The Cape Reinga Lighthouse is a must-see when you’re visiting Te Rerenga Wairua (Cape Reinga) and offers some of the most gobsmacking views in New Zealand.

Standing at the edge of the Cape, you’ll see the Tasman Sea’s turquoise water glass with the Pacific Ocean’s dark blue waves, and on a clear day, you’ll get views out to Three Kings islands and Cape Maria Van Diemen.

Te Rerenga Wairua is six hours from Auckland or three hours from the Bay of Islands. There’s no public transport out here so you’ll need your own car. Alternatively, you can book a day tour from the Bay of Islands, which will also take you to some other popular sites in the area, like Te Paki Sand Dunes and 90 Mile Beach.

If you plan to drive yourself, parking is free at the start of the track! The walk is well paved and suitable for children and pushchairs, but 800m/10 minutes each way and on an incline.

To Māori, Te Rerenga Wairua itself is the most culturally significant place in the country, and the path to the lighthouse is dotted with information signs explaining that this is where the spirits of the deceased are said to leap from the 800-year-old, gnarled pōhutukawa tree, leaving Aotearoa for Hawaiki-a-Nui, the home of their ancestors.

Because Te Rerenga Wairua is sacred, eating or drinking in this area is considered tapu (forbidden). If you're looking for a good picnic spot, visit beautiful Tapotupotu Bay, 5km before the Cape.

If you’re travelling with a camper van or tent, I recommend staying here overnight! It’s only $15 per person, per night and is one of the most beautiful campgrounds I’ve ever stayed at.