Cape Reinga New Zealand, North Island

Cape Reinga holds much significance for the Māori people. The 800-year-old tree that sits at the very edge of the cape is said to be the final jump for spirits from this world into the ocean where they go back to their ancestral place of Hawaiiki-A-Nui.

One of the landmarks that mark this spiritually significant place is the lonely Cape Reinga lighthouse that experiences the spray from both the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Built during WWII and first used in 1941, it replaced a lighthouse on Motuopao Island that was not ideally located. 165 m/541 ft above sea level, Cape Reinga lighthouse is still operational today and continues to guide ships through the turbulent waters of the northern tip of New Zealand. This gorgeous lighthouse has been automated in the late 1980s, and although not opened to the public, you can still appreciate the 360° view surrounding this lone lighthouse.

Today, travelers can visit this enchanting spot and learn more about its history and cultural significance through the signpost and informational boards. There is even a signpost at the cape, pointing in different directions with the lighthouse’s distance from other areas of the world.