0182. New Zealand (South Island) - Taiaroa Head Lighthouse (Tiki Tour-2)...

Taiaroa Head Lighthouse is one of the New Zealand's Dunedin Area Lighthouse in the Otago Region of the New Zealand's South-East coast.  The area surrounding the Lighthouse is a Natural Reserve, the site of a large nesting colony of Royal Albatross (This is the only place in the World where Albatross nest near civilization).

The Lighthouse is located at the North-Eastern tip of the Otago Peninsula about 32 km North-East of Dunedin, marking the entrance to Otago Harbour.  The Lighthouse viewing is closed during the Albatross nesting period from mid September to late November.

Taiaroa Head was named after the leader of the Ngai Tahu Maori tribe, Te Matenga Taiaroa.

Taiaroa Head Lighthouse was highlighted in the Tiki Tour of New Zealand No.2 stamp sheet released by New Zealand Post on 4-Jul-2012.

Built in the year 1865, the TAIAROA HEAD Lighthouse:

• Tower is ROUND stone
• Tower painted WHITE
• Lantern roof painted RED
• 1-storey signal building painted white with red roof
• Height is 12 metres
• Colour scheme of the LIGHT is WHITE 
• LIGHT character is TWO LONG (2 seconds) WHITE FLASH every 18 seconds

0181. New Zealand (North Island) - Castle Point Lighthouse (Tiki Tour-2)...

Castle Point Lighthouse is one of the New Zealand's Eastern Coast Lighthouses in the Wellington region.  Castle Point Lighthouse is located at the end of Castlepoint road South-East of Masterton.  The Lighthouse was pre-fabricated in Wellington.  The causeway connecting the Lighthouse station to the mainland was demolished in 2008 because it had become unsafe, but it is still possible to reach the lighthouse on foot except during the high tides.

The Lighthouse built in 1913 was originally fueled by oil.  In 1954, the oil lamp was replaced with electric powered by diesel generator.  In 1961, this was replaced by a connection to the electrical mains grid.  The Lighthouse and the Castle Point beach were popular tourist attraction and acquired the nickname The Holiday Light.  The light was fully automated in 1988 and it is owned and operated by Maritime New Zealand.

Castle Point Lighthouse was highlighted in the Tiki Tour of New Zealand No.2 stamp sheet released by New Zealand Post on 4-Jul-2012.

Built in the year 1913, the CASTLE POINT Lighthouse:

• Tower is ROUND cast-iron
• Tower painted WHITE
• Lantern roof painted GRAY
• Height is 23 metres
• Colour scheme of the LIGHT is WHITE
• LIGHT character is THREE FLASHES every 30 seconds

0180. Srilanka - Lighthouse(s) Miniature Sheet Overprint

Srilanka Post commemorated the Lighthouses of Sri Lanka by the release of Rs.500 (LKR) Miniature Sheet with Overprint on 23.25 (LKR) on 15-Sep-2010.  The Lighthouse(s) commemorated were: 

1. Little Basses Lighthouse 0.50 cents value

2. Great Basses Lighthouse 0.75 cents value

3. Devinuwara (Dondra) Lighthouse 2.00 (LKR) value

4. Galle Lighthouse 20.00 (LKR) value

My sincere thanks to D.P. Jayathillake from Sri Lanka for sending me this Overprint Lighthouse Miniature Sheet.

NOTE : Details about the Lighthouse(s) and the earlier Miniature Sheet are available in my Post Nos.0111 to 0113 and 0118 to 0119....

0179. Estonia - Käsmu Lighthouse Sheetlet

Eesti Post commemorated the Käsmu Lighthouse with the release of Sheetlet on 13-Sep-2012.  This is the 22nd stamp in the Eesti Post's Lighthouse Stamp Series. 

The detail(s) about the Käsmu Lighthouse is available in my earlier post #0177...

My sincere thanks to Aare Kärner from Estonia for sending me this Sheetlet of Käsmu Lighthouse.

0178. Lithuania - Klaipeda Lighthouse

The Klaipeda Lighthouse is one of the oldest Lighthouse on the German Baltic.  During World War II, the Lighthouse was destroyed.  The Lighthouse is located on the North side of the entrance, at the North-Western edge of Klaipeda.  The Lighthouse is the rear light of the range guiding ships through the narrow entrance between the end of the Curonian Spit and the mainland.

Klaipeda had no Lighthouse till 18th century.  To guide the ships to the Dane Harbor, the first Lighthouse was built only in 1796 and it was rather short.  The lighting contraption was made up of 6 bronze reflectors, which reflected light about 4 kms only.  In 1819, the Lighthouse was heightened with very modern lighting system.  This time, boats could see the lighting signal even beyond 30 kms.

There were various optical signals in the Lighthouse.  If a red flag was displayed from the tower, it informed the boats that entrance to the harbour at this time was dangerous.  A yellow one, its safe to sail.  From 1937, the Lighthouse started sending radio signals

Before, World War, the Lighthouse was painted in Red and White squares, which is why it was referred to as Red Lighthouse.  But, currently, it was painted Black and White horizontal bands.  At the end of World War II, the lighthouse got destroyed and subsequently it was re-built and upgraded.

To commemorate the 760th anniversary of Klaipeda (formerly known as Memel), the oldest city in Lithuania, Lithuanian Post  released a 2 Litas stamp of the  Klaipeda Lighthouse  on 14-Jul-2012.

Re-Built in the year 1953, the KLAIPEDA Lighthouse:

• Tower is ROUND CYLINDRICAL
• Tower mounted on a 2-storey OCTAGONAL concrete base
• Tower is painted with BLACK and WHITE HORIZONTAL bands
• Tower base painted BLACK
• Lantern and Gallery painted RED
• Height is 40 metres
• Colour scheme of the LIGHT is WHITE
• LIGHT character is 3 seconds ON; 3 seconds OFF

My sincere thanks to Vidmantas Stilius from Klaipeda, Lithuania for sending me this Klaipeda Lighthouse Stamp.

0177. Estonia - Käsmu Lighthouse

The Käsmu Lighthouse is located just off the beach in Käsmu.  It is one of few wooden lighthouses in the Eastern Estonia, in the region known historically as Vironia.  The Lighthouse is operated by the Estonian Maritime Administration. 

Käsmu men launched their local ship construction business during 1891.  To facilitate the movement of ship(s) in the region, the light beacon was built during that time.  Käsmu bay was one of the major ports for wintering, in some years of 60-70 ships.

The height of the Lighthouse was 8.2 meters and its visibility 6 miles.  Starting from 1900, the Käsmu Lighthouse worked with a blinking light.  In 1923, a signal mast was erected at the back of the Lighthouse for sending storm warnings to ships at sea.  The Lighthouse escaped without any damage both from World War I and II.  

With its green, white and red lights, it gave the opportunity of safe entry into Käsmu Bay where ships could find shelter in stormy weather.  Käsmu Bay, for centuries, was considered the best shelter on the Tallinn-Narva shipping route.  In 1993, burning a light in the Lighthouse stopped and the Käsmu Lighthouse remained in the maritime register as a Day-Light until 2004 when it was removed from the navigation aids database.  The unique structure of the Lighthouse survives as a cultural heritage monument in the landscape.  The Lighthouse celebrates its 120th year in 2012.

The wooden Käsmu Lighthouse was commemorated by Eesti Post with the release of 0.45 euro stamp on 13-Sep-2012.  This is the 22nd stamp in the Eesti Post's Lighthouse Stamp Series. 

Established in 1892, the Käsmu Lighthouse:

• Tower is 2-storey WOOD building
• Tower painted WHITE
• Height is 7 metres
• LIGHT is shown through a window
• Lighthouse deactivated in 1990

Write-up source : Eesti Post...

0176. Ukraine - Sanzhiiskyi (Sanzheyskiy) Lighthouse

The Sanzhiiskyi Lighthouse is located North-East of the mouth of the Dnister and South-West of Odessa.  The Sanzhiiskyi is one of the South Coast Lighthouse in Ukraine.

Sanzhiiskyi Lighthouse was commemorated by Ukrainian State Enterprise of Posts (UKRPOSHTA) with the release of 2.00 UAH stamp on 8-Oct-2010.  This is 1st of the six stamps featured in the "The Lighthouses of Ukraine" series released in 2010.

The SANZHIISKYI Lighthouse:

• Tower is OCTAGONAL CYLINDRICAL masonry
• Tower painted WHITE
• Lantern dome painted GREEN
• Height is 19 metres
• Colour scheme of the LIGHT is GREEN
• LIGHT character is TWO FLASHES every 15 seconds

0175. Ukraine - Lighthouse Stamp Series 2010

Ukrainian State Enterprise of Posts (UKRPOSHTA) commemorated its Lighthouse(s) with the release of stamp(s) on...

Sanzhiiskyi Lighthouse 2.00 UAH

Tendrivskyi Lighthouse 1.50 UAH

Tarkhankutskyi Lighthouse 2.00 UAH

Pavlovs'k Range Front Lighthouse 1.50 UAH

Illichivsk South Mole Lighthouse 2.00 UAH

Khersonesskiy Lighthouse 1.50 UAH

The stamp(s) were released on 8-Oct-2010.  

The detail(s) about these Lighthouse(s) will follow in my next post(s)...

My sincere thanks to Anna from Kyiv, Ukraine for sending me this Miniature Sheet of the Lighthouse Stamp Series 2010.

0174. Germany - Obereversand Lighthouse PostMark

The Obereversand Lighthouse is pictured in the Philatelic Temple Square Postmark released by Deutsche Post to commemorate the Participation of the Deutsche Post Philately on 6th Lighthouse Festival on the occasion of the 125th Anniversary of the Obereversand Lighthouse. 

Obereversand Lighthouse is located on the waterfront at Dorum.  The foundation of the Lighthouse was undermined and the tower was in danger of collapse by 1990s.  The Lighthouse preservation society, in 1999, relocated and restored the Lighthouse.  In 2003, the Lighthouse was lifted off its foundation(s) and barged to the harbour of Dorum, where it was installed on a new foundation just offshore and fully restored.  A pier and external stairway provides access to the gallery and lantern room.  The Light was relit in 2004.  

Established in 1887, the OBEREVERSAND Lighthouse:

• Tower is SQUARE cast iron
• Tower painted DARK BROWN
• Tower mounted on a SQUARE SKELETAL foundation
• Height is 34 metres 
• Colour scheme of the Light is WHITE
• Light character is CONTINUOUS

  

My sincere thanks to Wolfgang Beyer from Germany for sending me this German Post Mark of Obereversand Lighthouse.

0173. Germany - Cuxhaven Lighthouse PostMark

The Cuxhaven Lighthouse is pictured in the Philatelic Postmark released by Deutsche Post to commemorate the Participation of the Deutsche Post Philately on action days "Hamburger Lighthouse" in Cuxhaven on 21-Aug-2012.

Cuxhaven Lighthouse, an historic tower was built by the city of Hamburg at the Elbe estuary; after only a short time in service it was extinguished until the end of the Napoleonic wars in 1814.  Radio transmission at the Lighthouse was conducted by the Physicist Karl-Ferdinan Braun in 1899.  The Lighthouse was located on the old waterfront in downtown Cuxhaven.

Cuxhaven Lighthouse was one of the Germany's Oldest in service.  After almost two centuries of operation, the Lighthouse was de-activated in May 2001 and sold to private ownership.   The interior and exterior of the tower were restored by the owner in 2005. 

Established in 1805, the CUXHAVEN Lighthouse:

• Tower is ROUND CYLINDRICAL brick
• Tower unpainted RED BRICK
• Lantern dome is unpainted GREEN COPPER
• Height is 23 metres

My sincere thanks to Wolfgang Beyer from Germany for sending me this German Post Mark of Cuxhaven Lighthouse.

0172. Germany - Little Lighthouse Borkum

The Little Lighthouse Borkum is located on a 10 meter high dune on the South-West side of Borkum.  The Lighthouse is one of the three Lighthouse(s) on Borkum.  It was a leading light for the two approach channel of Ems, the Hubertgat (Netherlands) and Westerems (Germany).

This lighthouse was a part of the Dutch-German project of illuminating sub-Ems.  Five Lighthouses are placed together in service and each of the five leading light was for a specified section on the ship route between the North Sea and Emden responsible.  The Little Lighthouse Borkum pointed its direction light of the waters of Hubertgat and Westerems in the outermost region of the Ems estuary.

The Little Lighthouse Borkum was a prototype built in a series of nine lighthouses built in Germany, pre-fabricated.  This Lighthouse is referred to "Electric Lighthouse" as it was the first Lighthouse built for electrical equipment in Germany.

In the early 1960s, as the waters of Westerems had shifted, the lighthouse was only a leading light for the control of Hubertgats.  In summer 2003, as the fairway in Hubertgat had changed by shifting sand, the Lighthouse was decommissioned.    

Little Lighthouse Borkum was commemorated by Deutsche Post with the release of 45 Euro Cent stamp on 12-Jul-2012.

Established in 1891, the LITTLE LIGHTHOUSE BORKUM:

• Tower is 16-sided cast iron
• Tower topped by a radar antenna
• Tower painted RED and WHITE HORIZONTAL bands
• Height is 27 metres
• Lighthouse is INACTIVE since 2003

0171. Ukraine - Yaltinskiy Lighthouse Picture Postcard

My sincere thanks to Olesya Ivanenko from Ukraine for sending me this Picture PostCard of the Yaltinskiy Lighthouse of Ukraine.

The details about the Lighthouse is available in my earlier post #0149...

0170. Taiwan (RoC) - Pen Chia Yu Lighthouse

Pen Chia Yu is a small volcanic Island located in North-East of the Northern tip of Taiwan.  The Island is un-inhabited except for the staffs of the Lighthouse and a Weather station and a small Army detachment.

The Lighthouse was established during the Japanese Rule period.  Starting from 1906, the construction was expected to end in 1908, and to facilitate the transportation of materials, a 10-feet lighted beacon of red fixed light was installed.  The Lighthouse was eventually completed in July 1909 and began its service in September 1909.  But, during WW-II, the Lighthouse was bombarded for quite a few times because of its high visibility.  The lanterns stopped functioning after the bombings and the Lighthouse was seriously damaged.  In 1946, the Customs repaired the lanterns and built offices.  Lighthouse is coiled with hoops around the exterior to strengthen it against typhoons and earthquakes.  This Lighthouse is the 3rd highest Lighthouse in Taiwan.   

Pen Chia Yu Lighthouse was commemorated by Chunghwa Post in its Definitive Lighthouse Postage Stamp(s) 1989 with the release of 225 value stamp on 21-Apr-1989 and in Definitive Second Print of Lighthouse Postage Stamp(s) 1991 with the release of 1300 value stamp on 2-Oct-1991.

Established in 1909, the PEN CHIA YU Lighthouse:

• Tower is ROUND brick
• Tower mounted on an HEXAGONAL PYRAMIDAL brick base
• Tower painted WHITE
• Lantern dome painted BLACK
• Height is 26 metres
• Colour scheme of the LIGHT is WHITE
• LIGHT character is a FLASH every 15 seconds

My sincere thanks to Lipsanen from Finland for sending me a commercially used stamp of Pen Chia Yu Lighthouse.