Puysegur Point
Tawhitiwhiti-roro (Māori)
| |
|---|---|
Puysegur Point Lighthouse and foundations of old lighthouse keepers buildings
| |
  Puysegur Point Location of Puysegur Point Show map of Fiordland  Puysegur Point Puysegur Point (New Zealand) Show map of New Zealand | |
| Coordinates: 46°09′22″S 166°36′36″E / 46.156°S 166.61°E / -46.156; 166.61 | |
| Location | Fiordland, Southland District, New Zealand |
| Offshore water bodies | Tasman Sea, Rakituma / Preservation Inlet |
| Native name | Tawhitiwhiti-roro (Māori) |
Puysegur Point is a headland located in the far southwest of the South Island of New Zealand.[1] It lies within Fiordland National Park on the southern head of Preservation Inlet and is 145 kilometres (90 mi) west-northwest of Invercargill. The name 'Puysegur' was bestowed by Lieutenant Jules Dumont d'Urville or Midshipman Jules de Blosseville during a South Pacific expedition of La Coquille; probably in honour of the French naval officer Antoine-Hyacinthe-Anne de Chastenet de Puységur (1752–1809).
Puysegur Point has been said to be the windiest place in New Zealand, with gales recorded on an average of 48 days a year.[2] A large earthquake[3] in this region on 15 July 2009 pushed Puysegur Point closer to Australia by 30 centimetres (12 in).[4]
Humpback whales pass the point during annual migrations.[5]
A lighthouse on the point was first illuminated on 1 March 1879. The original wooden lighthouse was destroyed in an arson attack in 1942.[6] The lighthouse was operated by permanent lighthouse keepers from its establishment in 1879 until it was temporarily shutdown in 1980, with a further period of staffed operation from 1987 until it was fully automated and destaffed in 1989.[7]
The main access to Puysegur Point and the lighthouse is via a track from a beach landing point at Otago Retreat - a narrow waterway between the mainland and Coal Island in Preservation Inlet to the north west of the point.[8] The name Otago Retreat originates from the passage of the schooner Otago that found shelter in this narrow passage during a voyage accompanying the survey ship HMS Acheron on a survey of the South Island around 1850-51.[9][10][11] There are buildings remaining at the landing that formerly served the lighthouse. One of the buildings is a Department of Conservation shelter, known as the Landing Shed.[12]
| Climate data for Puysegur Point (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 16.6 (61.9) |
16.6 (61.9) |
15.7 (60.3) |
14.3 (57.7) |
12.7 (54.9) |
11.0 (51.8) |
10.7 (51.3) |
11.1 (52.0) |
12.0 (53.6) |
12.7 (54.9) |
13.7 (56.7) |
15.4 (59.7) |
13.5 (56.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 13.9 (57.0) |
14.1 (57.4) |
13.2 (55.8) |
12.0 (53.6) |
10.5 (50.9) |
8.8 (47.8) |
8.4 (47.1) |
8.7 (47.7) |
9.6 (49.3) |
10.2 (50.4) |
11.1 (52.0) |
12.8 (55.0) |
11.1 (52.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 11.3 (52.3) |
11.6 (52.9) |
10.7 (51.3) |
9.6 (49.3) |
8.3 (46.9) |
6.5 (43.7) |
6.1 (43.0) |
6.3 (43.3) |
7.1 (44.8) |
7.7 (45.9) |
8.6 (47.5) |
10.2 (50.4) |
8.7 (47.6) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 224.9 (8.85) |
203.0 (7.99) |
225.9 (8.89) |
207.0 (8.15) |
240.6 (9.47) |
209.5 (8.25) |
197.1 (7.76) |
211.0 (8.31) |
193.9 (7.63) |
234.8 (9.24) |
235.6 (9.28) |
195.7 (7.70) |
2,579 (101.52) |
| Source: NIWA[13] | |||||||||||||
