Katiki Point Lighthouse

The Katiki Point Lighthouse, also known as Moeraki Lighthouse, shone for the first time in 1878, following several accidents on the dangerous reefs around the area, to make the area safer for ships that sailed past on their way to Port Chalmers, Dunedin.[2][3][4] The lighthouse was built between the settlements of Moeraki and Katiki, on the tip of the Moeraki Peninsula, which is known as Katiki Point or Moeraki Point.

Katiki Point Lighthouse
Moeraki
New Zealand
LocationKatiki Point
South Island
New Zealand
Coordinates45°23′30.7″S 170°51′58.2″E
Year first constructed1878
Year first lit1878
Automated1975
Constructionwooden tower
Tower shapehexagonal tower with balcony and lantern
Markings / patternwhite tower, red trim, black lantern
Tower height8 metres (26 ft)
Focal height58 metres (190 ft).
Current lenslight-emitting diode
Light sourcemains power
Range10 nautical miles (19 km; 12 mi)
CharacteristicFl W 12s.
Admiralty numberK4360
NGA number5368
ARLHS numberNZL-034[1]
Managing agentMaritime New Zealand

History

The point has a long history of wrecks, notably the wrecking of the ancestral waka atua on a return trip from Hawaiki, leaving some of the cargo being on the beach at Katiki, below the lighthouse.[5][6] Tradition holds that the remains of the cargo are the Moeraki Boulders. Just before the light was to be lit for the first time, a storm shook the tower to the extent that the lamp glass broke. A new one had to be ordered, and the tower was strengthened, before the light was lit on 22 April 1878.[7]

Katiki Point Lighthouse from Northern side

The wooden tower stands 26 feet (8 m) high and 190 feet (58 m) above sea level. The light flashes on for 6 seconds and off for 6 seconds, and can be seen for 10 nautical miles (20 km). The light-emitting diode beacon is supplied by mains electricity, with a battery for standby power. The original lens operated with a 1000-watt lamp supplied by mains electricity, with a diesel generator for standby power. It can still be seen in the lantern room at the top of the tower.

The light was fully automated in 1975 and the lighthouse keeper was withdrawn. The operation of the light is now fully automatic and is monitored by a computer and Maritime New Zealand staff in Wellington. The lighthouse was restored by Maritime New Zealand in 2006.[8]

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See also

References
  1. Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of New Zealand: South Island". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  2. "Maritime New Zealand". Archived from the original on 18 July 2007. Retrieved 27 July 2007.
  3. "New Zealand Lighthouses – Moeraki (Katiki Point)". Archived from the original on 3 July 2007. Retrieved 27 July 2007.
  4. "Maritime New Zealand – Lighthouse locations" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 September 2007. Retrieved 27 July 2007.
  5. "Department of Conservation – Field trip guide" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 27 July 2007.
  6. "Ngai Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998 – Statutory acknowledgement for Te Tai o Arai Te Uru (Otago Coastal Marine Area)". Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 27 July 2007.
  7. "Katiki Point Lighthouse". Maritime New Zealand. Archived from the original on 21 February 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  8. "Maritime New Zealand – Restoration". Archived from the original on 23 September 2007. Retrieved 27 July 2007.
  • McLean, G. (1986) Moeraki Dunedin, NZ: Otago Heritage Books. ISBN 0-9597723-3-2.
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