The lighthouse
White on a green hill.
Uliana Ilchenko — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bernard Spragg. NZ from Christchurch, New Zealand — CC0 · David Maciejewski macx — CC0 · LuizCent — CC BY-SA 4.0 · lumoplank — CC0
Cape Reinga, officially Cape Reinga / Te Rerenga Wairua, is the northwestern tip of the Aupōuri Peninsula at the top of the North Island. It lies more than 100 km north of the nearest small town, Kaitaia, and about 159 km in a straight line from the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. Its Māori name means «the leaping-off place of spirits», and Reinga means underworld, for Māori belief holds that the spirits of the dead enter the underworld here. More than 500,000 people visit each year. It is often taken for New Zealand's northernmost point, but the Surville Cliffs at North Cape lie 3 km further north. A path leads to a small white lighthouse on a green hill, where you can watch the Tasman Sea meet the Pacific Ocean as their waves clash offshore. White sand beaches, dunes and rocky headlands spread on either side above turquoise water. The site is sacred to Māori, so treat it with respect. The road is fully sealed but long, so allow a full day.
White on a green hill.
Clashing waves.
White sand on both sides.
Aupōuri Peninsula, Northland, New Zealand
«Leaping-off place of spirits» in Māori.
No, the Surville Cliffs are 3 km further north.