New Zealand

Nearly 2.000 kilometers of water devides New Zealand from Australia. The name of the two islands that forms the nation »New Zealand« has its origin in the Dutch »Zeeland«. Abel Tasman discovered the land in 1642, but decided not to take a step on it. because of its discoverer. The first European who landed on the islands was famous British seafarer James Cook in 1769. Eighty years later, the building of lighthouses in New Zealnd began. New Zealand became a british colony, the lenses were shipped from England all the way around the globe - even in the last century.

Lighthouse visitors will find Cook´s name on several places. A lot of bays and land formations are named by Cook when he travelled around the New Zealand to chart the land and the seas. For lighthouse photographers, New Zealand is kind of challange: Many lights are not accessible by car or even foot paths, and sometimes a long walk through through wilderness is necessary. Many wooden lighthouses have been scrapped in the past and replaced by a functional light on top of a »concrete block«.

Our pictures in the following galleries have been in taken in October and November 2001 during a three-week vacation on the North and South island of New Zealand.