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The Chatham Islands are a small archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean about 650 km (400 mi) southeast of the North Island of New Zealand. The islands were settled by Polynesians early in the 16th century and in 1842 Britain annexed them to its New Zealand colony. All but a few of the 620 residents of the islands live on Chatham Island, the largest island of the group. The islands have endemic plant and animal life and are a popular ecotourism destination. There is air transportation several times a week from Wellington, Auckland, and Christchurch on the main islands of New Zealand. Aids to navigation on Chatham Island are operated and maintained by Maritime New Zealand. Many of the place names in New Zealand are in the Māori language; the Māori phrase for a lighthouse is whare rama or whare tūrama; motu is an island, toka is a rock, and whanga is a harbor. Admiralty numbers are from Volume K of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA light list numbers are from NGA Publication 111.
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Information available on lost lighthouses:
Notable faux lighthouses:
Adjoining page: Northeast: Southern North Island | East: Northeast South Island
Return to the Lighthouse Directory index | Ratings key
Posted January 6, 2026. Lighthouses: 5. Site copyright 2026 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.