Legoland: sort of - 54° 10′ 57″ N, 07° 53′ 07″ E

Off the coast of Germany, rising out of the North Sea like a small speck of rock, sits Heligoland.

Legoland?

I’d never heard of the place before, but it turns out to be quite famous for two things: cheap duty-free goods and obese day-trippers from Hamburg.

It is also 17,166km from Tasmania (sez them)

Heligoland is actually two specks of land—the main island, where the harbour, town and shops are found, and a smaller sandy islet a mile or so away. Fast ferries leave the German coast each morning and disgorge their slightly dazed and ambling passengers onto the wharf for a day of... well, I’m not entirely sure what.

Certainly, it seems to involve food. Lots of food. Ice cream features prominently, as does wandering around the shops and having your photograph taken in one of the many wicker beach chairs scattered around the town and beach. There is a steady procession of people posing, eating, shopping and generally enjoying themselves before the ferry eventually arrives to collect them all again.

And yet, despite the crowds and the slightly surreal atmosphere, we rather liked Heligoland. The town is brightly coloured, exceptionally clean and, when the sun is shining, surprisingly cheerful. The little island has a character all of its own, with its colourful buildings, red cliffs and the constant backdrop of the North Sea.

It may be a popular destination for day-trippers, but there is something rather charming about this isolated little outpost in the middle of the sea. 

Heligoland is also a noted by ornithologists as a nesting place for gannets.
We decided that gannets are all right, being excellent fliers and nonchalant
while in close proximity to humans.

The islands were historically possessions of Denmark, then became possessions of the United Kingdom from 1807 to 1890. Since 1890, they have been part of Germany, although after World War II they along with the rest of Schleswig-Holstein were administered by the United Kingdom as part of the British occupation zone in Germany. 

In April 1947, Britain exploded 6,700 metric tonnes of explosives to destroy all military infrastructure - and this was after a two-day aerial raid during the war where 7,000 bombs were dropped. British control of Heligoland lasted until 1952, when it was turned over to the control of West Germany.

Heligoland is also the birthplace of quantum physics, the framework laid out by Werner Heisenberg who did not wear a black pork pie hat.

Early morning sun over the breakwater

After topping up our fuel tanks we sailed into the sunrise towards The Netherlands.