FIND THESE STEPS – Difficult to miss, really, along the Cape Palliser Road along the South coast of the North Island/Te Ika a Maui
The lighthouse was established here in 1897 and it was last staffed in 1986.
It is 18m high.
- Th is from the excellent website Lighthouses of New Zealand: North Island
- 1897. Active; focal plane 78 m (256 ft); two white flashes every 20 s. 18 m (59 ft) round cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands (the only New Zealand lighthouse with this daymark). The original 2nd order Fresnel lens continues in use. The two keeper’s houses are now private residences. A photo by Kathrin & Stefan Marks is at the top of this page, Werning has a good photo, Walter Davis has a good closeup photo, Trevor Mordaunt has a spectacular street view from the top of the cape, Google also has a distant street view from below the lighthouse, and Google has a satellite view. Prefabricated in Wellington, the lighthouse marks the extreme southeastern tip of the North Island and the eastern entrance to Cook Strait and Wellington. The tower was repainted early in 2008, as seen in an April photo, and again in 2015. A gravel road reaches the light station; 4WD recommended. No parking is provided and there’s a climb of 258 steps to the lighthouse. Site open if you can get there, tower closed. Operator/site manager: Maritime New Zealand. ARLHS NZL-011; Admiralty K4000; NGA K4580.
There they are – 252 steps to the lighthouse. Or 250, 251, 258.
And I can’t say which it is because this was one of the few steps which got the best of me. I encountered a bit of vertigo about three quarters up the stairs. It is solidly build of wood but it does wobble a bit.
(Photo credit: John Bell)
The view from the start of the steps with a daunting challenge ahead.
The view from the top and looking out at the bay
(Photo credit: Thank you, John Bell)
Remains of previous steps.
“Safety at Sea
This aid to navigation is used by Mariners and is essential to their safety. Please respect this property and the lives it protects. Please report any damage -”
My car’s navigation system indicated that this was the end of the road.
Wellington Steps 