Pencarrow Lighthouse

Pencarrow Head sits on the eastern side of the Wellington Harbour entrance, and the cast-iron tower on the hill above it, lit in 1859, was the first permanent lighthouse in New Zealand. Its keeper for several years was Mary Jane Bennett, who took over after her husband drowned in the harbour in 1855 and remained the only woman ever to hold the post in the country - she raised her children there and kept the light running on an exposed headland with no road. The upper light proved to sit too often in cloud, so a second lighthouse was built at sea level in 1906 and the original was decommissioned in 1935. Both still stand. Getting there is an eight-kilometre gravel road along the coast from Burdan's Gate at Eastbourne, closed to private vehicles, so it is walked or cycled - bikes can be hired at the gate. Two small lakes behind the shingle bank hold rare plants.

What you'll find

• The 1859 upper light - the country's first permanent lighthouse.
• The 1906 lower light - built at sea level when cloud defeated the first.
• The coast road - eight kilometres of gravel, bikes and walkers only.
• The lakes - Kohangapiripiri and Kohangatera behind the shingle.

When to go

October to April. Check the wind - the coast road is fully exposed and a southerly makes it hard work. Bike hire is at Burdan's Gate.

Practical notes

Eight kilometres each way with no shelter, no water and no facilities. Private vehicles are not permitted. The climb to the upper light is steep. Southerlies here are severe.

Nearby

Eastbourne and the Days Bay ferry are at the trailhead; Wellington is across the harbour.

Key facts