Sandra Pugh fell in love with lighthouses when she was a child in the 1960s.
"We had a girl come and join us [at school] from Bustard Head where she lived," Ms Pugh said.
"I just thought it would have been an amazing childhood."
Bustard Head Lighthouse is perched on top of a remote coastal headland, about halfway between the tourist town of Agnes Water and the industrial city of Gladstone in central Queensland.
Decades later, that same lighthouse now plays a strong part in Ms Pugh's life.
Once a year, for about a month at a time, she and her husband Reg travel up to the light station – only accessible by boat or amphibious vehicle – and volunteer their time looking after the buildings and grounds.
"It's actually such a privilege and an honour to be able to do this and I love that we're part of preserving history," Ms Pugh said.
Bustard's long history
The lighthouse was constructed in 1868 and for more than 100 years was manned by lighthouse keepers and their families.
In the 1980s the grounds were abandoned when the Commonwealth authority responsible for it automated the light inside the tower.
For years the site was only visited occasionally by technicians, curious yachties and vandals, and was left to ruin.
But its prospects changed in 2001 when the Bustard Head Lighthouse Association was set up by former lighthouse keeper Stuart Buchanan, who obtained a lease to the site in Eurimbula National Park.
The site was restored and a roster of volunteers was set up to help maintain the grounds.
"We first came to work on the cemetery, to do maintenance and repairs," Mr Pugh said.
"From there we were asked [by Stuart] to come back as caretakers.
"Since retirement, Sandra and I have travelled all around the world. But there's nothing quite like coming to a lighthouse to spend your time."
Life at the station
It is a laid-back lifestyle for the Pughs when they are at the lighthouse, their days filled with nature, showing tourists around, and card games.
Ms Pugh said she liked to start the morning walking to the nearby creeks on the other side of the headland to the ocean and watching the tides go in and out.
She also says hello to the dozens of kangaroos that call the area home.
"They don't hop away when you come near, it's like you're enveloped in nature," she said.
"The beautiful blue skies, the sunsets and the sunrises – which I get up to enjoy – are just fantastic."
From there, it is straight to work for the couple who used to run a cabinet making business – fixing anything that might have been damaged by wind or a storm, weeding the gardens and the adjoining cemetery, and making sure the place is looked after.
Looking after tourists
Some days, the couple is visited by tour groups that travel from the Town of Seventeen Seventy in a Vietnam War-era amphibious vehicle known as a LARC.
The LARCs also bring the volunteers to and from the light station during their stints there, as well as any supplies they need during the stay.
Neil Mergard brings guided tours to the area and said people loved learning the history of the light station.
"It's so multifaceted. You've got the cemetery and the stories there, you've got the amazing artefacts in the museum up at the light station," he said.
"But then of course you have the panoramic view from the balcony of the lighthouse. It's spectacular."
The end of the day
For Mr Pugh, once everyone leaves and all the work is done, that is when the isolation of their location sinks in.
"We do get TV up here for what it's worth, but we also play board games, we play card games and we spend a bit of time preparing a decent feed for ourselves," Mr Pugh said.
"It's a lovely feeling to come out here at night [and see the light].
"Yachties and all sorts of maritime people out there feel assured when they see that bloom of light beaming out to the horizon.
"I've only just turned 70, so I'm hoping we've still got another 10 or 12 good years out here left in me yet."
