Hundreds of people made the most of an extremely rare opportunity yesterday, attending an open day at the historic Cape Palliser lighthouse.
They scaled the 258 steps from the beachfront to get to the lighthouse, then awaited their turn to go inside the tower itself.
Although the weather was a mixed bag, being clear at times and showery at others, it did not deter the visitors which included pupils from Pirinoa School.
The lighthouse had not been open to the public for decades and the open day was organised by coastal resident Rosemary Rayner in conjunction with Maritime New Zealand.
Brian Simmons, 69, who owns a bach at Mangatoetoe and has been visiting the Wairarapa coast since 1954 had never been inside the lighthouse until yesterday.