About | Castlepoint Lighthouse Walk
The Castlepoint Lighthouse is a nice and easy walk and a must-do if you’re in the Wairarapa region. Boardwalks will guide you up to the lighthouse but you can veer off the track to explore all the nooks and crannies. There are information boards along the way, one stands in front of limestone and talks about the fossils that can be found in them. Take a closer look and see what you can find.
When you’re done gazing up at the 23-metre high lighthouse, continue on to the viewpoints that’ll give you an amazing view of the ocean and the Wairarapa east coast. Look backing back at the lighthouse, this is a popular photography spot with Castle Rock in the distance.
Following the boardwalk, you’ll then head down to the rocks and cliffs. Have a little explore and see if you can spot any dolphins or whales. In winter, humpback whales will migrate 12,000kms to the tropics and won’t eat but rely on their fat reserves. Look out for their knobbly head and the loud crashing sounds as they breach and dive. Southern Right Whales, Sperm Whales, Orca and the common dolphin can also be seen here.
Tip: facing east, Castlepoint is even more amazing during sunrise.
Time: 30 min return
Castlepoint Lighthouse History
The eastern Wairarapa coast has been known to be a dangerous place, with 31 vessels and 31 lives being lost there since 1849. The Castlepoint Lighthouse has been shining it’s light since 1912 to assist ships as they pass through to the Wellington Harbour.
The frame was built in Wellington and consisted of iron rings which was brought in by boat and then dragged up to the site by a team of horses. First powered by kerosene, then electricity (in 1954), and automated in 1988 and monitored by a computer in Wellington which meant there was no need for a lightkeeper anymore.
The lighthouse was favoured by keepers because of its spectacular location and small township with school, store and hotel while most other lighthouses are in remote areas with little contact with the community. In 1922 the lighthouse keeper fell to his death while fixing telephone wires and it’s said his ghost still lingers.
The lighthouse now blinks three times every 30 seconds throughout the night and can be seen up to 26 nautical miles (48 kilometres) away. It is the tallest lighthouse in the North Island and the third tallest in New Zealand.
When should I go?
Go during a storm or a windy day and you’ll get to see the waves crash high against the cliff. On a nice day, enjoy a spectacular sunrise or sunset here. Or stay until dark to show the kids when the lighthouse goes to work.
Nearby
Location
Photos
We were staying the night in Castlepoint and though we had spent the day by the beach, we wanted to save this for the end of the day. It was perfect timing because when we looked up at the lighthouse during the day, we could see there was a huge stream of people walking up – but come late afternoon, what was a beach packed full of cars had trickled down to just a few and we pretty much had the Castlepoint Lighthouse Walk all to ourselves.
The late afternoon light was just beautiful at this time and the kids loved getting off the track – there was so much to explore!
Carrying on down the track it was more exposed to the wind and blew our hair all around us. The kids were having a great time, it felt like we were going on a wild adventure. Reading up about the whales on the information board, the kids were hopeful to see some.
We were totally in love with this place when we left, and the kids had a hard time leaving it behind.
