Mokohinau Islands Lighthouse

Lighthouse in New Zealand

Lighthouse

35°54′23″S 175°06′54″E / 35.9063°S 175.1149°E / -35.9063; 175.1149TowerConstructed1883^[1]Constructionstone towerAutomated1980Height14 metres (46 ft)Shapecylindrical tower with balcony and lanternMarkingswhite tower, black balconyPower sourcesolar power

LightFirst lit1883Focal height122 metres (400 ft)Range19 nautical miles (35 km; 22 mi)CharacteristicFl W 10s.

Mokohinau Islands Lighthouse is a lighthouse on Burgess Island, one of the Mokohinau Islands, which lie off the northeast coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is owned and operated by Maritime New Zealand.^[2] The lighthouse sits at the entrance to the Hauraki Gulf as the landfall light for vessels approaching Auckland from the north and northeast.^[3]

The lighthouse was built in 1883 and first lit during June of that year. Its isolated position, approximately 50 km northeast of Cape Rodney makes it one of the most distant lighthouses from the mainland.

During World War II, the lighthouse was turned off as the German destroyer suspected to be in the area laying mines.^[4] The lighthouse was not relit until 1947.^[5]

In 1980, the lighthouse was fully automated and the lighthouse keepers were withdrawn. The lighthouse is now monitored remotely from Wellington. The white light flashes every 10 seconds and can be seen for 19 nautical miles (35 km).^[3]

References

^ "The Hauraki Gulf Marine Park, Part 2". Inset to The New Zealand Herald. 3 March 2010. p. 15.
^ "Mokohinau Islands lighthouse – Maritime NZ". www.maritimenz.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 16 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
^ ^a ^b Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of New Zealand: North Island". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
^ "Mokohinau Island Lighthouse". www.newzealandlighthouses.com. Archived from the original on 16 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
^ Wright, Danielle (13 January 2012). "Leading lights in New Zealand". New Zealand Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Archived from the original on 16 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.

External links

Mokohinau Islands Lighthouse in Lighthouse Digest's Lighthouse Explorer Database
Lighthouses of New Zealand Archived 16 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Maritime New Zealand
Mokohinau Lighthouse in the Auckland War Memorial Museum archives.

Lighthouses in New Zealand

Italics indicate inactive sites.

North Island