indian Ocean, severing the darkness with a sharp, intense white beam of light.

We looked skyward. The stars shown like diamonds — and we were alone. Not just alone but isolated. We knew the Rocky River Ranger Station was nine miles away on the sand road, but then we realized the ranger went home at 6 p.m. Her home was at the other end of the national park. What a great place to write a murder mystery!

The next day, several tourists showed up. As late afternoon approached, everyone left. Cape du Couedic once again became ours. This evening, we reveled in its isolation.

Since our visit, a new Visitors Center has opened at Rocky River. The three cottages are now known as Tourbridge Lodge, Karaha Lodge and Parndana Lodge. You can book online at www. environment.sa.gov.au/parks/flinderschase (click on “fees and charges” or “tour and entry time”). In 2005, rates for a minimum 2-night stay are Aus$120 (near US$93) per night plus a linen charge of Aus$15 per person.

FRED KOEHLER
Orange, CA