Aids to navigation
Maritime New Zealand maintains the lighthouses, beacons and buoys outside harbour limits that guide shipping around New Zealand’s coastline. Local authorities manage the navigational aids within their own harbours.
The buoyage and beaconage system in New Zealand
The waters of New Zealand and nearby islands are marked for safe navigation using the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) system.
This navigation system applies to all of New Zealand’s coastal and river water ways including harbours and lakes.
The IALAs maritime buoyage system uses marks on nautical charts to show the side on which a buoy or beacon should be passed when heading in a given direction. These marks have a variety of colours, shapes and light characteristics.
Buoys and beacons that aren’t lighted have reflective marking strips to make them more visible at night.
Maritime New Zealand’s publication New Zealand’s system of buoys and beacons includes:
- harbour navigation aids including harbour approach channels
- marking and lighting methods
- oceanographic station navigation requirements
- markings for offshore oil and gas rigs and platforms
- standard markings for marine farms, offshore isolated dangers, water ski lanes and other markings.