Tugela

South Africa

The lighthouse was equipped with a Stone-Chance 4-panel 4th-order lens when built in 1972.

Lying on the north bank of the Tugela River Mouth, the lighthouse stands in amongst the typical densely wooded vegetation of Zululand, just south of Red Hill Nature Reserve.

The round, cylindrical concrete tower is painted white with narrow black horizontal bands, its flashing light a beacon visible virtually all the way to Ballito.

The concrete version replaces a 21 metre aluminium tower on which was mounted a red lantern, the first made entirely of reinforced glass plastic with a fourth-order optic and a range of 23 sea miles.

Photos as recently as 1993 reveal the aluminium tower still standing at the river mouth.

Today this same little red lantern rests atop the concrete cyclindrical tower that stands 22 metres high. The new lighthouse tower, originally commissioned in November 1972, was only built and painted by 2005, and only as recently as 2007 was the lamp finally added to the top of the column.

The tower is closed to the public, is operational, but not manned.

Lighthouse Construction 2007 (station established 1972)
Country South Africa
Commissioning Body Transnet Port Authority
Lens Order 4th order
Lens Type Revolving
Status publish
Light Character 4 30s
Lighthouse Markings Cylindrical concrete tower painted white with three black bands and a red lantern house.
Management Body Ports Authority Transnet Port Authority
Coastal Erosion Vulnerability
Climate Change Impact Observations No
Condition Observations Excellent
Open Status (Site) Closed
Open Status (Tower) Closed
Coordinates -29.2225048546,31.5041852728
Other ARLHS SAF-062; Admiralty D6481; NGA 31972.
Data Source https://www.sa-venues.com/things-to-do/kwazulunatal/tugela-lighthouse/ South African Lighthouses, Gerald Hoberman

Lighthouse Location

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