Nugget Point Lighthouse - Lighthouse at Cape Nugget The Catlins Coast of the South Island of New Zealand in the Otago Region, 11 km from Kaka Point [2] . The lighthouse is owned by the Maritime New Zealand Maritime Safety Authority, which services it.
| Nugget Point Lighthouse | |
|---|---|
| English Nugget point lighthouse | |
 | |
| A country | |
| Ocean | Pacific Ocean |
| Cape | Nugget Point , Catlins , Otago , South Island |
| Established | 1870 |
| Architect | James Balfour [1] |
| Construction date | 1869-1870 |
| Beacon height | 9.4 m |
| NUM height | 76 m |
| Distance | 10 m |
| Auto | Yes |
| Acting | Yes |
Content
- 1 History
- 2 Flora and fauna
- 3 notes
- 4 References
History
The lighthouse got its name due to the small rocky islands near the coast - “nuggets” ( English nugget - nugget), in shape resembling gold nuggets.
Lighthouse Designers - James Balfour (1831-1869) [1] and John Blackett , which replaced James Balfour after his death in 1869 [3] .
The lighthouse was built in 1869-1870 and opened on July 4, 1870 [4] . The lighthouse building is built of local stone mined in the district. The light mechanism of the lighthouse arrived in New Zealand with Balfour back in 1863 and was originally intended for the lighthouse at Cape Saunders [3] but due to delays in construction was installed on Cape Nugget. An oil lamp was installed in the beacon emitter, which in 1949 was replaced by a 1 kW electric lamp with power from a diesel generator.
In the 1960s, a power line was drawn to the lighthouse, and the generator began to fulfill the function of emergency (backup) power. Despite the constant connection to the line, electricity was intended only to power the light mechanism and was not designed for space heating. In this regard, one of the caretakers was twice denied the purchase of electric heaters for the caretaker's home, while the neighboring lighthouse at Cape Saunders received seven heaters. By the end of winter, after a series of appeals and lengthy negotiations, the issue was decided in favor of the lighthouse keeper, and permission was issued [2] .
Initially, the staff of the lighthouse consisted of three caretakers, later it was reduced to one caretaker, who lived on it with his family [2] . In 1989, the lighthouse was fully automated, and its operation is controlled by the dispatching service of the New Zealand Maritime Safety Authority in Wellington .
In 2006, the emitter was modernized: LED lamps with backup batteries were installed in it in case of an accident on the power line, but the original lens in the lighthouse emitter was preserved. Beacon mode (light pattern) - white flash every 12 seconds.
There is an observation deck near the lighthouse.
Flora and Fauna
Sea lions , yellow-eyed penguins , sea leopards , spoonbills , Hector dolphins, cormorants nest on the coast and in the ocean around the lighthouse [5] [6] .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 RJ Aspden. Biographies: BALFOUR, James Melville, (1831–1869 ) . ipenz.org.nz . Engineering Heritage New Zealand. Date of treatment November 22, 2017. Archived November 22, 2017.
- ↑ 1 2 3 Nugget Point lighthouse . maritimenz.govt.nz . Maritime New Zealand. Date of treatment November 22, 2017.
- ↑ 1 2 Mark Phillips. James Melville Balfour (1831-1869 ) . NEW ZEALAND LIGHTHOUSES . Date of treatment December 10, 2018.
- ↑ Mark Phillips. Nugget Point (1870) NEW ZEALAND LIGHTHOUSES . Date of treatment December 10, 2018.
- ↑ Nugget Point Lighthouse . newzealand.com . Date of treatment November 22, 2017.
- ↑ Nugget Point / Tokata, Southland, NZ . Rankers.co.nz . Date of treatment December 10, 2018.