Kaena Point Lighthouse, Hawai'i

In 1985, when my husband was stationed in Hawai'i with the USN, our family made a hike out to Kaena Point on Oahu's northwestern tip to see the little concrete lighthouse. It was a long, rough, trail along the shoreline, with cliffs rising above us. Hot, dusty, and beaten by the sun, we made the entire trip---seven miles out and seven miles back--on foot. Along the way, our kids found treasures washed up by waves and played in the surf. After reading my article below, which appeared in Hawai'i Magazine's August 1988 issue, you can imagine my disappointment to find the lighthouse vandalized. Additional photos that appear below the article show what happened after 1985.

An aerial view of Kaena Point shows the trails leading to the point from the north side of the Koolau Mountains and the south side. My family made the walk on the south trail, shown in the next image. (Honolulu Magazine photos)

My kids in 1985 on the trail to Kaena Point. These kids have hiked to many lighthouses!

Kaena Point in recent years--the concrete lighthouse was pushed over by vandals. Someone decided to paint a girl's face and flowing hair on the fallen lighthouse. I suppose that's better than tagging or plain old scribbling. 

The Coast Guard erected a pole light with four orange and white dayboards to replace the little concrete lighthouse. Vandals ripped off the dayboards too. Vandalism will always be a problem at remote and unmanned lighthouses. Sadly, vandals also have killed albatrosses that nest at Kaena Point, and harassed seals and other wildlife. Top image is from Kraig Anderson of Lighthouse Friends. Bottom image is from Trip Advisor.

Today, Kaena Point is a state park and protected area. Vehicular traffic is forbidden, but some people disregard the rule. Still, it is a pleasant hike if you are prepared. Slather yourself with sunscreen, wear a hat and cool cotton clothing plus good hiking shoes, and take water and snacks. Don't forget your camera!

If you have current pictures of Kaena Point, I'd enjoy seeing them. Send them to lightkeeper0803@gmail.com and I will post them on this blog with credit.

Corbiere Lighthouse, England

Beautiful Corbiere Lighthouse sits on the southwest coast of the island of Jersey in the Channel Islands. These belong to England. The islands are known for their storms, receiving the brunt of wind and waves when the southern English Channel gets rough.

I visited Corbiere Lighthouse this past July with the U.S. Lighthouse Society. It's an amazing little tower, perched on a rock. I'm sharing some images of that visit, plus some old postcards and minutia of interest about the lighthouse.

You can see the paved pathway leading out to the lighthouse. You have to go at low tide; otherwise, you'll be swept away. My group dined in a restaurant on shore--the perch where I took this photo--and watched the tide come in and cover the path. It came in so fast,! You could be caught on the rock at the lighthouse if you weren't paying attention!

My friend, Phil Borkowski surveyed the Corbiere coast in this photo. Phil is an amazing photographer and a fun guy. He wears a train conductor's uniform. He bought it as a Halloween costume many years ago and thought it was one of the most comfortable outfits ever worn. Needless to say, he's easy to spot on lighthouse tours.

German bombers attacked Jersey in 1940 and then German troops occupied the island until the end of the war. The concrete structure on the right is a reminder of German occupation. It was built by prisoners and used as a lookout and range-finding tower.

 

Fog happens, especially in the English Channel. Corbiere Lighthouse's fog signal machinery remains on duty, including the trumpet. The signal is four blasts every sixty seconds. My friend Linda Elliot posed under the fog trumpet for scale. Lucky for her it was a clear, sunny day.

Two black and white images from Corbiere Lighthouse's past were hanging in the nearby restaurant.

Corbiere Lighthouse has appeared on many postage stamps. 

This seal was on a brochure I found on Jersey. The French phrase means "to get past." In this case, it's about getting past Corbiere Lighthouse. Beyond the lighthouse is smoother water. On Jersey, whenever people want to say things will get easier because the worst is behind us, they use this phrase.

Two old postcards and an old painting on a postcard are below.

A little Corbiere history--

The name means "a place where crows gather." I did not see any crows on my visit, but there were plenty of gulls. 

There have been several shipwrecks here, even in recent years. Two famous wrecks occurred in 1859--a mail packet--and in 1995--a French catamaran called Saint-Malo. Over three hundred passengers were aboard the latter wreck, and all were rescued. A monument to the rescue sits on the waterfront.

The lighthouse was first commissioned in 1874 and is 62-feet tall and 119-feet above the sea. It is built of concrete but has a lovely stone block look. 

After a lighthouse keeper drowned in 1946 trying to rescue a visitor who attempted to get ashore after the tide rose, a tidal alarm was installed at the lighthouse to alert people when they need to get off the island.

The lighthouse beacon remains in service and has a range of 18-nautical miles.

This is the most popular tourist stop on the island of Jersey.