page_title: Cape Reinga Lighthouse
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Cape Reinga Lighthouse / History
caption_attribution_description: On January 8 1945 a comet was sighted at Cape Reinga, Northland, New Zealand. As noted in the Cape Reinga Lighthouse Journal, T. Harte, Principal Keeper at Cape Reinga Lighthouse remarked on 8 January 1945 "Comet visible at 10 pm - bearing W by S. sinking fast " The comet was seen again on the following day - "Comet again visible 2100 to 2200, bearing W. by S. Very bright like flare and setting fast." We have not been able to definitely identify this comet. 79P du Toit Hartley was seen from South Africa in April that year, and a Kreuz sungrazer comet was also seen in 1945. Comet 1944 IV (van Gent) was seen, also from South Africa, between 23 May 1944 and 11 August 1945. (A. Przybylski in Acta Astronomica vol 6.3, 1956). It is unlikely to have been related to the meteor reported on 2 January over Marlborough and the Wairarapa. The journals in this series were used by Cape Reinga Lighthouse keepers to record details of their daily duties. The following information is included for each day recorded:Date, name of station, lighthouse (hours burning, total hours, wind, direction, force, weather, visibility, sea, swell, remarks), radio beacon (hours of operation, remarks), engines (control, automatic or hand, temperature of water, oil consumption, running hours, total hours, remarks), battery (time of reading, average voltage, position of discharge brush, time of reading, charge amp, discharge amp, remarks), other duties performed, station general remarks. [Archives reference: ZAAP 15135/1d] For further enquiries please email Auckland.Archives@dia.govt.nz For updates on our On This Day series and news from Archives New Zealand, follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/ArchivesNZ Material from Archives New Zealand
context_page_description: Cape Reinga Lighthouse is a lighthouse at Cape Reinga in the Northland Region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is owned and operated by Maritime New Zealand. The lighthouse is a common New Zealand icon and a popular tourist destination although the lighthouse itself is not open to the public.
context_section_description: The lighthouse was built in 1941 and first lit during May of that year. It was the last manned light to be built in New Zealand and replaced the Cape Maria Van Diemen Lighthouse, located on nearby Motuopao Island, which had been built in 1879. Accessing that lighthouse was difficult due to the rough seas in the area, so in 1938, it was decided to move the lighthouse to Cape Reinga for safety reasons. The complete lantern fittings from Motuopao Island were reused at Cape Reinga, though the new lighthouse was fitted with a 1000 watt electrical lamp instead that could be seen for 26 nautical miles (48 km). The lamp was powered by a diesel generator.
  In 1987, the lighthouse was fully automated and the lighthouse keepers were withdrawn.  The lighthouse is now monitored remotely from Wellington.  In May 2000 the original lens and lamp were replaced by a 50 watt beacon.  The beacon is powered by batteries that are recharged by solar cells.  The beacon flashes every 12 seconds and can be seen for 19 nautical miles (35 km).
caption: Journal kept by Cape Reinga Lighthouse Keeper (1945)
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