Montague Island, NSW

Our 36th wedding anniversary, so a special day out.  The island is just of Narooma and caretakered by the National Parks and Wildlife, and our tour guide resides on the island. Today we went across to the island with Wazza and 14 others, starting off with a very fast boat ride across, and then Derek had 1 1/2 hour snorkel with the New Zealand Seals. Awesome.  The water was crystal clear and the most beautiful blue we have ever seen.

The tour of the island and climb to the top of the lighthouse was equally inspiring. There is accommodation for the lighthouse keeper and his family, plus 2 assistants and their families. Previous light house keepers did it tough with supplies only arriving annually in the beginning. As it is all automated now, you can stay on the island in their homes for about $1000 per night. The island is one solid granite rock, and the lighthouse was carved from the islands’ rock by hand and took 3 years to build. Completed in 1881. The island is home to one of the smallest penguins, called Little Penguins and in September to December there can be over 8 thousand breeding pairs on the island. We managed to see 1 lonesome one sitting on a rock near the small wharf where we went ashore.  Most are now breeding, and in their burrows, so we were extremely fortunate.