Take a short stroll from the Cape Rēinga Te Rerenga Wairua car park down to the lighthouse. From here you can enjoy the outstanding panoramic views.
See the meeting of two mighty oceans and pay respect to the place where Māori believe the spirits of the dead meet the underworld.
About the walk
How long will it take? This is a 300m 10-minute walk suitable for wheelchairs, buggies and people of any age.
Walk a short distance to the lighthouse to experience outstanding views of our northern coast. To the west is Cape Maria Van Dieman and Motuopao Island, and to the east is Piwhane Spirits Bay and Hikurua de Serville Cliffs, the North Island's northernmost point.
Offshore, you can witness the immense power of two mighty oceans merging. The currents of the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet in a foaming swell of broken water over the Columbia Bank.
At times, the churning waves erupt in explosions of spray and spume. Māori refer to this as the meeting of Te Moana-a-Rehua, 'the sea of Rehua' with Te Tai-o-Whitirea, 'the sea of Whitirea', Rehua and Whitirea being a male and a female respectively.
The 'Te Rerenga Wairua' component of the name in Māori means the leaping-off place of spirits; the 'rēinga' part means the underworld.
Cape Rēinga Te Rerenga Wairua is located at the northernmost area of New Zealand, approximately 111km north of Kaitāia. Cape Rēinga Road gets very busy over the summer months. Drive slowly and take extra caution.
Remember:
Toihu te whenua – leave the land undisturbed.
Te Werahi Beach, Cape Maria Van Diemen and Motuopoa Island on the right. © Russell StreetCreative Commons