2009年1月7日，新西蘭郵政為紀念新西蘭第一座燈塔(Pencarrow燈塔)150周年將發(fā)行五枚燈塔圖特別郵票。每張郵票將以它們各自的陸地標志技術為特色，在黑暗中發(fā)出實際的燈光射線!
在GPS導航技術和其他現(xiàn)代化航海技術高度發(fā)達的現(xiàn)今，燈塔的重要性容易被人們低估。但是今天，正如150年前的那些燈塔，它們的結構對保證海上航行的安全是極其重要的。燈塔發(fā)出的橫跨波浪的燈光，引導著貿(mào)易商船和旅行者橫越大�！谠S多黑暗和風雨如磐的夜間受到歡迎的信號。
In these days of GPS and other sophisticated navigation technology, it’s easy to underestimate the importance of the lighthouse. But today, just as they were 150 years ago, these structures are vital to ensuring the safety of those at sea. Beaming light across the waves, they guide traders and travellers to sheltered waters – a welcome sight on many a dark and stormy night. Each stamp features a technological ‘landmark’ of its own – lighthouse beams that actually glow in the dark!
50c – Pencarrow
New Zealand’s first lighthouse was built at Pencarrow Head in 1858 to illuminate the entrance to Wellington harbour – an urgent requirement given the area’s hazardous coastline. Operated by Mary Jane Bennett (the only woman keeper in the New Zealand Lighthouse Service), the lighthouse remained in service until replaced with an automatic light at Baring Head in 1935. Today, it’s a popular destination for hikers and bikers, and a reminder of the importance of maritime transport to the city’s early settlers.
$1.00 – Dog Island
First lit in 1865, the Dog Island lighthouse is located at the eastern approach to Foveaux Strait, which separates the South Island from Stewart Island. The lighthouse marks a low, flat island that rises only a couple of metres above sea level, and is painted in black and white bands so it stands out in daylight. Featuring a lens powered by solar energy, New Zealand’s tallest lighthouse is now monitored by computer from Wellington.
$1.50 – Cape Brett
The 14-metre-high Cape Brett lighthouse stands at the entrance to the Bay of Islands. First lit in 1910, it was the heart of an isolated settlement of three identical houses for the keepers and their families. The lighthouse was built locally out of cast iron, then barged to a local beach before being winched up 149 metres and assembled on site. It was the first in New Zealand to feature a rotating light floating on a bed of mercury, which enable a heavy and brighter light that could also rotate faster than its counterparts.
$2.00 – Cape Egmont
The cast iron tower on the Cape Egmont lighthouse – which sits on the westernmost point of Taranaki – was built in the mid-1800s in Pimlico, London. The segments were shipped to New Zealand in 1865 and assembled on Mana Island north of Wellington. However, this was often confused with the Pencarrow light, and in 1872 and 1874, two ships confused the Mana light for Pencarrow, and both ships were wrecked, so the
