Tapotupotu Bay - Cape Reinga (Cape Reinga Coastal Walkway) [05/02/2017]
near Pandora, Northland (New Zealand)
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Route from the Tapotupotu Bay campsite to Cape Reinga lighthouse, passing through Sandy Bay and Otangawhiti Point on the outward journey, following the Cape Reinga Coastal Walkway, which is part of the Te Paki Coastal Track, and the road on the way back.
The route begins at the Tapotupotu Bay campsite, a campsite managed by the DOC (Department of Conservation) and located in a paradisiac spot; The views that are obtained from the area as it is taken up are spectacular. At the end of the beach you can see the information poster that indicates the distances to points of interest of the Te Paki Coastal Track, from which the Cape Reinga Coastal Walkway is part. This route, then, only reaches the first point of interest shown on the poster. Once the sand of the beach is abandoned and the route begins, the road climbs up almost 200 meters in just one kilometer, until you can see the lighthouse of Cape Reinga in the distance. From here, the ridge of the hill continues until the descent begins in the direction of the Sandy Bay, as pronounced as the previous ascent. During the descent, you can see magnificent views of the Sandy Bay and the Otangawhiti Point (the small land that is right after the beach), and even the Cape Reinga lighthouse. Once you reach the beach, you have to be very attentive to the tide: if there is high tide, it is very possible that you can not pass it and have to wait a while to get off. This is because the road goes through the sand of the beach and, although it is wide enough, high tide brands are clearly visible and it seems clear that the water is covering a good part of the road, if not all. Therefore, the recommendation is to check the tidal schedule before initiating the route. Once you reach the other end of the beach, then the last climb to Cape Reinga begins, which is again as pronounced as the previous one. On the way, the Otangawhiti Point passes, and the ascent is over when the road map is shown, indicating the distances in reverse order, in this case. At this point, near the car park, the views of the lighthouse are much clearer and more beautiful, and a little further on you can also admire the beauty of Te Werahi Beach (along with the Tarawamaomao Point), and from Cape Maria van Diemen and the Motuopao Island to the bottom, which are on the other side of Cape Reinga. Before approaching the lighthouse, it is decided to go up a small hill to the left of the path, to see the views from the highest point. Finally, you have just completed the path to reach Cape Reinga Lighthouse, not without paying attention to the crowd of posters that tell the legends of this sacred place for the Māori: the meaning of the two springs which flutter below, from the tree (a pōhutukawa that does not bloom) that sticks to the rock in extreme conditions, or from the encounter between the Tasmanian Sea and the Pacific Ocean. In this last case, it is fascinate to see how, in an irregular and undetermined line in the middle of the sea, a buzzer of waves that collide with each other, originating from the Tasmanian Sea, to the left, and the others coming from the Pacific Ocean, to the right. In the same area of the lighthouse other informative posters can be found, such as the name of the Three Kings Islands, which can be seen from Cape Reinga (it turns out that Abel Tasman, the Dutch explorer, on January 6, coinciding with the date of the tradition of the Three Kings), or the history of the lighthouse, as well as the directions of other places known throughout the world.
After seeing how the Sun disappeared slowly behind the horizon of the sea, the way back. In this case, since it became dark and Cape Reinga Coastal Track can be dangerous if it is done without adequate light, as well as the possibility of finding the high tide, it has been decided to make the way back along the road . Although it is a freeway, the traffic is almost zero, since only those vehicles that go back from Cape Reinga pass through it. However, a flashlight has been branded all the way to alert vehicles of both directions. Leaving the freeway, the road to the campsite is a sand road and a little narrower and winding, so it is also a little more dangerous. However, vehicles that are close to the campsite at these times are few, and considering that their speed is small and that the flashlight warns them of the presence of someone else, the danger is significantly reduced. Obviously, however, it is advisable to follow the same path as you go to, basically because it is much prettier and you do not have to worry about the vehicles.
It is a very beautiful route, with spectacular views and a very well adapted and pleasant path to follow, sometimes due to the hillsides from where you can see the landscape on both sides. The ups and downs are quite sharp (and somewhat landslide, in some cases), but if the route is made quickly, the reward of the views far exceeds the effort that is required. The route is well signposted (there is no confusion), and you just have to pay close attention to the beach stretch (Sandy Bay), since the tide can lead to diversions of the road (a milestone indicates the continuation of the path from the beach ). The area of the lighthouse is also hypnotist, and see the extent of the sea on both sides, how the waters clump together, or how the sun is placed (or how it is carried), it is something that can not be let loose
The route begins at the Tapotupotu Bay campsite, a campsite managed by the DOC (Department of Conservation) and located in a paradisiac spot; The views that are obtained from the area as it is taken up are spectacular. At the end of the beach you can see the information poster that indicates the distances to points of interest of the Te Paki Coastal Track, from which the Cape Reinga Coastal Walkway is part. This route, then, only reaches the first point of interest shown on the poster. Once the sand of the beach is abandoned and the route begins, the road climbs up almost 200 meters in just one kilometer, until you can see the lighthouse of Cape Reinga in the distance. From here, the ridge of the hill continues until the descent begins in the direction of the Sandy Bay, as pronounced as the previous ascent. During the descent, you can see magnificent views of the Sandy Bay and the Otangawhiti Point (the small land that is right after the beach), and even the Cape Reinga lighthouse. Once you reach the beach, you have to be very attentive to the tide: if there is high tide, it is very possible that you can not pass it and have to wait a while to get off. This is because the road goes through the sand of the beach and, although it is wide enough, high tide brands are clearly visible and it seems clear that the water is covering a good part of the road, if not all. Therefore, the recommendation is to check the tidal schedule before initiating the route. Once you reach the other end of the beach, then the last climb to Cape Reinga begins, which is again as pronounced as the previous one. On the way, the Otangawhiti Point passes, and the ascent is over when the road map is shown, indicating the distances in reverse order, in this case. At this point, near the car park, the views of the lighthouse are much clearer and more beautiful, and a little further on you can also admire the beauty of Te Werahi Beach (along with the Tarawamaomao Point), and from Cape Maria van Diemen and the Motuopao Island to the bottom, which are on the other side of Cape Reinga. Before approaching the lighthouse, it is decided to go up a small hill to the left of the path, to see the views from the highest point. Finally, you have just completed the path to reach Cape Reinga Lighthouse, not without paying attention to the crowd of posters that tell the legends of this sacred place for the Māori: the meaning of the two springs which flutter below, from the tree (a pōhutukawa that does not bloom) that sticks to the rock in extreme conditions, or from the encounter between the Tasmanian Sea and the Pacific Ocean. In this last case, it is fascinate to see how, in an irregular and undetermined line in the middle of the sea, a buzzer of waves that collide with each other, originating from the Tasmanian Sea, to the left, and the others coming from the Pacific Ocean, to the right. In the same area of the lighthouse other informative posters can be found, such as the name of the Three Kings Islands, which can be seen from Cape Reinga (it turns out that Abel Tasman, the Dutch explorer, on January 6, coinciding with the date of the tradition of the Three Kings), or the history of the lighthouse, as well as the directions of other places known throughout the world.
After seeing how the Sun disappeared slowly behind the horizon of the sea, the way back. In this case, since it became dark and Cape Reinga Coastal Track can be dangerous if it is done without adequate light, as well as the possibility of finding the high tide, it has been decided to make the way back along the road . Although it is a freeway, the traffic is almost zero, since only those vehicles that go back from Cape Reinga pass through it. However, a flashlight has been branded all the way to alert vehicles of both directions. Leaving the freeway, the road to the campsite is a sand road and a little narrower and winding, so it is also a little more dangerous. However, vehicles that are close to the campsite at these times are few, and considering that their speed is small and that the flashlight warns them of the presence of someone else, the danger is significantly reduced. Obviously, however, it is advisable to follow the same path as you go to, basically because it is much prettier and you do not have to worry about the vehicles.
It is a very beautiful route, with spectacular views and a very well adapted and pleasant path to follow, sometimes due to the hillsides from where you can see the landscape on both sides. The ups and downs are quite sharp (and somewhat landslide, in some cases), but if the route is made quickly, the reward of the views far exceeds the effort that is required. The route is well signposted (there is no confusion), and you just have to pay close attention to the beach stretch (Sandy Bay), since the tide can lead to diversions of the road (a milestone indicates the continuation of the path from the beach ). The area of the lighthouse is also hypnotist, and see the extent of the sea on both sides, how the waters clump together, or how the sun is placed (or how it is carried), it is something that can not be let loose
Waypoints
Information point
131 ft
Panorama
794 ft
Vista de l'Otangawhiti Point amb el far de Cape Reinga al fons
Vista de l'Otangawhiti Point amb el far de Cape Reinga al fons
Panorama
561 ft
Vista de la Sandy Bay i l'Otangawhiti Point
Vista de la Sandy Bay i l'Otangawhiti Point
Panorama
476 ft
Vista més propera de la Sandy Bay i l'Otangawhiti Point
Vista més propera de la Sandy Bay i l'Otangawhiti Point
Information point
784 ft
Panorama
791 ft
Vista del far de Cape Reinga a l'alçada aproximada de l'aparcament
Vista del far de Cape Reinga a l'alçada aproximada de l'aparcament
Panorama
755 ft
Panorama
817 ft
Vistes des del petit turó al costat del far
Vistes des del petit turó al costat del far
Information point
725 ft
Llegenda sobre el pōhutukawa (arbre) de Cape Reinga
Llegenda sobre el pōhutukawa (arbre) de Cape Reinga
Information point
659 ft
Llegenda sobre la trobada entre el mar de Tasmània i l'Oceà Pacífic
Llegenda sobre la trobada entre el mar de Tasmània i l'Oceà Pacífic
Waypoint
666 ft
Far (lighthouse) de Cape Reinga (Te Rerengawairua) i informació
Far (lighthouse) de Cape Reinga (Te Rerengawairua) i informació
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