Cape Reinga, New Zealand
When going to the wide and untouched lands of New Zealand one must visit the beautiful Cape Reinga. The Kiwi (natives of New Zealand) beleive that Cape Reinga is a place to discover beauty and tranquility where the two oceans surrounding New Zealand meet each other.
One of the first things that strike you as a visitor to Cape Reinga, aside from the well photographed lighthouse and AA sign posts pointing to all corners of the world, is the meeting of the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean. A ridge of foaming water can be seen from the west side of the path leading to the lighthouse, where the oceans clash and merge creating 10 metre waves and dramatic wisps of ocean spray.
The gnarly old Pohutukawa Tree which clings perilously to the cliffs below the lighthouse is the ‘leaping off’ point of maori spirits on their journey to their traditional homeland of Hawaiiki. The tree is beleived to be over 800 years old.
The natural landscape of the Northland region near Cape Reinga, although exposed to the full force of two oceans, is home to beautiful sandy beaches as well as lush green pastures. So getting to Cape Reinga is only part of the journey, slide down a sand dune at Te Paki on a boggie board, check out long stretches of sandy beaches, or take a hike over to Spirits Bay where horses graze in lush pastures.