Cape Palliser Lighthouse Stairs Wairarapa New Zealand
Photo & Vacation Spot

The long wooden flight of stairs is quite a hike to reach the rocky cliff where the Cape Palliser Lighthouse overlooks the coastal waters off Wairarapa on the North Island of New Zealand.

The Cape Palliser Lighthouse in Wairarapa on the North Island of New Zealand sits on a cliff 78 meters above sea level and one must climb 250 stairs to reach the lighthouse. Since October of 1897, the lighthouse has shone for 48 kilometers across the rugged coastline of the Cook Strait. A lightkeeper tended to the Cape Palliser Lighthouse until 1986 when it became automated and monitored electronically from Wellington, New Zealand.

Once you reach the top of the stairs, the scenery is breathtaking as you look out for miles over the horizon. The conditions of Cook Strait can rapidly change where gale force winds move in and the currents become extremely dangerous.

250 steps leading to the Cape Palliser Lighthouse, Cape Palliser, Wairarapa, North Island, New Zealand.