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Cape Reinga
Cape Reinga
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Cape Reinga /riˈæŋə/ / Te Rerenga Wairua (Māori) is the
northwesternmost tip of the Aupouri Peninsula, at the northern end
of the North Island of New Zealand (34.4288° S, 172.6805° E). Cape
Reinga is more than 100 km north of the nearest small town of
Kaitaia. State Highway 1 extends all the way to the cape, but until
2010 was unsealed gravel road for the last 19 km. Suitable vehicles
can also travel much of the way via Ninety Mile Beach and
Kauaeparaoa Stream (Te Paki Stream) stream bed.
The 'Te Rerenga Wairua' component of the name in Māori language
means the leaping-off place of spirits. The 'Reinga' part of the
name is the Māori language word meaning the underworld. Both refer
to the Māori belief that the cape is the point where the spirits of
the dead enter the underworld. Cape Reinga is on the tentative list
of UNESCO waiting to receive World Heritage Site status. |
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The cape is already a favourite tourist attraction, with over
120,000 visitors a year and around 1,300 cars arriving per day
during peak season. Visitor numbers are growing by about five
percent a year, and the increase is likely to become even more now
that the road to the cape is fully sealed.
Getting
There
This tourist attraction
is well serviced by public transport including taxis, buses and
shuttle.
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