Dog Island Lighthouse
Location & Light Range
About Dog Island Lighthouse
This cylindrical stone tower, built in 1865, stands 36 meters tall on Dog Island, south of New Zealand's South Island. It features a white exterior with two black horizontal bands and is topped by a lantern and gallery. The lighthouse was encased in concrete in 1916 to address structural issues caused by poor soil. Its light emits a single white flash every 10 seconds, visible for 18.1 nautical miles. The tower was automated in 1989, becoming the last lighthouse in New Zealand to transition to automatic operation. It is located 2.3 kilometers from the nearest port of Bluff.
Why it matters: The Dog Island Lighthouse is critical for vessels navigating Foveaux Strait and entering Bluff Harbour due to its height and location at the southern tip of the South Island.
Light & Optic
- Flash Type
- Flashing
- Light Color
- White
- Interval
- 10s
- Raw Code
- Fl W 10s
- Focal Height
- 46m
- Geographic Range
- 18.1NM
Construction & History
- Year Built
- 1865
Significant events: encased in concrete in 1916, automated in 1989
References & Identifiers
- Nearest Port
- Bluff(2.3 km)
- ARLHS No.
- NZL-019
Tower & Structure
- Tower Height
- 36m
- Tower Shape
- cylindrical
- Tower Color
- white with two black horizontal bands
- Material
- stone, concrete
Structure: round concrete-clad stone tower with lantern and gallery, painted white with two black horizontal bands
Location
- Country
- 🇳🇿New Zealand
- Region
- Southland
- Sea Region
- Foveaux Strait off the entrance to Bluff Harbour, at the southern tip of South Island, New Zealand
- Latitude
- -46.6519°
- Longitude
- 168.4105°
Nearby Vessels
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