Cape Palliser Seal Colony and Lighthouse Walk
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Marios Gavalas
Author And Researcher
Nau mai, haere mai
Nau mai, haere mai
I'm Marios, delivering the best of Aotearoa's nature walks to your device.
I've personally walked hundreds of New Zealand's tracks and spent months in libraries uncovering interesting information on New Zealand/Aotearoa. And you'll find a slice of that research on this page - enjoy!
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Information
Cape Palliser Seal Colony and Lighthouse Walk
1 km return | 20 minutes return
Just getting to Cape Palliser is dramatically scenic. As you near the destination the road follows the edge of the coast, providing unstoppable views of the Bay.
The climb to the Cape Palliser lighthouse will test your fitness. There are 250 steps to climb...counted them.
During the 19th century, there were about 20 ships wrecked in or near Palliser Bay, once at the top its easy to see why.
The fur seal colony here is the North Island's largest.
Walking Track
Access
3.6 km after Pirinoa, turn left into Whangaimoana Road (signposted Ngawi and Cape Palliser). The road is later renamed Whatarangi Road and leads 37 km to Cape Palliser. The road is both sealed and unsealed and towards the cape is severely threatened by active erosion. There is a gravel parking area near the base of the steps to the lighthouse.
Track
There are 258 steps to climb to reach the lighthouse. These replaced a steep slippery rocky path with a winch to the top, used during the times when the lighthouse was manned.
Geology
The drive to Cape Palliser involves witnessing the ferocious power of the ocean at close quarters. The fearsome swells sometimes struggle to make it to shore, hindered by the offshore winds that peel off plumes of spray. You could be forgiven for thinking the waves are on fire. Explosions of foam greet the arrival of waves on the offshore stacks and enormous breakers crash up the black shingle beaches and retreat in a chaotic maelstrom of white water. The sounds of the wind and foaming seas mingle in a raw orchestrated duet that sums up this stretch of coast.
Fauna
The North Island’s only colony of breeding fur seals are resident at Cape Palliser. They sunbathe and rest on the rocks between feeding at sea. Keep landward side of the seals and keep dogs under control.
Seals are known as pinnipeds (wing footed) because of their webbed flippers (replacing paws or feet). Streamlined bodies and blubber keep them warm, while their ears and nose flaps close when diving. They feed on squid, octopus and hoki.
European History
The Cape was named by Captain Cook after his mentor Rear Admiral Sir Hugh Palliser. Cook’s entry into his journal reads “..the land ends in appoint and is the southernmost land of Aeheinomouwe which I have named Cape Palliser in honour of my friend Captain Palliser…”
The 18-metre lighthouse tower was established in 1897, following the recommendation of the Shipmaster’s Association, who thought there a dire need for such a facility. At that time there were 12 other marine lights in New Zealand. The materials for construction, including the cast iron sections (later bolted together) were brought ashore by lighthouse tenders (not an easy task given the ferocity of the swells). A solid concrete pad was laid, then the other materials winched up a tramway to the top.
Colza oil (extracted from rape seed) originally powered the light until 1900 when paraffin was used. In 1954 it was converted from oil to diesel generated electricity and then in 1967 converted to mains electricity. The light is 78 metres above sea level, flashes twice every 20 seconds and can be seen for 26 nautical miles (48 km). The 1000 Watt lamp is automated, and controlled and monitored by a computer in Wellington.
Children of early lighthouse keepers were educated by correspondence and lived at the lighthouse for 11 months of the year. They baked their own bread and ate a lot of fish. Keeper’s families had a strict code of behaviour, a response by authorities to the episodes of drunkenness exhibited by some employees to pass the time in lonely exposed places.
Feature
5km before the Cape Palliser is the small fishing settlement of Ngawi. You can stop and look at the line of fishing craft above the beach. Tractors aren’t sufficient in these parts, so bulldozers in all manner of shapes, colour and states of disrepair are needed to heave the boats up the steeply shelving black shingle beaches.
Details
| Feature | Value | Info |
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Organisation |
DOC WairarapaCentral government organisation |
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Location |
North Island ▷ Wairarapa ▷ Ngawi |
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Categories |
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Directions To Coordinates |
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Coordinates |
Walking
Seal Watching
Nearby
Reviews
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5.0/5
I was there for the sunrise and even if I couldn't see the sun appear from the sea horizon, that was a great show.
Hi,
I was alone to watch the top of the waves illuminated by the orange sun.
I edited a short video about the beauty I saw.
Cheers,
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5.0/5
30Sept18.
The lighthouse is good. How many steps! A lot and steep and it was very windy when we were there. The gravel road is actually quite good. We made the mistake of walking about 3kms to get there. On the plus side we did see a lot of seals.
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4.0/5
Long drive out but beautiful coastal drive.
Lighthouse was pretty and the fur seals are great fun to watch!
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4.5/5
Driving the last bit of Cape Palliser Road there are plenty of opportunity to see seals!
Lovely animals not afraid of us and beautiful landscapes as well.
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4.5/5
Really beautiful landscape, still wild.
Lots of seals. You can also find some Paua on the rocks!
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5.0/5
See a huge seal colony at Cape Palliser, it is just amazing to watch the bulls, the cows and their babies!
A nice lighthouse, amazing rock formations, nice beaches and lovely nature!
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5.0/5
Absolutely lovely place.
The coast is wonderful. The view from the lighthouse is stunning. There are 248 stairs that lead to the lighthouse. Unfortunately no seals whatsoever at this time of year (December).
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4.5/5
A lot of nice walks and an awesome scenery.
Nice view and seals are next to the road.
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5.0/5
I was there for the sunrise and even if I couldn't see the sun appear from the sea horizon, that was a great show.
Hi,
I was alone to watch the top of the waves illuminated by the orange sun.
I edited a short video about the beauty I saw.
Cheers,
-
5.0/5
30Sept18.
The lighthouse is good. How many steps! A lot and steep and it was very windy when we were there. The gravel road is actually quite good. We made the mistake of walking about 3kms to get there. On the plus side we did see a lot of seals.
-
4.0/5
Long drive out but beautiful coastal drive.
Lighthouse was pretty and the fur seals are great fun to watch!
-
4.5/5
Driving the last bit of Cape Palliser Road there are plenty of opportunity to see seals!
Lovely animals not afraid of us and beautiful landscapes as well.
-
5.0/5
See a huge seal colony at Cape Palliser, it is just amazing to watch the bulls, the cows and their babies!
A nice lighthouse, amazing rock formations, nice beaches and lovely nature!
-
4.5/5
Really beautiful landscape, still wild.
Lots of seals. You can also find some Paua on the rocks!
-
-
5.0/5
Absolutely lovely place.
The coast is wonderful. The view from the lighthouse is stunning. There are 248 stairs that lead to the lighthouse. Unfortunately no seals whatsoever at this time of year (December).
-
4.5/5
A lot of nice walks and an awesome scenery.
Nice view and seals are next to the road.
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4.5/5
This place is very beautiful and there is a colony of seals which was very amazing.
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4.0/5
Long gravel road to the lighthouse but the view and the beach near the lighthouse are awesome!
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5.0/5
We were very lucky.
Weather was brilliant, seals were everywhere and we were able to almost touch them! Walk to the lighthouse is a great idea, especially if you want to take breathtaking pictures!
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5.0/5
Huge seal colony with babies.
You can see them in their natural habitat. Very cut. Free.
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4.5/5
Incredible place in the most southerly point of the North Island.
No people around, just the sound of the wind and waves. And then the biggest colony of sea lions there are in the North Island.
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5.0/5
Cape Palliser with lots of babies and seals playing in the water, jumping on rocks.
That was so good to see them wild and free.
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5.0/5
The 5 hours I have spent here made it one of the most memorable days of my life.
The whole area is 10/10 beautiful and that is only a bonus to the main attraction of watching seals. Went there in March and the place was full of very young seals playing with each other. Couldn't get any better.
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5.0/5
The stairs up to the lighthouse are a bit vicious but it is all worth it for the view.
Plus the hundreds of fur seals that live along the coast made this one of my favourite spots in New Zealand thus far.
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4.0/5
Seeing seals for the first time really close, nice lighthouse but too far away.
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4.5/5
Great experience to see the seal colony and the lighthouse.
A long gravel road to travel but worth the trip. Also possible to spend the night here for free.
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5.0/5
Lots of seals playing on the rocks of the beaches near the lighthouse.
Easy to see and observe them.
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5.0/5
Absolutely amazing place, beautiful scenery, lovely drive although tight in some areas so take your time, it's well worth it.
We got to see many fur seal adults and pups but most memorable we were lucky to have an enormous elephant seal only ten metres away sunning with the others just the most memorable sight ever. This is definitely worth taking the time to drive out and experience this beautiful location.
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5.0/5
You get amazingly close to wild seals, so cool and there is a cool lighthouse with a great lookout as well.
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4.0/5
Lighthouse, seal colony, really remote place with some rough shores and beaches.
Is really beautiful
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4.0/5
Lovely place and what a surprise to see many seals.
Good experience, a bit scary.
