American lighthouse tour group can’t get enough of Geraldton’s Point Moore landmark

The Point Moore lighthouse is iconic to Geraldton and the Mid West but its fan base continues to spread globally, with a tour group of American tourists recently falling in love with the local landmark.

Late last month on an especially windy day, a group of about 30 US tourists — on a tour visiting dozens of lighthouses across Australia’s coastline — stopped in Geraldton to get up close to the city’s 34m tall candy-striped structure.

The 147-year-old tower is the tallest steel lighthouse on mainland Australia and has a unique colour scheme compared to many other lighthouses.

Nearing the end of their tour, organised by the US Lighthouse Society, the Point Moore beacon was a favourite of many. Thanks to the Batavia Coast Maritime Heritage Association, the lighthouse was opened to the group, who were allowed to step inside and explore the base.

“This one ranks pretty high because it’s very tall and the colours are phenomenal and the structure that it’s made of is beyond even imaginative,” tour leader Kelly Bowers said.

Darlene Chisholm, from Albion in Michigan, isn’t sure if she’s a world record-holder, but she well could be.

“I’m not quite up to date on my count, but I’ve seen over 4500 lighthouses . . . there are different definitions of what is a lighthouse,” she said.

Cheryl Kelly, from San Clemente in California, has been to “probably 800” and admits she’ll “never catch up” to her travelling mate.

On the appeal, Ms Chisholm simply said “they just call me”.

Fellow tour member Pamela La Fontaine, from Ashburn in Virginia, elaborated on what draws her to lighthouses.

“They’re beautiful, they’re by the sea, they help save lives and they have great stories . . . sometimes very sad stories,” she said.

“To be able to go inside and see the spiral stairs that’s just an absolute honour.”

Of the 31 Australian lighthouses the group had visited by the time they reached Geraldton, they had only been allowed to climb two of them.

For safety reasons, the public cannot climb the 127 steps to the top of the Point Moore lighthouse, which is owned and operated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

But the BCMHA envisages one day of being able to develop a lighthouse precinct, which could offer guided tours to the top.

This possibility was strongly supported by the lighthouse’s newest fans.

“You get a group like us, the real bonus for us is if we get to climb to the top. There are other groups out there that are just as enthusiastic,” Ms Kelly said.

Ms Bowers added: “You would be able to make money off it because people would pay to climb to the top of this lighthouse, it’s a very good fundraiser to keep the lighthouses going.”

Ms Chisholm said while it was understandable why some lighthouses were off limits to climb, when the opportunity arose it was a “totally awesome” experience.

“Even with a cane, I’d climb this lighthouse,” she said.