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Cape Campbell (Te Karaka)

Last Modified: 15-1-2022 14:12

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Cape Campbell Lighthouse
Cape Campbell Lighthouse
© Christopher Cookson  License this image

Cape Campbell (Te Karaka in Māori) is a remote and windswept point in Marlborough at the south-eastern extremity of Clifford Bay notable for its lighthouse. Captain James Cook named the cape with its widely used name in 1770 after a British naval officer. A reef runs out to sea some distance from the shore leading to the need for a lighthouse. The first wooden lighthouse began operation in 1898, however rapid decay of the wooden structure resulted in construction of a new, steel tower completed in 1905. Automation in 1986 removed the need for a lighthouse keeper, however the cottages remain. The cottages are on private land, and permission is required to stay in them, however public access to Cape Campbell along the shore from Marfells Beach is possible. Prior to the November 2016 magnitude 7.8 Kaikoura earthquake, access via the shore required careful timing to coincide with low tide, however following the earthquake, the seabed experienced significant uplift, making the location more accessible.

Increased access has resulted in some controversy, as the shoreline is used as the nesting ground for a number of bird species including endangered banded dotterels, however the beach is also used by the public for vehicle access, as the only formed road to Cape Campbell is on private land.

During World War II, a radar station was constructed with poles on the hills behind the lighthouse remaining to the present day.

Scenes for the 2006 feature film "The Light Between Oceans", based on the book of the same name and starring Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander were filmed at Cape Campbell due to the film's requirement for a lighthouse. 

Geology

The Cape Campbell area is located on an area of the earth's crust that has rotated vertically between 30-60 degrees clockwise since the early Pliocene (about 5 million years ago), with folding occuring at the Cape Campbell syncline (a folded area of earth's crust with a low point in the middle, formed by compression of the crust). Rotation of the crust is significantly greater than the rest of northeast Marlborough. Evidence of geological activity can be clearly seen in some of the tilted strata along the beach between Cape Campbell and Marfells Beach. The nearby London Hills Fault is the major feature responsible for tilting and coastal uplift at Cape Campbell. Dating of a bird fossil found in uplifted sediment suggested average uplift of between 1.7-2.5mm per year. Following the 14 November 2016 Kaikōura earthquake, the coast around Cape Campbell was uplifted by 0.7-0.9 metres in under two minutes.

Pliocene siltstone and sandstone along with older Miocene siltstone and conglomerates are the main rocks in the area. 

Climate

Cape Campbell is one of the windier areas of Marlborough, with mean wind speeds of 29.8Km/hr which are relatively consistent all year round whereas by comparison Blenheim has significant seasonal variation. The area is one of the driest in Marlborough, with annual rainfall below 600mm. 

Ecology

The area is rich in marine life with extensive paua beds. A wide variety of other molluscs are present, along with rock lobster. New Zealand fur seals, elephant seals, and a variety of bird life including gulls, variable oystercatchers, terns, and banded dotterels can be found in the area. Tussock grasses can be found on the hills around the Cape. 

Web Links

Cite this page

Cookson, C. (2022). Cape Campbell (Te Karaka). Retrieved March, 29, 2024, from https://www.marlboroughonline.co.nz/marlborough/information/geography/coastal-areas/cape-campbell/

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