"Cape Reinga Lighthouse" Cape Reinga Tip by mad4travel

Cape Reinga is the northwesternmost tip of the Aupouri Peninsula, at the northern end of the North Island of New Zealand and 90 mile beach.

The cape separates the Tasman Sea from the Pacific Ocean. From the lighthouse it is possible to watch the tidal race, as the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean clash to create unsettled waters just off the coast.

Cape Reinga is often mistaken as being the northernmost point of the North Island. North Cape's Surville Cliffs, 30 km east of Cape Reinga, are slightly more northerly. Just slightly to the west of Cape Reinga is Cape Maria van Diemen, which was discovered and named by Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in 1642 and thought by him to be the northernmost point of the newly-discovered country he named "Staten Landt".

My trip there was a really good example of how the weather can change here. All along 90 mile beach it was breezy and sunny. We stopped for lunch for about half an hour a few miles from the cape and by the time we got there there was thick cloud freezing wind and horizontal rain. reminded me of summer at home in the UK!