Lighthouses of New Zealand: Chatham Islands

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.

General Sources
Maritime New Zealand - Lighthouses
Information available on Maritime New Zealand's lighthouse site.
List of Lights
Official light lists posted by Land Information New Zealand.
Online List of Lights - New Zealand - Chatham Islands
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas.
Next Stop - Chatham Islands
Blog entry from 2011 with accounts of a visit and the photos shown on this page.
GPSNavigationCharts
Navigation chart information for the islands.
Google Maps
Satellite view of the islands.


Cape Fournier Light, Owenga, March 2011
Blogspot photo posted by simmoontheroad

Chatham Island Lighthouses
Point Durham
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 38 m (125 ft); white flash every 10 s. 4 m (13 ft) square metal tower. A 2011 photo is at right and Google has a satellite view. Located on a headland on the southwest coast of Chatham Island about 20 km 13 mi) southwest of Waitangi, the principal town on the island. Site status unknown. Admiralty K4541; NGA 3772.
 
Point Weeding
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 60 m (197 ft); white flash every 5 s. 3 m (10 ft) pyramidal metal beacon. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on a steep point portecting the harbor of Waaitangi. Site status unknown. Admiralty K4543; NGA 3768.
Point Somes
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 39 m (128 ft); four white flashes every 15 s. 4 m (13 ft) square metal tower. No photo available and the light has not been located in Google's satellite view of the point. Located on the western point of Chatham Island. Site status unknown. Admiralty K4545; NGA 3764.
Owenga Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); green light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 4 m (13 ft) square metal tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. The front light is on a post. Located on the hillside southeast of the wharf at Owena, a small port near the southeastern point of Chatham Island. Site status unknown. Admiralty K4547.71; NGA 3780.
Cape Fournier
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 122 m (400 ft); two white flashes every 15 s. 4 m (13 ft) square metal tower. A 2011 photo is at the top of this page and Google has a satellite view. Located on the southeastern point of Chatham Island. Site status unknown. Admiralty K4549; NGA 3782.
 

Point Durham Light, Waitangi, March 2011
Blogspot photo posted by simmoontheroad
 

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining page: Northeast: Southern North Island | East: Northeast South Island

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Posted January 6, 2026. Lighthouses: 5. Site copyright 2026 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.