Oceania, South Island, Travel in New Zealand

Cape Reinga – 3D2N road trip

Cape Reinga is located in the far north of New Zealand. It has a lighthouse and an iconic yellow signpost and most importantly, it is a place where two oceans meet. Visiting Cape Reinga is no easy task as it is a long drive from Auckland, nonetheless, its natural beauty will blow you away.

I had to attend an interview for the US tourist visa at U.S. Consulate Auckland. Since I am already in Auckland, I might as well do a solo road trip to Cape Reinga in which I have longed for.

I rented a car from Budget Car Rental in Auckland and had to drive about 5-6 hours to Cape Reinga (one way). It is possible to do the trip in one day but it would be really exhausting, so I decided to stay a night in Ahipara and Paparoa.

First-night stay @ Ahipara

I stayed a night in Ahipara instead of the more famous Paihia (i.e. Bay of Islands) because I have visited Paihia before, and also Ahipara is closer to Cape Reinga. However, I strongly recommend staying in Paihia if you have never been there.

After 4 hours+ of driving, I finally reached Ahipara. I stayed at Manaia room that I booked on the Airbnb website. The owner is a friendly couple and I have a private room and my own space. The best part is that the deck overlooks 90-mile-beach which is stunning. 🙂

Cape Reinga

There are plenty of spaces left in the car park though there are quite many people in the weekend. It is a short 15-minutes’ walk on a well-maintained path from the car park to the lighthouse / the yellow signpost.

Nature is wonderful. In Cape Reinga, two oceans meet each other, i.e. Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean. One is bluer than the other one… I find it kind of romantic 😊

You can’t miss the iconic lighthouse and yellow signpost while in Cape Reinga! Seeing this signpost makes me want to travel more… to a farther place. 😆

Cape Reinga is a significant place to Maori. For them, this is their traditional homeland where the Maori spirit will return after death. Therefore, please give respect to this place and do not eat/drink here!

There are quite many people here but I managed to wait till people left and took some photos without other tourists. XD Finally, a few more selfies before leaving Cape Reinga.

All I can say is that New Zealand never stops to surprise me. Maybe this is because I love nature so much and Cape Reinga is perfect for anyone who loves nature.

If I have an extra day, I would love to do some walking and tramping as it looks like such a nice place.

Second-night stay @ Paparoa

After visiting Cape Reinga, I stay a night in Paparoa as my flight departs the next morning and I want to have a bit of rest before flying back to Wellington from Auckland. I stayed at The Old Post Office Guesthouse B&B.

There is nothing much to do in Paparoa, but the good thing is that it is very peaceful as it is only me staying at this big house (just a coincidence that no one stayed there at that night). It was fun but also a little bit scary at the same time as it is such a big house! I celebrated my 30th birthday here alone. ☺️

My trip in a nutshell

I rented the car for 2 days: 15 hours for driving (including getting lost), 30 hours for eating, sleeping and staying in the room, and that leaves only 2 to 3 hours in Cape Reinga.

Cape Reinga is no doubt a very beautiful place and I truly enjoy the amazing view. However, I don’t think I will visit Cape Reinga again as it is such a long drive. Furthermore, there is not much scenery on the way driving from Auckland to Cape Reinga. It is only good for the first time visit for me.

Cape Reinga