Boulder Bank and its Lighthouse

In New Zealand, only Wellington’s Pencarrow Lighthouse is older than the British-made, cast-iron tower which was erected on Nelson’s Boulder Bank in 1861-62 to warn ships approaching the narrow harbour entrance. The Lighthouse can be visited by boat or by walking along the bank. This is the longest natural boulder bank in the southern hemisphere. At the Port end a manmade channel, the Cut provides the entrance to the port. Te Taero a Kereopa - Te Tahuna a Tama-i-ea (Boulder Bank) is a wahi tapu site. The wahi tapu status recognises Boulder Bank's importance to Maori in the mythological, spiritual and traditional senses and is a tool for educating people about its historical relevance.