As you know I have been down to Victoria in the last week to visit with Leanne Cole, photographer extraordinaire 
for a few days of R&R and photographing with a like-minded soul. We had a great time together and this post on Cape Otway was one of our first stops on our whirlwind tour of a small portion of Victoria on the coast just a couple of hours west of Melbourne.
The weather that particular week took a turn for the worse when most of the eastern side of Australia was caught in a low that had it on its knees with really cold weather. It even snowed in Queensland, which doesn’t happen very often.
We took this all in our stride, rugged up accordingly and set off. We actually liked that the clouds were grey and foreboding, it added interest to the scene and was in stark contrast to the lighthouse shining in all its white glory. Even with my fear of heights I managed to go up to the top of the lighthouse and back down unscathed. Im so glad I did it was a great view from up there.
Cape Otway lighthouse was built in 1848 from stone cut only 5km away and transported by oxen to the site. It took 10 months for the lighthouse to be built to such specific requirements that no cement was needed to assemble the tower. The lamp was transported from London by small boats tackling the pounding surf but managed to install it in one piece!
At present it is the oldest surviving lighthouse in Australia and we had the privilege of photographing it.
1854 saw the start of the telegraph network which was revolutionary in Australia at the time. The telegraph station at Cape Otway was built in 1859 and housed the operators and their families as well as telegraph operating rooms.
For more information on this unique lighthouse please go to their website – Cape Otway Lighthouse. There is a lovely cafe there – the Light keepers cafe, that kept us warm with a lovely meal and a warm fire.
Below I have a gallery of photos that I took on my visit.
Love that stormlight on the white lighthouse and fence rails
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Thanks LA. Yes that’s what appealed to me too. The white of the rails leading to the lighthouse and the contrast with the dark storm clouds. Never thought I’d say I’m glad it was a miserable day! 🙂
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I had exactly the same when I was in Tasmania, one particular day was rainy and overcast but I was fantastic for doing BW conversions and gave me great skies. In someways bad weather is better lighting than blue skies, much softer shadows for a start. Looks like a great day out either way.
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Yes its a win, win situation. I hope to go to Tassie in a couple of months and wouldnt mind a bit of brooding while there lol! 🙂
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Lighthouse shots are especially stunning!
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Thanks so much Spixl 🙂
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That brooding sky is perfect for offsetting the white of the lighthouse. Great photos.
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Yep it was perfect on the day and it wouldn’t have looked so good on a clear sunny day.
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What a wonderful adventure you shared with Leanne, Kaz! And these photos are truly stunning. I absolutely love that the storm clouds were part of the landscape (despite your cold) as they absolutely add a dramatic and mysterious feel to each photo, rather perfect for seascapes and a white lighthouse! Love the views from the top (especially with the red railing in the foreground). Glad you worked up the courage to go up – we are the delighted beneficiaries 🙂 More, more, more!
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They are so storming, which is fantastic, love them, I still think the grey sky was a blessing, and we got some rather unique images. Great images, fantastic really, and really stunning, do you think I can stop using the word really now, really. 😀
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No keep going really, no! haha. Yes that sky made the day really photography wise… i think looking at all my shots over the whole time, these are the best ones as they have a mood! Thanks Leanne
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Really, you don’t mind if I stop?? I think you are right about the mood, they were very moody there, I think we were actually very lucky that we got such bad weather.
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I really think you are right 😉
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Lovely shots Karen!
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Thanks Desley, it is a spectacular place 🙂
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Just the right kind of weather for these photos Karen. You did a fantastic job capturing the feeling of impending storm and cold against the warmth of the safety fo the lighthouse.
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Yep perfect really. Never thought I’d say that but it only rained intermittently so with plastic bag on camera it was fun!
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Nice contrast!
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Thanks Laura it was. We loved the dark sky and the white lighthouse, perfect time to shoot it really.
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You’re welcome! Have a great weekend.
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Really lovely captures, Karen 😉
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Thanks Ken I appreciate your comments. Great place to visit, so much to see.
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Whoa! That first one is absolute magig. Framing, tones, textures. The way the white or lighthouse and fence combine those two elements to standout among the sullen tones surrounding them is exquisite.
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Thanks Patrick, I was pretty pleased with it myself when I got home. The grey sky really set the scene I think 🙂
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Magic… white of lighthouse.
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Thanks for your wonderful feedback 🙂
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You are most welcome. : )
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Some great shots of a stung area Kaz, I agree completely that the grey skies add a wonderful sense of drama which is far more interesting that the usual blue sky! Makes me think of family holidays in Cornwall as a kid , waiting for the sky to show us a pitch of blue!
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Stunning! There is something quite fitting about foreboding skies and seas and a lighthouse! Rugged, protective, riding out the storms.
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Thanks Lillian, yes your’e right. You kind of expect that type of weather for a lighthouse with ships rocking in the wild waves trying to get into shore.
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wild and moody!! I love light houses and lands end!!
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Thanks Cybele looks a bit lands end doesn’t it. Yep very moody. You don’t seem to get it that up here in QLD.
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looks a wonderful spot!
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Beautiful pics as usual. I am not surprised that they are, because when you put a good photographer and a wonderful scenery together you see great images.
Thanks for the visit to Cape Otway!
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Thanks so much for your lovely words, that was so nice. It was definitely a great place to visit. Thanks for visiting with me! 🙂
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I love the light in these photos. The contrast of the white rails against the blue grey sky and water is stunning.
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Thanks Mama C 🙂
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