14 Rankers Reviews
13 Face-to-Face
15 Kaitaia
Marios Gavalas
Author And Researcher
I'm Marios, delivering the best of Aotearoa's nature walks to your device.
I've personally walked hundreds of New Zealand's tracks and spent months in libraries uncovering interesting information on New Zealand/Aotearoa. And you'll find a slice of that research on this page - enjoy!
FREE MAP - The best of 21 nature guidebooks on one map.
Cape Reinga is 3km south of Surville Cliffs, which are one kilometre north of North Cape. However, Cape Reinga is the most northerly accessible point on the mainland of New Zealand. Hoards to buses disgorge tourists to see the lighthouse, but this short walk escapes the masses and gets a taste for what this place is about.
This track is the first in a trio of walks - all on the Te Paki Coastal Track.
The start of the track is signposted to Te Werahi Beach from the carpark at Cape Reinga.
Alternatively you can start the walk from Te Paki Stream carpark, which is 4km down Te Paki Stream Road, 17km before Cape Reinga.
You can also join the walk via the Te Werahi Gate to Te Werahi Beach track.
The Te Paki Coastal Track is a 48 km 3 day tramp traversing New Zealand’s northernmost tip.
The descriptions here have broken the tramp into bite size chunks, with Cape Reinga at the fulcrum.
This is the first in a trio of walks starting at Cape Reinga.
1. Cape Reinga to Te Werahi Beach
2. Te Werahi Beach to Twilight Beach
3. Twilight Beach to Te Paki Stream.
From Cape Reinga / Te Rerengawairua the wide track weaves down to Te Werahi Beach.
It takes 45 minutes to traverse Te Werahi Beach along firm sand.
The track to Te Werahi Gate departs from the southern end of the beach and is indicated with an orange rectangle on a post.
Around 5 million years ago, the Aupori Peninsula, including Te Paki, was a series of islets, an archipelago separated by shallow seas. With the onset and waning of Ice Ages, sea levels fluctuated and large sandspits formed, sculpted by the prevailing south-westerly winds. Te Paki thus became joined to the greater North Island landmass, but still retains an island character. It feels like a different land.
To Maori the area around Cape Reinga is sacred. After journeying up Ninety Mile Beach, a spirit will climb a high hill called Haumu and bid farewell to the land of the living. It drinks from the stream called Te-wai-o-ngunguru (‘Waters of the Underworld’) and travels down the exposed root of the legendary pohutukawa at Cape Reinga. From there it travels to the Manawa-Tahi (Three Kings Islands), meaning ‘last breath’, and on to Hawaiki.
Feature | Value | Info |
---|---|---|
Organisation |
DOC NorthlandCentral government organisation |
|
Location |
North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Kaitaia |
|
Categories |
Showing 13 reviews of 14.
Ron
Ranking: 8/10
Nice place, clean, enough space to park.
Marc Reuter
Ranking: 10/10
Absolutely awesome. Quite exhausting to go back but well worth the effort. The views from the cliffs are just stunning and the beach is beautiful and we were completely alone there. Do that walk!
Craig Workman
Ranking: 10/10
Stunning view! Really feels like you are at the top of the world. Should have done the walk leading to the lighthouse as well.
Maria Korte
Ranking: 10/10
Beautiful landscape, wide beaches, very good campsite.
Thank You - to the thousands of travellers that have contributed to our Top Voted NZ Activities Map - it's free from Rankers.
Christopher Butcher
Ranking: 4/10
The cape reinga could do with some barriers along some of the cliff area and some of the walk ways to improve accessibility. There could be a small café and shop with views over the two oceans. The money generated from the visitors centre could help doc improve the conservation estate. This has been done by the Auckland Council at Murawai with the gannets.
Robert Elzinga
Ranking: 8/10
A long way to drive but the view is pretty good.
Elbrich
Ranking: 9/10
Beautiful place to visit.
Maike W
Ranking: 7/10
Very nice walk with a good view around the Pacific!
Fero Saarinen
Ranking: 9/10
Amazing landscape, nice, well prepared track.
Anna Lerchl
Ranking: 9/10
The trip to the very northern part of New Zealand is a must do here in New Zealand. I would recommend doing it in your own car.
Jennifer Nguyen
Ranking: 10/10
You can feel how extraordinary this sacred place is as soon as you are at the entrance of Cape Reinga. For a quick 45 minute walk to Te Werahi beach, it has to be my favourite short walk that allows you to have epic views - and the best part, seeing between 7 to 10 sperm whales playing where the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean meet! Cape Reinga is a magical place!
Pierre Gentile
Ranking: 9/10
4 days walking, 4 wonderful days with free camps and awesome landscapes.
Joshua Perry
Ranking: 9/10
Worth the drive!! At the top of the North Island is Cape Reinga, a beautiful place of Maori culture!!
Thanks to all the good people working for the NZ Department of Conservation - for all your hard work - making NZ more beautiful, accessable and healthy! Cheers 😍