It’s not easy to make Milnerton lighthouse look as dramatic as the light at Slangkoppunt in Kommetjie, as the tower, opened in 1960, now exists next to a restaurant and quite far from the beach, surrounded by parking areas. It’s on Woodbridge Island, accessible by bridge from Marine Drive. It is constructed from concrete and stands 21 metres high, but its small stature and unassuming appearance belie its importance as one of the three guiding lights for ships entering Table Bay. Along with the Robben Island and Greenpoint lights, Milnerton assists mariners in making sense of the dizzying array of city lights that assault their vision at night.
The tower is not open to the public, and is not manned, though it is monitored by Port Control at Cape Town harbour by means of three indicator lights displayed in a port-facing window below the main light. The 800,000 candela light has a range of 25 nautical miles.
Everything I know about this lighthouse is from Gerald Hoberman’s magnificent book, Lighthouses of South Africa. It is filled with photographs far more beautiful and evocative than mine (and he even manages to make Milnerton lighthouse look romantic).
