TIME VISITED: December 2015 BUSY ? NOT TOO BUSY
WEATHER: 70s☁️ REASON FOR VISIT: Explore
WHERE TO STAY: Camp EXPENSIVE?: $
I want to keep this blog practical so all my posts and pictures aren’t going to be on super sunny days. Although I have seen pictures of this place on a sunny day and it’s gorgeous, I would say with the history of the area the rain added an eerie element that I really enjoyed.
GETTING THERE
We drove from Kerikeri so it was just a 2 1/2 drive, but if you are driving from Auckland it will take you about 5 hours. Now if you have a lot of time on the North island I absolutely recommend coming to Cape Reinga (Te Rerenga Wairua). When I first started traveling my importance was placed on amazing restaurants and the “it” place to be. As I have started to travel more I am more interested in the history, people and culture of a place, this area provides so much of these things. But I will say it does take a ton of time to get to from Auckland (where most of you will fly into) so if you are on a short trip to New Zealand save it for next time so you can truly enjoy it and not feel rushed!
WHERE TO STAY
We decided to camp to get the full experience. A friend I met in Kerikeri told me there was a campground called Tapotupotu that’s located right on the beach just down the road from Cape Reinga. For a cheap price of $8 per adult you fall asleep to the ocean waves and that sounded perfect to me! We just stayed one night, but you could easily stay a few nights, there are a ton of things to do in this area but we wanted to explore other areas. Now because we camped this post isn’t going to include a WHERE TO EAT section because we just packed our own meals. Something I can tell you to not forget is Fejoa juice! Fejoa is a fruit and native to some countries in South America but also grown in New Zealand. I fell in love with this fruit and crave it often, I would describe the flavor as a pineapple/guava mix with the texture of a pear. SO GOOD.
Me filled with joy to be camping on the beach!
GETTING TO CAPE REINGA FROM TAPOTUPOTU CAMPSITE
From the campsite Cape Reinga is just a quick five minute drive. There is also walk-way from the campsite that will take you all the way up to the Cape. This walk will take you about 3 hours and if it wasn’t for the on and off rain we would have done it!
Although it rained a bit, the rain also provided some beautiful fog. Another awesome area to visit when you are up here, is 90 mile beach. You can see a bit in this photo that is taken looking South of Cape Reinga.
Now Cape Reinga is the furthest north tourists can go in New Zealand. North Cape is just a bit further, but it is a scientific reserve and it is not open to the public. From Cape Reinga you can witness the tidal race as the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet and clash. Not only is this simply a beautiful sight to see, this is also a place where you can learn a lot about the Maori culture. At the northermost tip of North Cape there is a pohutukawa tree that we read is believed to be over 800 years old! The Māori believe that the cape is the point where the spirits of the dead enter the underworld?The spirits are said to leap from this tree into the ocean to return to their ancestral homeland of Hawaiki. You can’t help but feel a crazy mix of spooky and magic enjoying this unique place of the world.
Although we didn’t have the best weather it was such a beautiful area to visit. What was the weather like when you visited!? Comment below!
For more adventures in the Northland of New Zealand check out my blog post titled Must-See’s in Kerikeri, New Zealand!
