Waipapa Point Lighthouse

Waipapa Point Lighthouse is a lighthouse located at Waipapa Point, Southland, New Zealand. It was first lit on 1 January 1884.

Waipapa Point Lighthouse

New Zealand
Location	Waipapa Point South Island New Zealand
Coordinates	46.659978°S 168.847047°E
Year first constructed	1883
Year first lit	1884
Automated	1975
Construction	wooded tower
Tower shape	hexagonal tower with balcony and lantern
Markings / pattern	white tower, red trim, grey lantern dome
Tower height	13 metres (43 ft)
Focal height	21 metres (69 ft)
Light source	solar power
Range	9 nautical miles (17 km; 10 mi)
Characteristic	Fl(5) W 20s.
Admiralty number	K4384
NGA number	111-5420
ARLHS number	NZL-056[1]
Managing agent	Maritime New Zealand[2]
Heritage	NZHPT Category I listing

The lighthouse was built in response to the wreck of the passenger steamer Tararua on reefs off Waipapa Point on 29 April 1881, with the loss of 131 lives. With its sibling, the retired Kaipara North Head Lighthouse, this was one of the last two wooden lighthouses built in New Zealand.

The lighthouse was automated and keepers withdrawn in 1975. It has been solar powered since 1988. A new LED beacon was installed externally on the balcony of the lighthouse in December 2008. Restoration work conducted in 2008 ensured it was weatherproof and secure from vandalism.[3]

See also

• List of lighthouses in New Zealand

References

• Waipapa Point Lighthouse, Maritime New Zealand. Retrieved 20 November 2018.

1. Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of New Zealand: South Island". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
2. "Lighthouses Directory". Archived from the original on 16 February 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
3. Waipapa Point Lighthouse restoration project Archived 14 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Maritime New Zealand. Retrieved 14 October 2010.

External links

• Waipapa Point Lighthouse in Lighthouse Digest's Lighthouse Explorer Database
• Lighthouses of New Zealand, Maritime New Zealand