Far North & Cape Reinga

A Māori sacred place at New Zealand's northern tip: Cape Reinga, where two oceans meet, 90 Mile Beach for off-road driving, giant dunes for sandboarding, and surfing at Ahipara.

The Far North is the Aupouri Peninsula at the northern tip of New Zealand's North Island and the surrounding area, part of the Far North District of Northland. Kerikeri and Ahipara are the main accommodation hubs, about 320 km from Auckland. This is the most sacred place in Māori belief: Cape Reinga (Te Rerenga Wairua) is regarded as the point from which spirits leave the world of the living and return to their homeland. Standing beneath the lighthouse, you can see the line where the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific Ocean. On the western side of the peninsula lies 90 Mile Beach, about 88 km long, which is also a legal road; sightseeing buses drive along the sand at low tide. At the northern end, the Te Paki giant sand dunes are ideal for sandboarding. Around Cape Reinga are wild bays such as Tapotupotu Bay, Spirits Bay and Te Werahi Beach, suited to camping and walking the Te Paki Coastal Track. In the south, Ahipara is a surfing village famous for the long left-hand swells at Shipwreck Bay. Around Kerikeri, the old kauri workshop, Gumdiggers Park and the Far North Museum showcase kauri gum digging and the history of settlers. To the east, the Karikari Peninsula has calm white-sand bays such as Maitai Bay and Rangiputa, and New Zealand's northernmost winery. The best season is November to April, when it is sunny, warm and largely dry; winter is wet and windy. Getting there: Kerikeri has flights from Auckland. Driving from Auckland via State Highway 1 takes about 5 hours. From Paihia in the Bay of Islands, day-trip buses run to 90 Mile Beach. Plan 2–3 days: one day for Cape Reinga, the Te Paki dunes and the 90 Mile Beach loop (about 110 km one way); one day for Ahipara and around Kerikeri; and one day for the Karikari Peninsula. Note that most rental cars are not allowed on the beach. The far north has few supplies, so fill up with fuel before setting out.

Top sights

• Cape Reinga Lighthouse – A white lighthouse and Māori sacred site at the northern tip of New Zealand. From the clifftop, you can watch the line where the Tasman Sea…
• Ninety Mile Beach – A long, seemingly endless sandy beach on New Zealand’s northwest coast. It is one of the country’s official public roads, and four-wheel-dr…
• Te Paki Giant Sand Dunes – Golden giant dunes up to 150 metres high. Sliding down them on a sand board from the top is the most exhilarating experience in the Far Nor…
• Ahipara & Shipwreck Bay – A small seaside village at the southern end of 90 Mile Beach. Shipwreck Bay is a well-known left-hand surf break in New Zealand.
• Tapotupotu Bay – A horseshoe-shaped bay of white sand on the east side of Cape Reinga, framed by green hills, with a DOC campsite at the edge.
• Spirits Bay (Kapowairua) – One of the most remote bays in the Far North, with a long pale pink sand beach, wild horses and a DOC campsite, steeped in Māori legend.
• Te Werahi Beach & Cape Maria van Diemen – A wild beach southwest of Cape Reinga, reached on foot to view Cape Maria van Diemen, the northwesternmost point of New Zealand.
• Ancient Kauri Kingdom – A workshop that makes furniture and crafts from ancient kauri wood unearthed from the swamps, with a spiral staircase carved inside a tree…
• Gumdiggers Park – An open-air museum preserving the kauri gum digging pits and camps from a century ago, with excavated ancient kauri stumps on display.
• Rarawa Beach – A snow-white silica sand beach on the east coast of the Aupōuri Peninsula, with sand as fine as flour and turquoise water.
• Subritzky-Wagener Homestead – A kauri-timber house from the 1860s on the shores of Houhora Harbour, one of the oldest European settler homes in the Far North.
• Lake Ngatu – A dune lake near Awanui, with tea-coloured water, a sandy lake bed and a lakeside trail and small beach that make it good for a swim.
• Te Ahu Centre & Te Ahu Heritage – A cultural complex in the centre of Kaitaia, housing the Far North Museum and a visitor centre for learning about Māori and settler history.
• Maitai Bay, Karikari Peninsula – A twin crescent bay at the tip of the Karikari Peninsula, with clear, calm water and the best swimming and snorkelling beach in the Far Nor…
• Karikari Estate – New Zealand's northernmost winery, where you can taste wine on a terrace overlooking the bays on both sides of the Karikari Peninsula.

Where to eat

• Mangonui Fish Shop – An old fish shop built over the water of Mangonui Harbour, serving fish and chips made from fresh catch brought in by l…
• Peekaboo Backyard Eatery – A contemporary Mediterranean restaurant in Kaitaia serving sourdough pizza and sharing plates, with a backyard terrace…
• Houhora Honey Bees Container Café – A roadside shipping-container café on the way to Cape Reinga, famous for its homemade paua pies and real-fruit ice crea…