Waipapa Point Lighthouse
Location & Light Range
About Waipapa Point Lighthouse
The Waipapa Point Lighthouse, built in 1884, is a hexagonal wood tower standing 13 meters tall. It is painted white with red trim, and its lantern roof is gray. The focal height of the light is 21 meters, casting a white light with a characteristic of one flash every 20 seconds. This structure guides vessels through a narrow passage between South Island and Ruapuke Island at the east end of Foveaux Strait. The site is open to the public, though access to the tower is closed.
Why it matters: Constructed in response to the 1881 wreck of the steamship Tararua, this lighthouse marks a passage critical for navigation at the eastern end of Foveaux Strait.
Light & Optic
- Flash Type
- Flashing
- Light Color
- White
- Flash Count
- 5 flashes
- Interval
- 20s
- Raw Code
- Fl W 20s
- Focal Height
- 21m
- Geographic Range
- 13.4NM
Construction & History
- Year Built
- 1884
Significant events: steamship Tararua wrecked nearby in 1881, restoration project announced in 2008, Conservation Department improved visitor facilities in 2009
Visiting
- Open to public
- Site open, tower closed
Nearby Vessels
Tower & Structure
- Tower Height
- 13m
- Tower Shape
- hexagonal
- Tower Color
- white with red trim
- Material
- wood
Structure: hexagonal wood tower with lantern and gallery, painted white with red trim; lantern roof is gray
Location
- City
- Waihopai Toetoe Community
- Country
- 🇳🇿New Zealand
- Region
- Southland
- Sea Region
- guides vessels through a narrow passage between South Island and Ruapuke Island at the east end of Foveaux Strait, located on Waipapa Point, about 11 km south of NZ 92 near Otara
- Latitude
- -46.6599°
- Longitude
- 168.8471°
References & Identifiers
- Nearest Port
- Bluff(18.9 km)
- Admiralty No.
- K4384
- ARLHS No.
- NZL-056
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