34.4288° S, 172.6805° E Cape Reinga

Our original plan for today was to drive west to Waipoua National Forest and then go to Cape Reinga the next day.

Our B&B host Gordon said – “you are doing it backwards, mate” – & recommended a scenic drive to Cape Reinga today. After looking at the weather which was to be sunny today and raining tomorrow, we decided to follow Gordon’s advice.

We left Russell at 9:30 am for the 3 1/2 hour drive to Cape Reinga at the northern end of the North Island. We drove on the winding and twisting road through rolling hills, green plateaus and alongside ocean views.

It was well worth the effort! The views at the Cape were stunning.

The entire site is very well done.

There is a wide, paved pathway from the parking lot down to the lighthouse & numerous interpretative / information signs strategically located at various viewpoints.

At the Cape, the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific Ocean in a spectacular swirl of currents.

No matter what direction we looked in the views were amazing.

According to Maori legend, Cape Reinga is where the spirits of the dead leap into the ocean to return to their ancestral homeland of Hawaiki.

We spent about 90 minutes at the Cape enjoying the views & then started the drive to the town of Kaitaia where we had booked a hotel room for the night.

We stopped at a nearby beach at Tapotupotu Bay, down a narrow gravel road full of switchbacks & had a light lunch while enjoying more fantastic views & solitude.

Cath spotted several Oystercatchers along the shoreline.

Our next stop along the way was to see some of the Giant Te Paki sand dunes along the 90 Mile Beach that are 10 km long, 1 km wide and 150m (500 feet) high.

It’s a popular spot for people to climb to the top of the dune & then “surf” down on a board rented from a local shop.

Definitely a young crowd here. We opted to keep driving as it looked like a long steep walk to the top!

On our way there we passed through some sheep grazing lands. These guys seemed to be as interested in us as we were in them!

Kaitaia’s main industries are forestry and tourism. We have seen huge logging trucks rumbling by and the town has a rural B.C. feel to it.

We settled into our tidy room with a bottle of NZ Pinot Noir and some snacks while planning our drive to Waipoua National Forest tomorrow.

Cheers!