◮ Cape Reinga ◭
At the very northern tip of New Zealand, you’ll find Cape Reinga. It’s not so much of a town but a destination with a lighthouse overlooking the intersection between the Tasmanian Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Up here is where I began my first three day solo hike.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a hitch to the trail head at Spirit's Bay. It was already 5 pm when I arrived in the region so I got dropped off at Pandora Microcamp and camped just one or two kilometers east. It started raining/was getting dark while hiking so I decided to post up my tent in the middle of the path. lol.
Woke up early the next morning so I could avoid interactions with other hikers passing by and began heading west. It was so beautiful; there was so much variation on the trail. From tropical sections to sandy beaches to rocky cliffs, you can truly see it all. Hiking in New Zealand, most paths give you an idea of how long it’s going to take. They're not very accurate. A “four hour” hike to the lighthouse from Pandora took me an hour and a half. My rule is to always divide by two and add an hour if it's hilly. One thing I noticed along the trail was how much garbage and plastic was on the beaches. This negatively affects all the coastal wildlife and in such a remote place, it’s hard to imagine that it will ever get cleaned. So I've decided to bring a bag with me on all my hikes to pick up garbage left behind on trails. Imagine if everyone did that everywhere they went. The world would be such a cleaner and healthier place. The next time you see some garbage, instead of walking by, try picking it up. At Twilight Microcamp, I met a lot of people beginning their six month hike across New Zealand, also known as the Te Araura. It's very hardcore but I’ve heard that it doesn’t really pass through the best places in New Zealand. It's also a crazy time commitment and I'd rather pick and choose the best places to explore rather than walk along old dirt roads. Overall, highly recommend this hike! The microcamps are all FREE, there's crazy views and beautiful beaches. Check out the photos below.
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