'You may disembark... the LARC!' was the cry often heard today as I took a Larc tour from the town of 1770. I was recommended the Scooteroo tour but didn't fancy driving a motorbike myself so booked myself on this tour instead. Copied directly from the company website "1770 Environmental Tours operates two Lighter Amphibious Resupply Cargo vessels with a capacity of 32 passengers each. These fascinating vessels, equally at home on land or sea were originally built for military use, predominantly for transporting troops and equipment in and around coastal areas." Unlike Ducks, which were built in the 1940s, Larcs were built in the 1960s.
Initially we launched ourselves into Round Hill Creek and within minutes we saw a dolphin swimming amongst the moored boats. Not long after we saw a stingray floating about in the water. Back on dry land, we drove up the beach before crossing Eurimbula creek and Middle Creek. At some point along the way, I'm not exactly sure where, I saw my first wild kangaroos amongst the bushed. Exciting! What wonderful wildlife!
When we reached Bustard (say it carefully!) Head we had morning tea at a cosy undercover canopy owned by the tour company. Neil, the owner, went and found a huge crab - doesn't he look proud!
After we had eaten, we crawled up the steep hill to the lighthouse. When the tours first started, they walked to the lighthouse, thank goodness they take the Larc now! The views on the way were stunning!
We were taken on a really interesting tour up the lighthouse which has a light created in Birmingham!
Next we were shown around the adjacent lighthouse keepers cottage, refurbished to look as it would have when it was inhabited. There was a period of time when it was uninhabited and it got trashed so a fair amount of money has been pumped in to get it back into a museum.
Then we were taken down to the cemetry - there were some strange goings on amongst the lighthouse keepers families back in the day! However, my favourite story was one about the grave of a 2 month old baby (Not the pictured one). Niel had been asked by some guy about this particular grave and the man had booked onto a tour. On the same tour as his, another lady was looking around the graves with great interest, asking about the same grave. They were both looking over the grave, from opposite sides of the fencing, intently reading the headstone before looking up and realisng that they were looking into the eyes of a 2nd cousin they had never met and reached out to an emotionally grab each others hands.
On the return journey we were supposed to go sand boarding on Middle Island but as it had been raining this had to be canceled and we went shell collecting instead. I thought I'd be really disappointed but the wildlife and lighthouse tour were so interesting that I was more than satisfied.
Next we were shown around the adjacent lighthouse keepers cottage, refurbished to look as it would have when it was inhabited. There was a period of time when it was uninhabited and it got trashed so a fair amount of money has been pumped in to get it back into a museum.
Then we were taken down to the cemetry - there were some strange goings on amongst the lighthouse keepers families back in the day! However, my favourite story was one about the grave of a 2 month old baby (Not the pictured one). Niel had been asked by some guy about this particular grave and the man had booked onto a tour. On the same tour as his, another lady was looking around the graves with great interest, asking about the same grave. They were both looking over the grave, from opposite sides of the fencing, intently reading the headstone before looking up and realisng that they were looking into the eyes of a 2nd cousin they had never met and reached out to an emotionally grab each others hands.
On the return journey we were supposed to go sand boarding on Middle Island but as it had been raining this had to be canceled and we went shell collecting instead. I thought I'd be really disappointed but the wildlife and lighthouse tour were so interesting that I was more than satisfied.
I don't run. And if you ever see me running, you should run too because something is probably chasing me.
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