Cape Palliser Lighthouse
Cape Palliser Lighthouse is a lighthouse at Cape Palliser in the Wellington region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is owned and operated by Maritime New Zealand.
| Location | Cape Palliser North Island New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°36′42.9″S 175°17′23.8″E |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1897 |
| Construction | cast iron tower |
| Automated | 1986 |
| Height | 18 metres (59 ft) |
| Shape | cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern |
| Markings | white and red horizontal bands tower, white lantern, black lantern dome |
| Power source | mains electricity |
| Operator | Maritime New Zealand |
| Light | |
| Focal height | 78 metres (256 ft) |
| Lens | second order Fresnel lens |
| Range | 26 nautical miles (48 km; 30 mi) |
| Characteristic | FL(2) W 20s |
The light was built in 1897 and was originally fueled by oil. 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 1967, although a diesel generator is retained for emergency power. The light was fully automated in 1986 and is now managed from a control room in Wellington.
The base of the lighthouse is reached via a staircase with 258 steps, up a 58-metre-high cliff. This staircase – built in 1912 – replaced a dangerous dirt track.
Cape Palliser lighthouse is one of three New Zealand lighthouses with a distinct striped paint scheme; the other two are Dog Island Lighthouse and Cape Campbell Lighthouse, which both have black and white stripes.