Nugget Point is one of New Zealand's oldest lighthouses, dating to 1870. The name 'Nugget Point' was coined by Captain James Cook, who noticed a number of large rocks lying in the sea next to the headland where the lighthouse now sits and described them as looking like nuggets of gold.

Since 1989, the lighthouse has been fully automated. The most recent upgrade was the addition of solar power panels, which eliminated the need for electrical power for the light.

It is an easy 15-minute walk from the car park to the lighthouse. A favourite composition here is found by scrambling up the steep slope facing the lighthouse, giving the desired elevation above the subject; however, there are prominent signs warning of the danger of doing so. It is a precarious, narrow ridge, and one missed step could prove very dangerous. Although I am guilty of going up there for this shot, there were no such warning signs in situ at the time! However, when I am taking workshop clients there, the ridge is definitely off-limits!

Nugget Point faces directly east, so it is a natural sunrise location. I opted for a telephoto lens this time (180mm focal length) with a view capturing the small details of the lighthouse platform backlit by the rising sun: the balustrade, weather vane, and the sharp outline of the structure itself. If I were to shoot the same scene again, I would probably try to find a spot a little lower down so that more of the subject was above the horizon. Still, the beautiful light this morning more than compensated for any error in the composition, I think!