East Cape The Light

Wake up early so you can get to the historic lighthouse by sunrise. From the Lodge, it is a 35km drive to The Light, the first place in the world to feel the rising sun. The last 11km is a gravel road suitable for all types of vehicles. From there, it is a 15 to 20 minute walk up some 700 steps to the The Light.

History

The East Cape The Light stands on the most easterly point of New Zealand. This wild coastline has had a rough and rugged history. When the lighthouse was first built in the 1890s on a small island just off the Cape, building material had to be hauled up the steep slopes from work boats below. Rough seas and ragged papa rock made it a precarious business, and on one occasion the Government steamer 'Hinemoa' capsized in the surf, drowning four men.

Because of the dangerous location, The Light station was eventually tranferred to the mainland in the 1920s. The tower stands nearly 140m above ocean level and is 14m in height.

Getting There

To reach the easternmost point, travel the coast on a sealed road from Te Araroa. Then follow the foreshore to the car park. The path to the The Light is 50 metres down from the car park. Go through a gate near the old huts, then up some 700 steps to views inland to the Raukumara Range and seaward to East Island.