Historic Cape Brett Lighthouse track uncovered
Date: 24 June 2008
A stunning walk to the historic Cape Brett Lighthouse has been restored by Kerikeri Conservation Corp and Department of Conservation teams cutting 20 years' worth of manuka and kikuyu from an historic track.
The restored walk to the historic Cape
Brett Lighthouse
The track from the principal keeper's hut to the light was one of the originals, probably cut when work began at the settlement in 1909.
"The teams cleared a lot of very dense manuka and kanuka, some of it two metres high," says DOC's Bay of Islands Area Office historic ranger, Andrew Blanshard. "The thigh-high kikuyu was so dense that they were able to cut it and lift it off in mats.
"The result is a much nicer walk, in terms of both gradient and surface, than the track that's been used over recent years. There are also stunning views towards the Eastern Bay of Islands, taking in the Cavalli Islands off Matauri Bay."
Andrew said the Conservation Corp team stayed at the Cape Brett Hut for two nights while they helped at the settlement and enjoyed the chance to work in a beautiful location, on some of the heritage that DOC manages.
"They are absolutely brilliant workers; even so it was interesting that they commented on the physical fitness that must have been required by lighthouse keepers and their families - it's pretty steep from the hut to the light!"
The teams also cleared kikuyu from around the hut, foundations of walls and other early structures, and removed a kilometre of wire and accompanying battens from a fence built 30 years ago.
The lighthouse settlement was a busy community for much of last century. Before automation of the light in 1978, three keepers and their families kept the light blazing after it was first lit in 1910.
DOC has been upgrading the lighthouse and the site for the last two years, and the next project will be to clean the inside of the lighthouse, which retains all the early workings of the system.
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