Cape Campbell
Lighthouse overview
Cape Campbell Lighthouse marks the southern approach to Cook Strait. It is on the eastern coast of New Zealand’s South Island, about 50 kilometres from Blenheim.
In 2020, Cape Campbell Lighthouse was fitted with a 24-volt flashing LED beacon, replacing the rotating beacon.
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Lighthouse feature: |
Details |
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Location: |
latitude 41°44’ south, longitude 174°17’east |
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Elevation: |
47 metres above sea level |
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Construction: |
cast iron tower, originally made of wood |
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Tower height: |
22 metres |
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Light configuration: |
24-volt flashing LED beacon |
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Light flash character: |
white light flashing once every 15 seconds |
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Power source: |
batteries charged by solar panels |
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Range: |
19 nautical miles (35 kilometres) |
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Date light first lit: |
1870 |
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Automated: |
1986 |
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Demanned: |
1986 |
Visit Cape Campbell Lighthouse
Cape Campbell Lighthouse station is accessible to the public at low tide only from Marfells Beach. The lighthouse is not open to visitors. You can experience Cape Campbell by staying in the cottages near the lighthouse.
The history of Cape Campbell Lighthouse
The Cape has contributed to many shipwrecks. After the wreck of the Alexander in 1858, Cape Campbell was chosen as the site for a lighthouse. It was another 10 years before construction began. The light was finally lit in 1870.
Two years after the tower was built, faults were found in its original wooden construction. The tower was wedged up and the timbers were re‑fastened. In 1898, after the hardwood was found to be decaying, the decision was made to replace the wooden tower with a cast iron tower.
In 1905, the light began operating from its new site close by. The old tower was demolished shortly afterwards.
To make the lighthouse stand out from the white hills behind it, the tower was painted with black and white stripes. Only two other lighthouses in New Zealand have stripes. Dog Island Lighthouse which looks similar to Cape Campbell, while Cape Palliser Lighthouse has red and white stripes.
Operation of the light
The light was originally powered with a colza oil-burning incandescent lamp.
In 1938, the light was converted to an electric light. Electricity was initially supplied by diesel generators. It was converted to mains electricity in the 1960s.
In 1986, the light was automated and the last keeper left the station.
In 2003, Maritime NZ removed the original light mechanism and installed a modern rotating beacon. The original optic is now on display in the Flaxbourne Heritage Centre in Ward.
A modern rotating beacon with a 50-watt tungsten halogen lamp was installed in 2003. Maritime NZ replaced the rotating beacon in 2025 with a 24-volt flashing LED beacon powered by batteries charged by solar panels.
Life at Cape Campbell Lighthouse
Life at Cape Campbell Lighthouse changed very little for the keepers and their families over the years.
Despite the station’s proximity to Blenheim, about 50 kilometres away, domestic life at the station was reasonably self-sufficient. Until the 1960s, cows supplied fresh milk and bread was baked at the station. Keepers also took advantage of seafood, including crayfish and pāua.