Cape Reinga Lighthouse

Cape Reinga Lighthouse is a lighthouse at Cape Reinga in the Northland Region of the North Island of New Zealand.[2] It is owned and operated by Maritime New Zealand. The lighthouse is a common New Zealand icon and a popular tourist destination although the lighthouse itself is not open to the public.

Cape Reinga Lighthouse
New Zealand
LocationCape Reinga
North Island
New Zealand
Coordinates34°25′35.9″S 172°40′39.5″E
Year first constructed1941
Year first lit1941
Automated1987
Constructionconcrete tower
Tower shapeoctagonal tower with balcony and lantern
Markings / patternwhite towe, black dome lantern
Tower height10 metres (33 ft)
Focal height165 metres (541 ft)
Light sourcesolar power
Range19 nautical miles (35 km; 22 mi)
CharacteristicFL W 12s
Admiralty numberK3688
NGA number3796
ARLHS numberNZL-012
Managing agentMaritime New Zealand[1]

History
Journal kept by Cape Reinga Lighthouse Keeper (1945)

The lighthouse was built in 1941 and first lit during May of that year. It was the last manned light to be built in New Zealand and replaced the Cape Maria Van Diemen Lighthouse, located on nearby Motuopao Island, which had been built in 1879. Accessing that lighthouse was difficult due to the rough seas in the area, so in 1938, it was decided to move the lighthouse to Cape Reinga for safety reasons. The complete lantern fittings from Motuopao Island were reused at Cape Reinga, though the new lighthouse was fitted with a 1000 watt electrical lamp instead that could be seen for 26 nautical miles (48 km). The lamp was powered by a diesel generator.

In 1987, the lighthouse was fully automated and the lighthouse keepers were withdrawn. The lighthouse is now monitored remotely from Wellington. In May 2000 the original lens and lamp were replaced by a 50 watt beacon. The beacon is powered by batteries that are recharged by solar cells. The beacon flashes every 12 seconds and can be seen for 19 nautical miles (35 km).

See also

References
  1. "Lighthouses Directory". Archived from the original on 28 October 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  2. Cape Reinga Lighthouse Profile Archived 11 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine (from the Maritime New Zealand website)


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