This morning we thought it was time we tried canoeing. OK it was just a sit-on recreational canoe, but it did involve both of trying to coordinate our paddling to avoid a circular route. This we did with moderate success! We rented the canoe from Shoal Bay and managed to paddle across the bay to Nelson Bay lighthouse and back without falling in. The main thing keeping us in the canoe might have been the brightly coloured jellyfish we saw which gave us a pretty good incentive to learn fast!
In the afternoon we parked by Fly Point and walked up to the Nelson Bay light we had canoed to in the morning. As we were walking, a sea eagle very obligingly landed in a tree just off the point – a beautiful sight. The lighthouse was first built in 1872 and is unusual in that it isn’t really a lighthouse, but just a building. The original lamp room was just an octagonal room built onto the cottage and the light was displayed out of the windows of the room. The cottage has now been converted into a maritime museum and is run by NSW Maritime Rescue. The light itself was electrified in 1946 and by 1984 was automatic. In 1995 the light was replaced by a solar lantern but by 2003 even that was turned off as a light was no longer considered necessary.
However, most important of all part of the original lighthouse keeper’s cottage has been converted into a cafe and they do cream teas ….!