Scenic fishing spot (and dangerous!) - Castle Point, Wairarapa, New Zealand.
Amazing rock formations comprised of sandstones and limestones densely packed with shell fossils, birdlife, legendary (but dangerous and occasionally fatal) rock fishing, a picturesqure lighthouse and a sheltered harbour for boating and swimming, plus a surf beach, make Castle Point an ideal summer holiday spot.
Castlepoint is a small beachside town on the Wairarapa coast of the Wellington Region of New Zealand. It is home to a lighthouse which stands near the top of the northern end of a reef. The reef is about one kilometer long. At the southern end of the reef, there is an island known locally as "bird island", due to its large population of seagulls. Castlepoint is approximately one hour's drive east from Masterton. The Castle Point Lighthouse is owned and operated by Maritime New Zealand.The light was built in 1913 and was originally fueled by oil. In 1954 the oil lamp was replaced with an electric one powered by a local diesel generator. This was subsequently replaced by a connection to the mains grid in 1961. The light was fully automated in 1988 and is now managed from a central control room in WellingtonThe lighthouse is built out of steel sheets riveted together. This is an unusual method of construction for a lighthouse and the only one so built in New Zealand. At sea, the light can be seen 22 miles away, and was used by sailors coming from South America to establish a point of reference when making for Wellington Harbour. Castlepoint's name in Maori is Rangiwhakaoma, which translates as 'where the sky runs'.
Scenic fishing spot (and dangerous!) - Castle Point, Wairarapa, New Zealand.
Amazing rock formations comprised of sandstones and limestones densely packed with shell fossils, birdlife, legendary (but dangerous and occasionally fatal) rock fishing, a picturesqure lighthouse and a sheltered harbour for boating and swimming, plus a surf beach, make Castle Point an ideal summer holiday spot.
Castlepoint is a small beachside town on the Wairarapa coast of the Wellington Region of New Zealand. It is home to a lighthouse which stands near the top of the northern end of a reef. The reef is about one kilometer long. At the southern end of the reef, there is an island known locally as "bird island", due to its large population of seagulls. Castlepoint is approximately one hour's drive east from Masterton. The Castle Point Lighthouse is owned and operated by Maritime New Zealand.The light was built in 1913 and was originally fueled by oil. In 1954 the oil lamp was replaced with an electric one powered by a local diesel generator. This was subsequently replaced by a connection to the mains grid in 1961. The light was fully automated in 1988 and is now managed from a central control room in WellingtonThe lighthouse is built out of steel sheets riveted together. This is an unusual method of construction for a lighthouse and the only one so built in New Zealand. At sea, the light can be seen 22 miles away, and was used by sailors coming from South America to establish a point of reference when making for Wellington Harbour. Castlepoint's name in Maori is Rangiwhakaoma, which translates as 'where the sky runs'.