Cape Reinga

The question I wondered was, how far north can you go? What's the most northern point in New Zealand? The answer is Cape Reinga. About 1.5 hours drive from Kaitaia, this is a remote location with some beautiful scenery. (Tip: you can click on the link at the end of each blog entry to see a Google map of the location.)

Cape Reinga

Cape Reinga

Cape Reinga is a popular tourist destination. I was told that, during peak season, thousands of tourists visit the place every day. Perhaps everyone is also curious about the most northern point in NZ. However, it was the middle of winter when I went there, and I saw only about 30 people.

This place has a special significance in Maori culture. According to Maori beliefs, Cape Reinga is where the spirits of the dead leave NZ to return to Hawaiki, their ancestral homeland. It is unknown where exactly is Hawaiki. Historians think that Maori and Pacific Islanders came from Taiwan. The theory is that Maoris, Malays, Filipinos, Hawaiians, Fijians etc. descended from Taiwan's natives.

Where spirits depart New Zealand

Ninety Mile Beach

Ninety Mile Beach is a stretch of beach between Cape Reinga and Kaitaia. The beach is very beautiful and is a tourist attraction. It is extremely long, hence the name, although not quite ninety miles long. It is possible to actually drive on the beach. Adventurous people use it to drive to Cape Reinga, although a 4WD offroad-capable vehicle is required.

Ninety Mile Beach

Te Paki Sand Dunes

Located just 20 min south of Cape Reinga is Te Paki sand dunes. It looks like a huge desert, covered in sand for many kilometers.

Te Paki sand dunes

This is also a tourist attraction. The favorite activity here is sand surfing. It's like snowboarding, but with sand instead of snow.

What I found strange is why is there a sand dune here in New Zealand. Normally, desert is associated with hot and dry weather. But NZ weather is cool and wet. The sand dune looks like an anomaly, in fact it is surrounded by green forests. As I found out later, the sand dune is formed by wind. The strong coastal winds pick up the sand from the beach, and deposited it here.