Nugget Point
Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Thu 31 Jul 2014 22:27
|
Nugget Point, the Lighthouse
and the Nuggets
 We left our diddy campsite and our
first touristy thing today was to head toward the Nuggets at Nugget Point. The lighthouse is just visible.
 Fifteen minutes along the gravel road
and we were in the car park. Map in front of
us.
  Such a beautiful sunny morning, in
fact Bear told me it was sixteen degrees, so for the first time in ages, no
thermals. We set off up the track and soon Bear was
sitting in an open area.
  We read the
plaque and followed the path, lighthouse at
the end.
  We had a wonderful view toward Port Molyneux.
  A tourist shot after several
attempts. Nugget Point
Lighthouse.
  Nugget Point
Lighthouse stands at 46’27.0 South and 169’49.0 East. Built in 1869 its
light shone for the first time on the 4th of July 1870. Nugget Point had been
considered a dangerous location for ships, as most shipping casualties in the
area involved small vessels trading along the coast to the Clutha
River.
The locally quarried stone stands
nine metres high and seventy five metres above sea level. The light flashes
twice every twelve seconds and can be seen for ten nautical miles. The
light-emitting diode beacon was installed in May 2006 and is supplied by mains
electricity with a battery for standby power. The original lens can be seen in
the lantern room. An oil burner originally provided the light source, this was
converted to a 1000-watt lamp supplied by diesel-generated electricity in 1949,
and then direct to mains electricity in the 1960’s. The light was fully
automated in 1989 and the lighthouse keeper was withdrawn. The operation of the
light is completely automatic and is monitored by a computer and the Maritime NZ
staff in Wellington.
  Despite the viewing platform being
a see-through grate, Bear went on it and even managed
a smile.
  The succulents did indeed cling to the edge. Quite a wierd
looking angle in the picture – taken looking directly down, the beach is the dark area below.
  Looking out
to the Nuggets, looking back to the cliff, complete
with youngsters at the top.
   Looking south, we could clearly make
out the Cathedral Caves, only accessible at low tide
and in the top thirty longest sea caves in the world, sadly closed at this
time.
 We headed
back, so pleased to have been here.
 Looking
down. To the top right of the biggest pool, we could see a nursing mum
and pup fur seals.
   The tenacity of Mother
Nature.
   Trees
defying the rocks.
   Brightly coloured lichen giving flashes of yellow. Wind
shaped bushes and a tangle of roots. We close with our favourite picture.
ALL IN ALL A VERY ENJOYABLE
TRAMP TO ICONIC BEAUTY
DRAMATICALLY
DIFFERENT |