[2] The drifting sand dunes of Farewell Spit are low lying and interspersed with fresh water lagoons, with an extensive shoal area on the southern side.

[3] The need for a lighthouse to warn mariners was identified in 1856, in the days of early European settlement,[4] in response to a growing number of stranding and wrecks.

The lighthouse sits on a low vegetated dune; an oasis surrounded by an ever-changing landscape, reshaped by incessant wind and tide.

[11] Early attempts at gardening were swamped during exceptional high tides, or plants were eaten by marauding weka.

All materials for the work, including 10 storeys of scaffolding, paint, and the water required for blasting and surface preparation had to be transported along the sandspit to the site.

With a focal height of 30 metres (98 ft) above sea level, the light can be seen for 19 nautical miles (35 km; 22 mi).

[16][17][18] The Farewell Spit Lighthouse was featured on a 10-cent postage stamp issued in 1969 in conjunction with the centenary of the New Zealand Government Life Insurance Office.