Cape Reinga

This fascinating Cape Reinga or Te Rerengawairua - “leaping-off place of spirits” in Maori language- at the far northern tip of New Zealand’s North Island lies at the end of Aupouri Peninsula, over 100 km north of the nearest town; Kaitaia. The final 20 km or so of the road north are currently still unsealed, but plans have been drafted to tar seal it right up to the tip of the cape. The name is derived from the Māori word 'Reinga', meaning the 'Underworld'. Another one is 'Te Rerenga Wairua', meaning the leaping-off place of spirits; Māori belief has it that the cape is the point where the spirit of the dead are enter the underworld by diving into the waters of the Pacific Ocean before they head back to their spiritual home in Hawaii. Since early 2007, Cape Reinga is on the tentative list of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites. Even without this additional focus and recognition, the cape is already now a favourite tourist attraction that draws more than 130,000 visitors annually.