KEY POINTS:
The Cape Brett Lighthouse is gleaming in the Bay of Islands again after an eight-week renovation project that involved removing 98-years of paint.
Andrew Blanchard of the Department of Conservation (Doc) said the historic cast iron ighthouse looked fantastic.
"It's white! There's no rust!"
Mr Blanchard said the project was expected to take six-weeks but was delayed after the lighthouse was found to be coated in around 60 layers of paint.
"There's no doubt that keepers in years gone by have been meticulous about looking after the lighthouse but we certainly weren't expecting 60 layers of paint," he said.
"Rot had set in at the bottom of the doors, and because of the type of joinery the chippies had to make a special tool, and that took a little while too."
The doors - weighing nearly 300kg each - had to be helicoptered off the Cape before the new rosewood replacements could be crafted and brought back in.
"It has been a very successful and interesting exercise," said Mr Blanchard, "and we are sure that all those in the community who love the lighthouse for many and varied reasons will be just as thrilled as we are with the result."
Doc will now focus on tidying up the interior of the lighthouse and the wider site.
Open days will be held throughout the year so that the public can see the work progress.
- NZHERALD STAFF
