MOST travellers have a yen to travel to the very tip of a country, to go as far as they can possibly go. For Australians it’s Cape York; for New Zealanders it’s Cape Reinga.
For Maori, this far-flung and remote sliver of land in the Northland region has special significance. Here where the Tasman and the Pacific collide – sometimes producing waves more than 10 metres high and a spectacular swirl of currents – Maori spirits begin their final journey to the afterlife.
Clinging to rock at Cape Reinga is an ancient kahika tree. The spirits are said to descend to the water on steps formed by the tree’s roots to begin their journey to their ancestral homeland.
That the spirits have chosen this wild and rugged place with no jarring marks of civilisation is no surprise. It’s a place where you will find your own spirits soaring.
Getting here – travelling through what Kiwis jokingly refer to as “the skinny bit at the top” – is a journey in itself. You could take the sealed road all the way there but then you would miss the thrill of driving on Ninety Mile Beach.
This fabled strip of sand stretches from Ahipara to Scott Point, 5km south of Cape Maria van Diemen. It is actually only 55 miles (88km) long but the name has stuck.
Early settlers reportedly came up with the 90-mile equation when they were driving their cattle along the beach to market. It was widely held that animals could walk 30 miles a day and it took three days to get to the stockyards. What they didn’t take into account was the animal’s hooves sinking in the soft sand slowing them down.
Today the beach, flanked by massive sand dunes, is officially a highway – the oldest highway in the world.
Our driver joked that it is the only highway that gets resurfaced every day, making it also the newest highway in the world.
The beach is only suitable for 4WD vehicles and safe to drive only at specific times of the day. Rental companies won’t allow their cars on the sand, mostly for safety reasons, so it’s best to take an all-day coach tour from Paihia such as the Fullers GreatSights Cape Reinga tour. The company has specially designed coaches and drivers have a good knowledge of the tides.
They also know the best place to go sand-boarding in the dunes and our driver took us to the Giant Te Paki sand dunes.
After a safety briefing, the young ones aboard the coach grabbed a board each and set about the long climb to the top for the six-to-eight-second ride to the bottom. Not to be outdone, 69-year-old Jim Munro from Blaxland, NSW, promptly proved he was just as fast as the youngsters!
* Sue Preston was a guest of Tourism New Zealand and flew courtesy Air New Zealand.
If you go...
FULLERS GreatSights all-day Cape Reinga tour costs $150 including lunch –
+64 9402-7421, www.dolphincruises.co.nz
For more information on travel to Northland – www.newzealand.com/au
STAY: The attractive holiday town of Paihia is an ideal base for exploring the area. The Waterfront Suites Paihia offer fully-equipped one, two or three-bedroom suites and as the name suggests they occupy a prime waterfront position, close to cafes, shops and the starting point for water and land-based tours – +64 9402-5665,
GETTING THERE: Fly direct to New Zealand from capital cities as well as the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Cairns with Air New Zealand. The premium carrier offers everything from the lie-flat business premier beds through to the award-winning premium economy cabin, full service economy or just a seat and carry-on bag.
After the flight into Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch or Queenstown, you can connect seamlessly with Air New Zealand’s network of 21 domestic destinations – www.airnewzealand.com.au
THE Twin Coast Discovery Touring Route is an 800km circular touring route which starts and finishes in Auckland. Paihia is a three-and-a-half hour drive north from Auckland.