THE LIGHTHOUSES OF NEW ZEALAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2446, 30 January 1901, Page 54

THE LIGHTHOUSES OF NEW ZEALAND.

(See Illustrations on Page 46.)

In the narrowest part of Cook Strait lies the island of Arapawa, which forms the two entrances to Picton — Queen Charlotte Sound and Tory Channel — and on the north of Arapawa are two small islets about the third of a mile in extent, and nearly a apart, though there is no passage between them in consequence of numerous rocks and reefs, a strong tide, and heavy rippling. These are the Brothers, and on the most north-easterly of these — i.e., the one nearest the centre of the straits, stands one of the most important lighthouses on our coasts, being one of the "leads" through, the Strait. A steamer coming from the south, as soon as she loses Pencarrow or Cape Campbell light, picks up the Brothers, then Stephen Island, then Farewell Spit. On clear nights a boat ought to pick up the next light as soon as she loses sight of the one she has passed. "From here we can pick up Cape Campbell light on a clear night, and it had to be pretty thick when we can't see Stephen Island light. This tower is of wood, three storeys high, of hexagonal form, and about 258 ft above the sea level. The light is of the second order dioptric, white, flashing every 10 seconds. On the ground floor of the tower is a red light bearing on Cook's Rock, distant about five and a-half miles N.N.W. This rock is right in the fair way of boats going through the Strait, it is only a wash at low-water spring tides, though there is generally a break or swell indicating the spot. On the rare occasions when it is visible it resembles a whale's back, for which it might easily be mistaken. Landing at the Brothers is a difficult task, and there are only two spots where one can conveniently get down to the water's edge. On the north side stores are landed on a concrete block, and then heaved by 9 winch to the top of the rock. There are four keepers on this station. One being absentrin turn, it is what is called "a rock station," and the assistant keepers are usually single men, as it is not exactly the place for a family. The keepers have a good seven-roomed house, and their rations are regularly supplied by the Government, but their life is terribly monotonous, bounded by the narrow limits of their rocky home, and it is necessary to give them a pretty constant change of work. When on shore they work in the Government ' marine store.

On the way from the Brothers to Picton Harbour we pass the Tory Channel leading lights. These are two pyramidal beacons built of wood, and were first lighted on Ist January, 1882. They are illuminated by Chance Bros.' fifth order of port lights, and are visible at a distance of aboutsix miles in fipe weather. They are situated in a small bay called Wekenui, which lies at tlie mouth of Torj_ (JliAuae], and. look^

across Cook Strait towards Cape Tarawiti. The?e lights are rendered necessary by the narrowness of the channe] and the strength of the tide, which often runs at the rate of seven knots. They are under the charge of an old settler, Mr Charles Godfrey. Before they were lighted many wrecks occurred here. The Wairau River falls into Cloudy Bay, which is surrounded by a deep shingly beach ' backed by the White Bluff, a remarkable range of steep, white-faced cliffs nearly 900 ft above sea level. The river mouth is marked by a signal mast carrying a har- • bour light of the sixth order, which is , hoistejj at sunset and lowered at sunrise, , visible 11 miles out to sea. The bay is j in a sheltered corner, where there is seldom j any danger to shipping. It is chiefly notice- . able as being the shore end of the telegraph ' cable across Cook Strait. Stephen Island is situated nearly in the centre of Cook Strait, and about equi-dis-tant from Wellington, Nelson, and Farewell Spit. It is on the extreme north of D'Urville Island, from which it is separated by a passage about two miles wide full of dangerous rocks and swept by a terrific tide. j Stephen Island is about three miles in { circumference, and the highest point is I 950 ft. The lighthouse is situated on the ■ most northerly point of the island at the height of about 700 ft. The light is a dioptric first order double-flashing light, showing two flashes in quick succession every : half minute. It is the strongest light on j oui coast, and can be seen at a distance of 35 miles. The quantity of oil consumed | is about a quartei more than in any other New Zealand st.ation The tower is of iron and the dwellings of timber. The i light -vas first lit on 29th January, 1894. i The only way to reach this island is by the I Government steamers, or the mail boat that | calls about the first week in each month. The landing is on the N.E. side of the island, and the first things which a visiter notices are a concrete block and a crane for landing and hoisting the stores ; and then a little tram line leading to the lighthouse and oil-store. The incline is very steep, and the Government supplies a horse, by whose assistance the winches are worked and the stores raised to the required height : i "The only time we work the horse is when the. Hinemoa calls once in three months I with stores, and when the rascal hears the steamer's whistle he starts off for the bush | as hard as he can go so as to hide there and escape the job, so when we hear the whistle we run to find and secure the horse." Ten years ago Stephen Island was covered with scrub and stunted trees and alive with beautiful and rare native birds such as the saddle-bask, landrail, native thrush, and others now only known to | scientists. It_is not the lighthouse or its I keepers who have destroyed the birds, but I the cats ; the island is over-run with them. The story of their introduction is amusing, and shall be told in our informant's own | words : "The wife of one of tlie first keepers wanted a cat, so she asked a gentle- ' man from French Pass to bring or send her one. This man's wife had a cat that was very partial "to cream, etc., and which she was anxious to get rid of, so it was

I securely tied up in a sugar bag and j conveyed to the island. When the steamer ! arrived the bag was handed to one of the boys to be conveyed to the good lady who was anxiously expecting it. On the way up the bearer of the precious burden met another boy, and the two determined to have a peep into the bag, so as to see what 1 kind of a creature a cat might be. They opened the bag. The result is obvious. • The cat jumped out, and as it was in kitten, cats soon ceased to be objects of wonder •to the rising generation. Soon the beautiful native birds became more and more j scarce, now they are rarely seen, and the | cats have to content themselves with sea- , birds, when they can catch them; but the j sea-birds are strong and wary, and afford j more sport than food, except in the hjgh ( winds, when they are driven, or perhaps dash themselves against the strong sides of the lantern, then they fall, bruised, and stunned, to the ground, and their enemies find them an easy prey." j Stephen Island is still the horne — and , probably now the only horne — of the rare j Tmara lizard. And there we learned ( many interesting particulars concerning this i most curious and rare reptile, all of which ; show close and interested observation and great intelligence on the part of the keepers : "There are still a good number of Totara lizards on the island, though they are yearly becoming more and more scarce as the cats kill and eat them. Still the lizards hold their own so far. Some of them grow to a great size. I have seen them over 2ft j long. The female lizard begins to lay her eggs in November and continues, at uncertain intervals, until the end of February. During that time she lays from eight to 14. They are about the size of a blackbird's egg when first laid, but after two months they begin to swell until they Dre fully twice that size. The skin of the egg is like white indiarubber, which stretches as the young develop, and it is about 12 months before the reptile frees itself from this covering. The nest is a bole in a bank facing the sun, about 2ft in depth. The eggs are put in this hole by the mother, and the only way that she can do it is by first backing into the hole to lay the epor. then emerging and returning to place the egg in position with her mouth. We find some of the eggs in clusters of two, three, or four with earth between, packed quite tight. i The old lizard is now done with her offspring except that she lays her next season's eggs in the same hole, a little to the i right or left as the case may be, apparently ! with the object of widening the holg to let j the young lizards escape as the new eggs are laid a little before the last year's reptiles are hatched. Two German professors, Drs Schauenland and Thilemies, spent some time on the island in order to study the habits of the lizards and to secure some of their eggs with which to experiment. The result of their labours is not yet known to vs." In the early part of 1900 there were 18 persons on Stephen Island, eight adults and ten children, six of the 'latter attending school, which is under the control of . the Maiiborpiigh. gdueatiPJi Rsasd. '' 5Ye

have also a Sunday school superintendent in the wife of the ' principal keeper. Our amusements are music, picnics, concerts, and last but not least, a graphophone. We have a lot of musical instruments, and are about to add a piano to the number. The soil of the island is rich, and we can grow all kinds of vegetables, and we have just begun to cultivate fruit trees." In short this island is quite an ideal home, the inhabitants declaring themselves to be quite happy and contented and on the best of terms with each other.

Dus south of D'Urville Island, between it and the mainland, is the narrow strait of French Pass, affording a short cut between Admiralty Bay and Blind Bay. Its narrowest part is 540 yds at high water, but a reef of rock diminishes this width and leaves only a channel of 117 yds between two steep and rocky shores. Mariners are guided through this dangerous pass 'by a sixth order port light, .flashing alternate red and white, and by a vessel's riding lamp. Nelson lighthouse is one of the oldest in New Zealand. It was erected in 1861, is entirely of iron, and only 60ft in height. It is a fourth order fixed light, visible 13 miles. The tower stands on the Boulder Bank, which forms Nelson Harbour, at the distance of about one mile from the entrance. The Boulder Bank is a natural breakwater formed of waterworn stones of different sizes, about 10 miles in length, with a small opening at the lighthouse end. Large steamers cannot enter Nelson Harbour, as the water is too shallow. The light here is of great value both to keep vessels off the Boulder Bank and to guide them to the entrance of the harbour, where other lights, kept in order by the pilot staff, guide them inside. In addition to their ordinary duties the lightkeepers here have to act a,* signalmen, take the tides, attend to the telephone, etc. In the daytime the depth of water is shown to vessels by means of triangles on a flagstaff, and at night by a system of green lights. This necessitates great care on the part of the keeper on watch, and as there are only two keepers they must be very careful and conscientious men. The weather at this station is said to be the best in New Zealand. Gales are rare, and wrecks practically unknown. There are other advantages, and " perhaps one of the best things for a lightkeeper at Nelson is that he can keep up with the news of the day. At places like Moko Hinou the keepers only get news once in three or four months, arid so they soon cease to take any interest in outside affairs." Nelson lighthouse is one of the most accessible, and crowds of persons visit it every year, so that the visitors' book affords some amusing and varied study, and the keepers are in no way shut out from civilisation.

Farewell Spit forms the extreme western entrance to Cook Strait. It extends from Cape Farewell 17 miles in an easterly direction. It is a trearherous spot, a great part of its • eastern side being covered at high water, and its inner side is very steep and dangerous. The portion above high water extends about 13 miles, with an average width of half a mile, and is composed of low sandhills partially covered with vegetation. The lighthouse is on Bushend Point, beyond which is to be seen the low water extreme of the Spit, which dries in patches for a distance of about four miles. The present tower is an open-framed structure "of iron erected in 1897. The old tower being of wood was greatly decayed before it was pulled down. The light is of the second order dioptric, white and revolving, attaining its greatest brilliancy once a minute. The light is elevated about 100 ft above sea level, and is visible about 17 miles. A fixed, red arc light is also thrown from the tower over the end of the Spit. Many wrecks have occurred on this spot, which is in itself very dangerous, and is made still more so by the prevalence of thick foggy weather, also by the constant blowing of sand in fine weather when there is any wind, causing a sort of haze which puzzles and deceive? all who approach it, and has led to many accidents both on sea and land. The keepers on Farewell Spit lead almost as lonely a life as if they were on an island, their home being so difficult of access.

"Waipapapa" writes:— l notice in last week's issue (January 23) an error in the description of Tiri-Tiri Island light, in which it is stated that it is a 10-second flash light. Tiri-Tiri is a second order fixed light.