Well, the first question you might ask is…’What is a Lighter?’
A Lighter is a ‘shallow-draft boat or barge, usually flat-bottomed, used in unloading (lightening) or loading ships offshore’. Source: Brittanica.com
Norfolk Island has no harbour and the closest cargo ships can moor to it is about 1 kilometre (0.62 miles)
The cargo is lifted onto the Lighters and then the Lighters transport the goods to Kingston Pier. A further challenge is that, even at high tide, the water is only 1 metre (3.2 feet) deep so a high degree of seamanship is required.
We were fortunate even to see this careful practice take place in our second visit to Norfolk Island back in 2007.
I find the Lighters to be a fascinating subject, particularly the ones that are no longer in service. There are 3 at Kingston, placed on land to add to the character of an already stunningly beautiful area. Oh, the stories I bet they could tell!
For me, they are one of my favourite subjects on Norfolk Island and have inspired me in terms of photography, sketching, painting and poetry.
Here are few examples:
Till next time!
Written, photographed, sketched and painted by myself.
23 April 2022
Communicating Creatively 