Over the years I have visited most lighthouses on the Australian NSW east coast. They offer spectacular panoramic views perched on a headland taking in ocean vistas. They are a landmark I will drive out of my way to visit when on a road trip as I am yet to be disappointed.

They all come in various shapes with rich cultural history dating back a hundred years or more. This lighthouse at Norah Head, was built in 1903 and has had little changes apart from the lights being upgraded to electricity.

I would visit Norah Head Lighthouse regularly as I host Milky Way Masterclass workshops here guiding my students to learn astrophotography. The Milky Way core is what I commonly capture but this night I planned to capture a 3 hour star trail to create a completely new image I have not done before here.

As the lighthouse is a mesmerising beacon of light, the star trails compliment the motion the rotating light beams. Each beam can be seen every 30 seconds, 26 nautical miles away, which has prevented disastrous wrecks which were very common on the coral outcrop below.

I am drawn to photograph lighthouses as they were the source of safety for sailors navigating the seas at night. Sailors would watch the movement of stars with their knowledge of the constellations to help guide them through the dark nights. This connection to the stars is unparalleled with the rich history of the two in early navigation.

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