The rugged and windswept coastline of New Zealand's two main islands and of Stewart Island is over 4,000 miles in length and is lit by 25 manned and 66 unmanned automatic coastal lights, that is, not including harbour entrance and other harbour lights. As far back as the early fifties, when New Zealand had a dual system of government, a distinction was drawn between coastal and harbour lights, the former being established and maintained by the Central Government, and the latter by Provincial Governments. Today the Marine Department maintains the coastal lights, fog signals, and radio beacons, and various harbour boards maintain their own lights and fog signals.
The first light to be established in New Zealand was on Pencarrow Head at the entrance to Wellington's Harbour, Port Nicholson, on 1 January 1859. It is of interest to note that the first lightkeeper was a woman, Mrs M. J. Bennett, widow of the lightkeeper of a temporary beacon erected in 1852. The second light was not established until 1862, on the boulder bank at Nelson. Then, in 1865, due to the vigorous policy of J. M. Balfour, the Marine Engineer of the Central Government, and subsequently the first Secretary of the Marine Department when it was formed in 1877, lights were established at Tiritiri Matangi, Taiaroa Head, Mana Island, Godley Head, and Dog Island. All these lights are still in existence except that on Mana Island, which could possibly be confused with the Pencarrow light. This is believed to have caused the wrecks of City of Newcastle and Cyrus. It was therefore switched off in 1881 and subsequently carried in sections by the Government steamer Hinemoa and re-erected at Cape Egmont. This steel-built tower weighed 90 tons. By 1881 there were 21 lights established, and the story of their erection is one of rugged endurance and fine seamanship on the part of the crews of the Government steamers Luna, Stella, and Hinemoa in landing the materials over surf beaches and at rocky, isolated headlands. At the Brothers Islands, the landing of these stores took 60 days during which Stella was continuously under way except when loading at Wellington. At some stations teams of bullocks had first to be landed to haul the materials to the top of the cliffs. The name of the Marine Engineer, David Scott, must also be recorded as the one responsible for the work of erection of many of the more remote lights once the materials had been landed. His work has stood the test of time and, in spite of the gales and salt spray experienced in these exposed positions, the light towers are still in use and remain as monuments to his sound engineering skill.
The main harbours of New Zealand today are on the east coast of both islands, in consequence of which the majority of lights are located on these coasts, and in Cook and Foveaux Straits. Only small coastal vessels are to be found navigating between Wellington and minor ports on the West Coast.
Fog and low visibility are not frequent on the New Zealand coast which can thus be said to be well served by 13 radio beacons.
The organisation of the technical maintenance both of manned and automatic lights is centred at Wellington, with depots at Auckland, Picton, and Bluff. The New Zealand Light Service is unusual in that all manned lights are electrified, where possible from the national mains supply, and otherwise with diesel-electric generating plant. As this allows for the use of electric alarm bells which cover all types of failure, the system is preferable to that of watchkeepers, as required for kerosene incandescent lights used in many other countries. The automatic light beacons are equally divided between electric lights of mains or battery operation and acetylene gas lights. Where road access is possible, replenishment of batteries or gas bottles is carried out by truck and, in one remaining case, by pack horse. Those lights which are on inaccessible coasts or islands are maintained from the sea by Marine Department vessels in the Cook and Foveaux Straits, Auckland, and Marlborough Sounds areas.
Of the 25 manned coastal lights, one, at Taiaroa Head, Otago Peninsula, is watched by the Otago Harbour Board signalmen on behalf of the Marine Department. Of the remainder, 15 have a reasonable land access by road or along the beach at low water, and have a weekly or fortnightly stores and mail trip by truck. The remaining 10 with sea access are serviced fortnightly, except the most remote and isolated station at Puysegur Point on the south-western tip of the relatively unexplored area of Fiordland National Park. The station is visited by an amphibian aircraft every three weeks if weather conditions are suitable. Even this represents a great improvement over the pre-war days when a Government steamer would visit a station only once every three months.
With the exception of the Brothers, which is a “Rock” station, manned by men only, large and comfortable houses are provided for lightkeepers and their families. Many children among the families employed are reared on the stations, the number in 1965 being 79. In many cases their schooling must be by correspondence and radio. On all stations it is possible to carry a small number of livestock for fresh milk and meat, thus making them largely self contained, particularly where vegetables can also be grown. In general, the families live on station for 11 months of the year, baking their own bread, varying their diet with fresh fish which are often plentiful, and making their own amusements with a great variety of hobbies. They have one month's annual leave. District nurses visit the stations to give inoculations to children and advise on their health, and medical advice by radio is available even at the most remote island.
Duties consist of the maintenance of diesel-electric equipment, the cleaning and polishing of lenses and lantern panes, the normal maintenance and painting of houses and buildings, paths, fences and roads, and the care of livestock and gardens. On store days there is the working of cranes to unload the servicing boat, and of tramways which in certain cases haul up the stores, mail, and drums of diesel oil to the top of cliffs.
Weather reports are coded and dispatched by radio-telephone or land line at frequent intervals, sometimes continuing overnight.
The most powerful light on the New Zealand coast is that on Stephens Island, with a visibility of 32 miles from its elevation of 600 ft. This light is for ships approaching the Cook Strait from the west. (The island is also famous for being one of the few breeding grounds of the almost extinct tuatara lizard.) Cape Reinga light marks the northern tip of the mainland of the North Island, and Puysegur Point the south-western tip of the South Island. An unusually interesting site for a lighthouse is that on the tip of the 26-mile-long sand spit at Farewell Spit, where lightkeepers in the past have planted trees to form an oasis which is conspicuous from seaward, and almost as valuable as the light itself.
by Peter Edward Muers, Section Officer (Lighthouses), Marine Department, Wellington.