Photo: Waipapa Point Lighthouse South Island New Zealand

The bright blue sky surrounds the old wooden Waipapa Point Lighthouse on the South Island of New Zealand.

Along the rocky piece of land that juts out into the water, here sits the Waipapa Point Lighthouse on the South Island of New Zealand surrounded by a wire fence. This old wooden lighthouse has overlooked these waters since it began operating in 1884.The Waipapa Point Lighthouse sits six miles southeast of the mouth of the Mataura River in the Catlins and this area is known as being extremely dangerous for water vessels. This region is known for many shipwrecks and it was not until a serious tragedy happened that the lighthouse was built on the Waipapa Point on the South Island of New Zealand.The worst tragedy that hit the Waipapa Point coastline was the shipwreck of a passenger steamer which left Port Chalmers on its way to Melbourne on April 29th, 1881. Disaster struck and of the one hundred and fifty one people aboard this ship, one hundred and thirty-one people did not survive the crash. ... continue below the picture...

... It was shortly after this, that a wise decision was made to put a lighthouse on the point to aid the crews of passing ships.There are only two wooden lighthouses left that were built in New Zealand, the Waipapa Point Lighthouse being one of them and the other one is retired and was named the Kaipara North Head Lighthouse. Waipapa Point is the one that still operates on the South Island of New Zealand but was automated in 1976.Waipapa Point Lighthouse guarding the coast at Waipapa Point in the Catlins along the Catlin's Highway, Southern Scenic Route, Southland, South Island, East Coast, New Zealand. Waipapa Point was the scene of New Zealand's worst civilian shipping disaster in 1881 where 131 lives were lost when the Tararua was wrecked.