Exploring Tuhawaiki Point Lighthouse.
(From Timaru city, head south along SH1. The track can be accessed from either Scarborough Road or Ellis Road which directly off the state highway. You can walk, run or bike and it's also dog friendly. Please ensure any dogs are under control as you may see penguins and seals on the rocky beach. There is no public access to enter the lighthouse.
Tuhawaiki Point, or Jacks point, gets its name from Hone (Jack) Tuhawaiki, a Maori chief belonging to the Ngai Tahu and Kai Tahu tribes.
The Tuhawaiki Point Lighthouse was constructed on site in 1903 by the Timaru harbour board. It was built to overcome the ineffectiveness of the harbour light.
The lighthouse originally resided on Somes Island in 1866. Operation of the Tuhawaiki Point light
In 1903, the tower was fitted with an incandescent light. This was a relatively untried lighting method in New Zealand at that time. The incandescent light worked by oil vapour at high pressure being sprayed into a mantle, which once ignited produced a brilliant white light. These lights required less maintenance than oil burning lights.
Tuhawaiki Point Lighthouse is now fitted with a flashing beacon which is illuminated by a 100 watt tungsten halogen bulb.
The light is powered by mains electricity backed up by battery power in the event of power failure. The light is monitored remotely from Maritime New Zealand’s Wellington office.
Tuhawaiki Point Lighthouse had a sole keeper, who lived on station until the light station was fully automated in 1930. The light was maintained by harbour employees from the nearby port of Timaru.)
8 сен 2024
