Just a few steps downhill you’ll see this Historic Places listed structure.The lighthouse was a welcome addition to Timaru’s early port scene when it was erected on Le Cren Terrace and first lit in 1878.It was one of many designed by English marine engineer John Blackett, the three story kauri structure cost £350 to build and was initially fueled by kerosene, later moving to gas and then electricity. The lighthouse operated until 1970 when a new port light was built above the Dashing Rocks. It’s had two moves since then; first to nearby Maori Park and then to its present home in 2010.
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Dashing Rocks
This headland, known as Dashing Rocks, was formed by lava flows from the eruption of Mount Horrible over 2 million years ago. The underlying rock is basalt, with a covering of loess - made up of clay, sand and silt.This high headland was an ideal vantage point for a whaling lookout during the late 1830’s. Less glamorously it was the location for a sewerage outfall until 1959.
