Opening Hours
Open every day of the year
The lighthouse building itself is closed
Entry
Free
Address
Pencarrow Head
8km from Eastbourne
Wellington 5013
Meet the first woman lighthouse keeper, winging it with purpose and a gaggle of children.
Talk about a lovely, lonely landmark. The 1859 lighthouse on Wellington Harbour’s windblasted Pencarrow Head radiates romantic isolation as vividly as the beam it once cast, which on clear nights used to reach as far as Marlborough’s Cloudy Bay. Read the story of widow, Mary (and her gaggle of children), who took on the job as Aotearoa New Zealand’s first – and only – female lighthouse keeper. And getting to the iconic landmark is half the fun!
Photo: Grant Sheehan
Ngā Kōrero
Stories
Photo: The Dominion Post Collection, Alexander Turnbull Library
Not sure where to start?
There's more than meets the eye in Aotearoa New Zealand's coolest little capital. With plenty of heritage in the windy city, what will be your favourite?
Photo: Graeme Murray
