Tiritiri Matangi Lighthouse Settlement

As one of New Zealand's oldest working lighthouses, the Tiritiri Matangi Lighthouse is a heritage site with a difference. Built in 1864 of pre-fabricated cast iron, it was transported from Britain and erected in the spot where it stands today. Over the years the lighthouse has changed and adapted many times to the point where it is now solar powered and fully automated.

The settlement has the two houses built in 1918 to replace the original cottages built for the lighthouse keepers in 1864. Other buildings were added over the years as technology and requirements changed.

Tiritiri Matangi Island lies in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand, 4 km east of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula in the North Island and 30 km north east of Auckland. The 2.2 km² island is a nature reserve, noted for its bird life, including the kiwi and the takahe.

A ferry service runs from Auckland, and guided tours are available. It is a popular destination for daytrippers, attracting some 33,000 visitors annually, who enjoy an intensity of birdsong rarely heard on the mainland.

See the website for details about access to the island.

Image credit: Tiritiri Matangi Lighthouse by Wikipedia user gerald.w.