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To the lighthouse

Inspired to write by an Australian lighthouse, author Justin Somper picks some of his favourite spots across the continent

June 28, 2020 15:50
Byron Bay lighthouse at sunset (Photo: Getty Images)
4 min read

Each year my Australian husband and I spend a month visiting family and friends in Australia, strategically positioned around the continent’s hotspots.

This March, we made it back to the UK from Perth with what felt like minutes to spare before lockdown. In the circumstances, who knows when we’ll be back — but until then, allow me to share a few magical memories of this great continent to inspire you.

Social distancing is pretty effortless in Australia: a population of 25 million inhabits an area 32 times greater than the UK. And impressive as the cities are, for my money it’s Australia’s natural beauty that really makes the memories, much of it just a stone’s throw from the urban hubs.

I have a special place in my heart for Byron Bay, around 500 miles north of Sydney, not least because the lighthouse there, marking Australia’s most easterly point, was a huge inspiration for my Vampirates books.