Katiki Point Lighthouse

Katiki Point sits at the end of the Moeraki peninsula, with a compact lighthouse of 1878 on the headland and, below it, one of the more accessible places on the mainland to see yellow-eyed penguins. Hoiho are critically endangered - the mainland population has fallen sharply and is now measured in low hundreds of breeding pairs - and this site is managed by a local trust doing predator control and habitat work. Viewing is from marked tracks and a hide above the beach, and the rules are the important part: stay on the track, keep well back, and if birds are waiting offshore, withdraw so they can land. A penguin that cannot come ashore does not feed its chick. New Zealand fur seals lie on the rocks below in numbers and pups appear in summer. The site is free but the trust takes donations, which is what pays for the trapping.

History

Just before the light was first lit, a storm shook the tower so hard that the lamp glass broke; a new one was ordered, the tower was strengthened, and the light shone for the first time on 22 April 1878. The wooden tower is 8 metres high and stands 58 metres above the sea; the light was automated in 1975, and Maritime New Zealand restored it in 2006 (Wikipedia, Kātiki Point Lighthouse).

What to look for

• The 1878 lighthouse - small and compact on the headland.
• Yellow-eyed penguins - from the hide, in the late afternoon.
• Fur seals - on the rocks below, with pups in summer.
• The trust's work - the trapping and habitat restoration that keeps it viable.

When to go

October to April; late afternoon for penguins coming ashore. Withdraw if birds are hesitating offshore - that is the whole etiquette here.

What to expect

Hoiho are critically endangered and easily disturbed - stay on tracks, keep back, and accept you may see none. Seals are on the path in places; twenty metres applies. The access road is unsealed.

Nearby

The Moeraki Boulders are a few minutes north; Oamaru is beyond them.

Key facts