Beacon.

Where I'm from, we have a lighthouse that is a pretty central feature of the town. Built in 190, it sits above the town on the headland, shining it's light across the bay and the hinterland. The light spins methodically, flashing across the town every 15 seconds. It's mesmerising to sit and watch it wash for kilometres and kilometres out to sea and along the coast. Apparently, the light has a range of 50 kilometres! It's also the most powerful light in Australia. The clean blue and white colours are striking, especially when the sky is as clear blue as it was this morning.

When you drive into town from the north, it's the first thing you see of the town. The highway is a bit different now, but when I was a child, you would come over this one hill and the you would see the lighthouse and the town and the ocean in front of you. My family made a sport of being the first one the yell, 'I can see the lighthouse!' when we drove back from Brisbane or the Gold Coast. I still think 'I can see the lighthouse!' whenever I make that trip, which is often.

I can always see it from the places that I surf - in fact, you can see it from almost every single break in the area. You would think I'd get bored of staring at it, but despite it's constancy, it always looks different, depending on your perspective and the weather. 

I know the lighthouse is redundant these days - ships don't really need lighthouses to keep them safe as they navigate the sea - but I love that it still lights up the night. It's incredibly romantic. I find it comforting and familiar, and I can't imagine home without it.