Castle Point Lighthouse, located near the village of Castlepoint in the Wellington Region of the North Island of New Zealand, is the North Island’s tallest lighthouse standing 52 meters above sea level and is one of only two left in New Zealand with a rotating beam. It is owned and operated by Maritime New Zealand.
Castle Point lighthouse is situated on the Wairarapa Coast, about 70 kilometers east of Masterton. Close to the Castle Point Township, it was known as the “holiday light”.
The Castle Point light was one of the last manned lights to be established in New Zealand.
| Lighthouse feature: | details |
|---|---|
| Location: | latitude 40°54’ south, longitude 176°14’ east |
| Elevation: | 52 metres above sea level |
| Construction: | cast iron tower |
| Tower height: | 23 metres |
| Light configuration: | 2nd order Fresnel lens, illuminated by a 1000 watt incandescent bulb |
| Light flash character: | white light flashing 3 times every 30 seconds |
| Power source: | mains electricity |
| Range: | 19 nautical miles (35 kilometres) |
| Date light first lit: | 1913 |
| Automated: | 1988 |
| Demanned: | 1988 |
Getting to Castle Point
The lighthouse is accessible to the public. It can be reached on foot from the Castle Point township.
There is no public access to enter the lighthouse
Castle Point is a popular day trip from Wellington.
The History of Castle Point
The light was built in 1913 and was originally fueled by oil. It was officially lit for the first time on Sunday 12 January 1913, sending out a triple flash every 45 seconds that could be seen for 35 kilometre In 1954 the oil lamp was replaced with an electric one powered by a local diesel generator. This was subsequently replaced by a connection to the mains grid in 1961. The nearby Castlepoint beach is popular with holidaymakers and the lighthouse itself became a popular tourist attraction, acquiring the nickname “The Holiday Light”.
The light was fully automated in 1988 and is now managed from a central control room in Wellington.
Early days
Built upon a prominent cliff, Captain Cook observed that Castle Point looked like an “old medieval stronghold”.
Lighthouse construction
The cast iron tower was manufactured at Luke’s foundry in Wellington.
Lighthouse timeline
2013
Castle Point lighthouse centenary
2003
Epoxy urethane system applied
Original lighthouse coating removed & epoxy urethane system applied.
1988
Lighthouse fully automated
Lighthouse fully automated & lighthouse keeper withdrawn.
1977
Slew ring installed
Optic roller bearing replaced with slew ring.
1970
Lighthouse keepers reduced
Number of Lighthouse Keepers reduced from two to one.
1961
Lighthouse connected to mains
Lighthouse connected to mains supplied electricity.
1953
Electric turning motor lamp installed
Electric turning motors & lamp installed – 230V from diesel generator.
1947
Foundation bolts tightened
Tower shakes in storm, foundation bolts tightened.
1946
Roller bearing installed
Optic mercury bearing / float replaced with roller bearing.
1942
Mercury spill
Earthquakes cause optic bearing / float to spill mercury.
1934
Lantern room cleaning path install
Lantern room cleaning path install (missing from original tower).
1923
Lighthouse keepers reduced
Number of Lighthouse Keepers reduced from three to two.
1922
Lighthouse accident
Principal Duncan fell to his death from a ladder while fixing telephone line.
1913
Telegraph connected
Signal station with telegraph connected.
Light first lit
Light operational (total cost £9,703).
1912
Light supplied
Incandescent apparatus supplied by Chance Bros. (Birmingham).
Optic turning apparatus supplied
Optic turning apparatus supplied by James Milne and Son (Edinburgh).
Optic supplied
Optic supplied by Barbier, Bernard and Turenne (Paris).
Tower cast supplied
Tower cast at Lukes & Co Wellington (cost of tower – £1,375).
History
The light was built in 1913 and was originally fueled by oil. It was officially lit for the first time on Sunday 12 January 1913, sending out a triple flash every 45 seconds that could be seen for 35 kilometre In 1954 the oil lamp was replaced with an electric one powered by a local diesel generator. This was subsequently replaced by a connection to the mains grid in 1961. The nearby Castlepoint beach is popular with holidaymakers and the lighthouse itself became a popular tourist attraction, acquiring the nickname “The Holiday Light”.
The light was fully automated in 1988 and is now managed from a central control room in Wellington.
