wadjemup lighthouse tour

Wadjemup Lighthouse

Top ways to experience Wadjemup Lighthouse and nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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WADJEMUP LIGHTHOUSE: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

• (0.13 km) Caroline Thomson Cabins
• (0.18 km) Discovery Resorts - Rottnest Island
• (0.95 km) Samphire Rottnest
• (0.88 km) Hotel Rottnest
• (1.24 km) Kingstown Barracks
• (0.19 km) Pinky's Rottnest Island
• (0.55 km) The Lane Cafe
• (0.55 km) Rottnest Bakery
• (0.45 km) Frankie's on Rotto
• (0.55 km) Simmo's

Wadjemup Lighthouse

Rottnest Island

Rottnest's unmissable human-made landmark, the 20m-tall Wadjemup Lighthouse was built in 1849 and was WA's first stone lighthouse. Tours run daily every 30 minutes from 10am until 2.30pm inclusive, operated by Rottnest Voluntary Guides . Take the Island Explorer bus to get here or cycle, but don't underestimate the ride: it can get windy by the salt lakes, and there are more than a few hills to conquer. There's often a coffee caravan parked here to aid recovery.

Wadjemup Hill. off Digby Dr

Get In Touch

08-9372 9730

https://www.rottnestisland.com/see-and-do/Island-tours/wadjemup-lighthouse

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Nearby Rottnest Island attractions

1 . Oliver Hill Battery

Oliver Hill Battery was built in the 1930s and played a major role in the WWII defence of the WA coastline and Fremantle harbour. The guns here, however,…

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Lookout on the island's south coast, with glorious coastal views and access to Jeannies Pools, a series of prime rock-pool snorkelling spots.

4 . Vlamingh Lookout

Not far away from Thomson Bay (wander up past the old European cemetery), this unsigned vantage point offers panoramic views of the island, including its…

5 . Wadjemup Aboriginal Burial Ground

Adjacent to the Quod is a hushed, shady woodland area where hundreds of Aboriginal prisoners were buried in unmarked graves. Until relatively recently,…

Built in 1864, this hefty octagonal building with a central courtyard was once the Aboriginal prison block. During its time as a prison several men would…

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8 . Historic Chapel

Push open the door and enter this hushed, simple chapel near the old prison, built in 1858 and with creaky floorboards, a driftwood crucifix and a single…

Wadjemup Lighthouse

Top ways to experience Wadjemup Lighthouse and nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Also popular with travellers

WADJEMUP LIGHTHOUSE: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

• (0.13 km) Caroline Thomson Cabins
• (0.18 km) Discovery Resorts - Rottnest Island
• (0.95 km) Samphire Rottnest
• (0.88 km) Hotel Rottnest
• (1.24 km) Kingstown Barracks
• (0.19 km) Pinky's Rottnest Island
• (0.55 km) The Lane Cafe
• (0.55 km) Rottnest Bakery
• (0.45 km) Frankie's on Rotto
• (0.55 km) Simmo's

Rottnest Island Lighthouse

The original lighthouse on this site was Western Australia’s first lighthouse.

The second, and current, is Australia’s first ever rotating beam lighthouse.

Rottnest Island got its name in 1696 when Willem de Vlamingh landed there and found an animal that was a ‘kind of rat, as big as a common cat’. He called the island Rottnest which literally means ‘Rats Nest’. We know these a small marsupials today as quokkas.

The island was originally settled by Europeans in 1831, but was taken over by the Colonial Government in 1839 and converted to a penal settlement for Aboriginals.

The first lighthouse tower on the island was completed in 1849 using Aboriginal convict labour. Though it was 20 metres tall, it was still 3 metres shorter than originally planned and had taken 9 years to build due to poor skills and the penal environment.

Living quarters for the lightkeeper were built around the base.

Made from locally quarried stone from Nancy Cove, it was the first lighthouse to be built in stone in Western Australia. The lighthouse did not operate until 1851 when the revolving lamp and clockwork mechanism was fitted.

The machinery for the revolving catoptric light was designed and made in Fremantle. This enabled the light to be opened a year earlier than waiting for a apparatus to arrive from England.

The first light flashed for 5 seconds in the minute and was visible for 18 nautical miles. The light consumed some 3 gallons of coconut oil per week, although later kerosene was used as a fuel.

The lighthouse was officially opened on the same day in 1851 as the Arthur Head Lighthouse at Fremantle.

In 1881, the apparatus was replaced by a revolving first order dioptric with an improvement in clarity and range.

© All images are copyright of their respective photographers and are not to be used without permission.

Towards the end of the nineteenth century, it was decided to replace the lighthouse with a new one twice as high and with a more powerful lamp, situated alongside the old one on Wadjemup Hill.

The small square stone building adjacent to the lighthouse is all that remains of this first lighthouse.

The new tower completed in 1896, was designed by W T Douglass, in London, who was also responsible for the Cape Leeuwin light. Construction was under the supervision of the colony’s Engineer-in-Chief, C Y O’Connor.

C Y O’Connor is famous for the water supply pipeline to Kalgoorlie Goldfields in the dry inland of Australia. He took his life tragically when people lost faith in the scheme, and therefore never saw it successfully transform the goldfields to a booming inland city.

The new lighthouse, like the first lighthouse, was also built of limestone from Nancy Cove. This time the stone was transported to Wadjemup Hill along a short railway line.

The lantern room was fitted with a focal radius rotating lens (first order dioptric) manufactured by Chance Brothers and Co Limited, Lighthouse Engineers, near Birmingham. A new mercury bath and pedestal with clockwork mechanism was installed in 1929.

In 1936, light source consisting of a six wick kerosene burners was converted to electricity and made semi-automatic. The light was converted to fully automatic operation in 1986. The electric supply comes from the island settlements power station. The light was demanned in 1990.

It is interesting to note that the first three lighthouse keepers committed suicide!

During the Meckering Earthquake a quantity of the mercury spilled out of its bath.

A subsidiary light was established on Bathurst Point in 1900.

As a major coastal light, the Main Rottnest Lighthouse was passed to Commonwealth control in 1915 under the Navigation Act of 1912. The Rottnest Island Authority has purchased the lighthouse and leased it back to Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

We need your help in compiling a list of keepers for this lighthouse. If you have any information then send it to [email protected] .

Technical Details

The lighthouse is on Wadjemup Hill at the centre of Rottnest Island. The island can be reached by ferries that leave from the Barrack Street Jetty in Perth, Northport in North Fremantle or Hillarys Boat Harbour. Flights leave from Perth Airport. It is not known whether tours are conducted.

Site Access

The lighthouse grounds are open all year round.

The Rottnest Volunteer Guides Association conducts tours every day from 10:00 until 3:00

Accommodation

No lighthouse accommodation is available

Detail to come.

Friends Group

There is no Friends Group

Associated Lighthouse

Bathurst Point Lighthouse

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Wadjemup Lighthouse

Top ways to experience Wadjemup Lighthouse and nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Also popular with travellers

Wadjemup Lighthouse - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

• (0.13 km) Caroline Thomson Cabins
• (0.18 km) Discovery Resorts - Rottnest Island
• (0.95 km) Samphire Rottnest
• (0.88 km) Hotel Rottnest
• (1.24 km) Kingstown Barracks
• (0.19 km) Pinky's Rottnest Island
• (0.55 km) The Lane Cafe
• (0.55 km) Rottnest Bakery
• (0.45 km) Frankie's on Rotto
• (0.55 km) Simmo's

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Wadjemup Lighthouse

Things to do rottnest island , cockburn , western australia.

Constructed in 1896, Wadjemup Lighthouse stands at the highest point of Rottnest Island, offering visitors a fantastic view of Perth City on the distant mainland. At approximately 38 metres, it is the fourth tallest lighthouse in Australia and replaced the original 20-metre structure built in 1849.

While the lighthouse itself is closed to visitors, this scenic spot is well worth a visit. Three other buildings in the Wadjemup precinct, including the Signal Station, the Battery Observation Post and the Women’s Royal Australian Navy Service, are also intact and linked by self-guided interpretive signage.

Located at the centre of the island, you can get to the Wadjemup Lighthouse by bike (a 15-minute ride from the Settlement), by bus tour, shuttle bus, or by foot via the Wadjemup Bidi walk trail.

Disabled Assistance

Nearby Things to Do

Rottnest Island, Cockburn

Pinky Beach

Oliver Hill Battery

Geordie Bay

Parakeet Bay

Also in this location.

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• Daytrips out of Moscow
• Themed tours
• Customized tours
• St. Petersburg

Boris Pasternak's museum house

Pasternak’s “important achievement both in contemporary lyrical poetry and in the field of the great Russian epic tradition" was honored with a Nobel Prize for Literature in 1958. For many readers outside Russia, Pasternak is known mainly as the author of the touching historical novel Doctor Zhivago written in 1957. The novel as a whole communicates the haphazard, uncertain and chaotic quality of life caused by the Russian Revolution and the heroic case of quiet humanism demonstrated by a single person.

Pasternak’s translations of Georgian poets favored by Joseph Stalin probably saved his life during the purges of the 1930’s. However, the individualistic Pasternak was not suited to the Soviet artistic climate when art was required to have a clear socialism-inspired agenda and so Russian publishers were unwilling to print Pasternak’s novel. In fact, Doctor Zhivago first appeared in Italy in 1957.

Pasternak won his Nobel Prize the following year. Despite Pasternak politely declining his Nobel Prize quoting: “because of the significance given to this award in the society to which I belong”, the award nevertheless spread his fame well beyond Russia. He ended his life in virtual exile in an artist's community in Peredelkino village. His last poems are devoted to love, to freedom and to reconciliation with God.

Pasternak was rehabilitated posthumously in 1987. In 1988, after being banned for three decades, "Doctor Zhivago" was published in the USSR. In 1989 Pasternak's son accepted his father's Nobel medal in Stockholm.

Pastenak loved his house in Peredelkino, the house and surrounding nature featuring in his poetry. The poet considered the cycle of poems "Peredelkino", which he completed in the spring of 1941, to be his best work. The poet spent the first difficult months of the war in Peredelkino; he completed the novel "Doctor Zhivago" here, wrote the Lara poems and translated Shakespeare and Goethe. It was in this house that he learned he was to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature on October 23rd 1958. He died here on May 30 1960.

The house in Peredelkino only acquired the status of a museum in 1990, thirty years after the poet's death and a century after his birth. The museum has fully preserved the environment and atmosphere of the house where Boris Pasternak lived and worked. The director of the museum is Elena Pasternak, grandaughter of Boris Pasternak.

Pasternak’s grave can be found in Peredelkino cemetery which is situated 20 minutes walk from the poet’s house.

Tour duration: 6-7 hours

Tour cost: English -  150 USD, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese - 180 USD

Additional expenses: car - 150 USD, or train - 10 USD

Send us a request!

Moscow Night Tour

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Description

Highlights:.

• Feel the spirit of sleepless Moscow
• Party the night away in one of the many Moscow bars
• See what you can’t see during the day
• Walk around historical part of city by night
• Astonishing Kremlin views
• Majestic architecture in colors of night
• Enjoy great views from Sparrow Hills
• Hypnotizing night city lights
• Become a part of lively Moscow nightlife

Tour Itinerary:

Exploring night Moscow means to find yourself in totally different city! Monuments become more spellbinding and the streets with nightclubs, bars and cafes are lively and ready to meet you. Feel the amazing atmosphere of night city and make sure that Moscow never sleeps.

Sample itinerary for the Moscow night tour:

This place is must-see not only during the day but also (especially!) at night. You will feel the real majesty of this place with its monuments, the beautiful illumination and be amazed with iconic Kremlin walls .

Sparrow Hills

Observation deck  on Sparrow Hills with  Moscow State University  (Stalin skyscraper) is the great place to enjoy breathtaking views of city by night.

Beautiful  City bridge  leading to  Gorky Park  has fantastic views of  Christ the Savior   Cathedral and the Moskva River. Exploring Moscow attractions by riding a bike along the riverside pathways can be a unique adventure!

Historic City Centre

Walk along main Moscow streets  :  Tverskaya Street  and historical lanes with a great variety of cafes and bars.  Arbat  is a legendary street to find all kinds of awesome! Enjoy the streets loved by citizens and tourists.

Night clubs and bars

Finish your night adventure with a drink in the nightlife hotspot Solyanka, or Patriarch bridge leading to Strelka with lots of stunning views on the way!

From our tour. Impressions of our American tourist:

We walked over the bridge where I got a better photo of the Kremlin to enter metro station to travel the one stop back to the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. This cathedral has a fascinating story.  It is Moscow's largest Orthodox cathedral.  It was built between 1839-1883 as a memorial to those who fell fighting Napoleon's army in the War of 1812. 

At its entry, the marble walls are covered with inscribed names of those whose lives were lost.  For more than a century, it was the city's largest single structure, dominating the city skyline.  In 1931, a few seconds demolished what had taken 50 years to build, following Stalin's orders. 

The marble from the church and other valued materials and objects were stripped and removed to be used elsewhere, such as for creating art in the Metro stations.  During Khrushchev's time, one of the world's largest outdoor swimming pools was built. 

In recent years, the decision was made to rebuild the Cathedral; this time it took only 5 years at a cost of $150 million.  While the city provided most of the funding, when the decision to rebuild was announced, the rubles poured in from the general population.  Once again, photos were not allowed, but my friend bought a booklet, and she kindly let me use it so you can see its elaborate interior. 

What you probably DO know about this cathedral is that the Russian punk band Pussy Riot performed a protest concert inside the church in 2012, resulting in their arrest and jail time for 3 of its members.

After my friend selected her icon from the gift shop, it was time to bid our favorite Muscovite guide farewell. Our Moscow guide has restored my faith in her generation.  So wise and compassionate she is.  She was extremely perceptive about our preferences and needs. 

As my friend noted to me last night after we got back to our room, there wasn't a problem our guide didn't solve with calm and timely effectiveness.  After she presented both of us with gifts tied with satin ribbon, she walked us across the plaza in front of the cathedral to our waiting cab.  She told my friend that she reminded her of her own "Baba" and that she would send my friend a picture of her to show the resemblance. 

Even with this affection on her part toward my friend, I know our guide would have delivered the same excellent guide service to us, topped with abundant grace and sensitivity.  These characteristics are a part of her inner soul.  Our positive regard of Moscow is because of our guide.

What you get:

• + A friend in Moscow.
• + Private & customized tour.
• + An exciting pastime, not just boring history lessons.
• + An authentic experience of local life.
• + Flexibility during the tour: changes can be made at any time to suit individual preferences.
• + Amazing deals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the very best cafes & restaurants. Discounts on weekdays (Mon-Fri).
• + A photo session amongst spectacular Moscow scenery that can be treasured for a lifetime.
• + Good value for souvenirs, taxis, and hotels.
• + An expert advice on what to do, where to go, and how to make the most of your time.

*This Moscow by night tour can be modified to meet your preferences .

Write your review

Home Page › Our tours › Towns of the Golden Ring. Trips out of Moscow › Dacha Tour

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Explore Russian Summer Life: Visit Russian Dacha!

People from Northern countries soak up every bit of pleasure out of summertime. Its days are numbered, and we do our best to store up the sunshine for the long, cold months that make up the rest of the year. Russians are among those who take full advantage of the brief, hot weather.

At summer’s peak, many Russians don’t venture far. The reason is dachas , our country houses. August brings the harvest for our small garden plots, but a dacha is much more than just an economic benefit: it embodies a culture dating back to Communist times.

The dachas is a unique phenomenon in the life of anyone who lives in the boundless expanses of the Russian Federation. A small plot – just 0.15 acres – with a few currant bushes, apple trees and a vegetable patch, a little wooden house with no telephone or running water and a discreetly located outhouse. I’d love to how you mine.

How we’ll get there:

I believe that it’ll be fun to experience the Russian suburban train (electrichka), which is very popular in our country. Electrichka is inexpensive and it might even be faster than a car as it doesn’t depend on the traffic. Travelling by commuter train you’ll be able to see ordinary people and possibly talk with them. Sometimes trains offer you such “free entertainment” as listening to numerous vendors and musicians. But local trains might be crowded at certain times of the day so in some cases we’d recommend you to go with us by car.

What we’ll do:

We start the trip with the tour of Dmitrov , an ancient Russian town, founded in 1147 and called Moscow younger brother. It is located 1 hour drive out of Moscow.

Learning how to prepare a Russianlunch:

First you choose the right meat, then the right recipe for the marinade.The fire has to be started and allowed to burn down until it’s almost out, but still smouldering. If you catch it at that moment, then the meat will roast evenly and not burn.

Meanwhile, the fire keeps threatening to go out, compelling family and guests to furiously fan it with pieces of cardboard. We serve sashlik with baked potatoes, pickled vegetables and of course Russian vodka. Lunch is followed by traditional Russian tea drinking .

You’ll be so involved, you won’t even notice when it’s time to go back to the city.

The tour cost is 200 USD.

Tour price is for 2 people but I can accommodate up to 6 people in this tour, however the price will change.

Transportationis extra.

Tour duration: 8 hours

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