- How to find: New Zealand, North Island, Aupori Peninsula;
- What to see: a lighthouse, a meeting point of the waters of the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean;
- Where to rest: several clean and cozy beaches near the cape
Reinga-Cape, located on the peninsula of Aupouri. Cape Reing stretches at the northernmost point of New Zealand . Cape Reing has become a popular tourist destination, attracting visitors with its natural beauty and very mild climate. It is visited by more than 120 000 tourists per year.
The official name is the term Cape / Ta Rerenga Wairua. In the Maori language, "Ringa" means "the underworld" or the "afterworld", and Te Rerenga Wairua is the "place of jumping spirits".
Maori legends and traditions
For indigenous Maori people, the cape is sacred, symbolic and spiritual. They piously believe that it is in this place that the spirits of the deceased descend to the bottom of the sea and wander through it up to the island of Three Kings, and there they already climb onto the rock of Ohau and look at their earthly house with their last gaze.
If you believe the Maori tradition, the souls of the deceased Maori people rush to the ancient Pokhutukava tree, which grows near the observation deck of the Reing lighthouse. The branches of this tree are always directed towards the sea. It also became for the Maori a reinga - a portal to the other world, by means of which the souls of ancestors go to their legendary homeland - to the country of Hawaii.
According to legend, it is believed that the tree has already turned more than 800 years old. It is known that Pokhutukawa never blooms.
Sights of Cape Reinga
The main attraction of the cape is an unusual lighthouse, which is a small white pearl on a background of dark blue surf and an endless sky.
This lighthouse on Cape Reing was built in 1941. He replaced the old lighthouse of Cape Maria van Diemen, which was on the neighboring island of Motuopao. Since the end of the last century, the lighthouse operates from solar panels and is fully automated. The lamp flickers every 12 seconds, and these flashes spread over a distance of 35 km. Control over the work of Cape Reing lighthouse is carried out remotely from the capital of New Zealand - Wellington .
Here you can also see a natural attraction, which attracts curious tourists. It consists in the fact that on this place there are the waters of the Tasman Sea, coming from the west, and the eastern waters of the Pacific Ocean. In clear weather, you can see how the foam crests of the waves collide with each other.
According to the legend, this means that at Reyna Point there is a meeting of the Rehua Sea - men (Pacific Ocean) with the sea of Vitirae - a woman (Tasman Sea).
Tourist routes
To get acquainted with the culture of the Maori people, to feel all the sea power and natural beauty with their own eyes, travelers will be able to choose one of the routes. There are many trails throughout the area of Cape Reing, taking from a few minutes to several days.
Rheinga / In TE Rerenga Wairua - this route takes about 10 minutes. The road from the parking lot will lead to the foot of the lighthouse.
45 minutes walk - and you will get to the beach Te Werahi Beach.
In 5 km. from the Cape of Reing flaunts the gulf of Tapotupotu, you will reach it by making a 3-hour walk. Before you open the view of the sandy bay, where you can relax, swim and fish.
Everyone can reach the beach Twilight Beach - it takes about 8 hours.
For true adventures, take a trip by car. The highway to Cape Reing can be reached in 6 hours from Auckland or 4 hours from Wangarei.
Traveling along the coastal route is 48 km long. it will take 3-4 days. You will enjoy a breathtaking view of Cape Reing, its beautiful and unique forms of relief. You can drive along the sandy road from Nainty-Mile Beach. To get acquainted with the magnificent beach in a continuous strip of white sand with a length of 88 km, which is surrounded by the forest of Aupouri.