Cape Reinga, New Zealand

Aupouri Peninsula is the more or less unknown name for the peninsula where one can find Cape Reinga. It is on purpose that I start with the name of the peninsula, because there is much more to see than just the lighthouse and the cape. It is fantastic to drive to the north and you will even enjoy the 21 km of gravel road !!

On your way north on SH11 you will enjoy the beautiful scenery. Both left and right are amazing views over the beaches of the Abel Tasman Sea or the Pacific Ocean. Much of them do have white sand and stick out against the deep blue waters.

Cape Reinga is (not really) New Zealand's most northerly point with a lighthouse and the famous signpost with the distances to a couple of cities far away.

Wonderful view over both Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean and Columbia bank where both waters meet each other. And far far away The Three Kings Islands.

If you are travelling by car, try to be here before all the tour buses are arriving and the quietness is disturbed by lots of tourist, making noise and pictures. We arrived at 11.00 am and we counted exactly five cars on the car park !! Near the parking lot is a trail that goes off to the West, about two miles long down to a large, mostly empty beach. The beach itself is amazing.

For more info and pics see my Northland page.

Cape Reinga is the most northern tip of the country. Its past ninety mile beach and the road becomes a dirt road for some time before you arrive.

Oh my, it will take hours to get there and back. But you get to see this post and see the Tasman Sea meet the Pacific ocean. You actually see the two seas meet.

Other than that, its windy and nothing much to do than maybe hike a bit. But there are MUCH better hikes down south.

Cape Reinga is the northwesternmost tip of the Aupouri Peninsula, at the northern end of the North Island of New Zealand and 90 mile beach.

The cape separates the Tasman Sea from the Pacific Ocean. From the lighthouse it is possible to watch the tidal race, as the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean clash to create unsettled waters just off the coast.

Cape Reinga is often mistaken as being the northernmost point of the North Island. North Cape's Surville Cliffs, 30 km east of Cape Reinga, are slightly more northerly. Just slightly to the west of Cape Reinga is Cape Maria van Diemen, which was discovered and named by Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in 1642 and thought by him to be the northernmost point of the newly-discovered country he named "Staten Landt".

My trip there was a really good example of how the weather can change here. All along 90 mile beach it was breezy and sunny. We stopped for lunch for about half an hour a few miles from the cape and by the time we got there there was thick cloud freezing wind and horizontal rain. reminded me of summer at home in the UK!

According to Mâori mythology, the spirits of the dead travel to Cape Reinga on their journey to the afterlife in the spiritual homeland of Hawaiki.

At Cape Reinga they depart the mainland by leaping off the ancient pohutukawa tree on the cape which is over 800 years old

They turn briefly at the Three Kings Islands for one last look back towards the land, then continue on their journey. Reinga means the leaping-off place and Te Rerenga Wairua means the leaping-off place of spirits.

This place is magical, and spritual to the maori. Once you stand there at the Cape you will see why. It's best if you travel there by car, avoid the day triper buses if you can, and allow yourself some time to do the walk from the cape down to the beach below. The climb back up is a little steep but well worth the walk.

Infact there are many walks that you can do at the cape, some may take a couple of days to complete. Have a look at the Department of Conversation website to see what options there are. try www.doc.gov.nz