LIGHTHOUSES 5v
ISSUE 2009. MICHEL.....
Issue information
In these days of GPS and other sophisticated
navigation technology, it’s easy to underestimate the importance of the
lighthouse. But today, just as they were 150 years ago, these structures
are vital to ensuring the safety of those at sea. Beaming light across
the waves, they guide traders and travellers to sheltered waters – a
welcome sight on many a dark and stormy night.
50c – Pencarrow
New Zealand’s first lighthouse was built at Pencarrow Head in 1858 to
illuminate the entrance to Wellington harbour – an urgent requirement
given the area’s hazardous coastline. Operated by Mary Jane Bennett (the
only woman keeper in the New Zealand Lighthouse Service), the
lighthouse remained in service until replaced with an automatic light at
Baring Head in 1935. Today, it’s a popular destination for hikers and
bikers, and a reminder of the importance of maritime transport to the
city’s early settlers.
$1.00 – Dog Island
First lit in 1865, the Dog Island lighthouse is located at the eastern
approach to Foveaux Strait, which separates the South Island from
Stewart Island. The lighthouse marks a low, flat island that rises only a
couple of metres above sea level, and is painted in black and white
bands so it stands out in daylight. Featuring a lens powered by solar
energy, New Zealand’s tallest lighthouse is now monitored by computer
from Wellington.
$1.50 – Cape Brett
The 14-metre-high Cape Brett lighthouse stands at the entrance to the
Bay of Islands. First lit in 1910, it was the heart of an isolated
settlement of three identical houses for the keepers and their families.
The lighthouse was built locally out of cast iron, then barged to a
local beach before being winched up 149 metres and assembled on site. It
was the first in New Zealand to feature a rotating light floating on a
bed of mercury, which enable a heavy and brighter light that could also
rotate faster than its counterparts.
$2.00 – Cape Egmont
The cast iron tower on the Cape Egmont lighthouse – which sits on the
westernmost point of Taranaki – was built in the mid-1800s in Pimlico,
London. The segments were shipped to New Zealand in 1865 and assembled
on Mana Island north of Wellington. However, this was often confused
with the Pencarrow light, and in 1872 and 1874, two ships confused the
Mana light for Pencarrow, and both ships were wrecked, so the tower and
lantern were shipped to Cape Egmont in 1881. It was electrified in 1951
and in 1986 became fully automated.
$2.50 – Cape Reinga
Built in 1941, the Cape Reinga lighthouse was the last manned
lighthouse constructed in New Zealand. Today, it’s our most well known
and most visited, easily found at the end of the road at the
northernmost tip of New Zealand. The lighthouse replaced one located on
nearby Motuopao Island (built in 1879) and was powered by
diesel-generated electricity. Now automated and managed by computer from
Wellington, it’s often the first light in New Zealand that sailors see.
This location is also significant to Māori, known as Te Rerenga Wairua
(The departing place of the spirits), this is the point in which Māori
spirits depart, before starting the ancestral journey back to the
homelands of Hawaiki.
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