Lighthouse keeper retires after 25 years working on remote Australian island

Being a lighthouse keeper is probably one of the loneliest jobs in the world. Yet, it’s been Leo op den Brouw’s work and life for the past 25 years on Gabo Island, off the coast of East Gippsland, Australia. But now, the time has come to pass on the responsibility to the next generation. Despite the isolation, he's loved every minute of it. He's especially fond of his marine neighbors. “Well, we're sort of stuck out in the ocean, so we see a lot of marine life,” says op den Brouw. Whales, sea eagles and one of the planet’s biggest colonies of little penguins are some of the companions op den Brouw shared the island with. But now, after two and a half decades, it’s time for him to pass the baton. “I feel sort of sad to be leaving the place because I thought I'd be here till they dragged me off kicking or screaming or in a box. But, time moves on and got this young bloke who's pretty interested and very keen,” says op den Brouw. The ‘young bloke’ op den Brouw is referring to is Sandy Duthie. And the historic significance of the job is not lost on the new recruit. “I'm hoping eventually to find a beautiful rhythm to tie in with Gabo's rhythm. There's a huge responsibility, and a lot of it is self-driven,” says Duthie, originally from Aberdeen, Scotland. For Duthie, that responsibility is a blessing. For close to 200 years, the lighthouse on Gabo Island has literally been a beacon for the locals of East Gippsland on the mainland 500 meters away. It’s now up to the next generation of caretakers to make sure this landmark is preserved. “The island, to me, is a really important part of Australian non-Indigenous history, and I'd like to see it kept in good order and accessible to the average Australian,” says op den Brouw. Like op den Brouw before him, Duthie will spend six months living on the island—one month on, one month off—shared with another caretaker. This article was provided by The Associated Press.