Maori folklore states that Cape Reinga is the leaping-off place of the spirits of the departed on their journey back to Hawaiki, their native land. Some people say visiting Cape Reinga is a bit of a pilgrimage for the Kiwi's. Well, I'm definitely not a Kiwi, but if you're ever thinking about embarking on such a trip all I can say is: Think twice. It was a bit of an anti-climax.
When we finished fighting off other tourists for the best position for the obligatory photos, we back-tracked to find a suitable place for a picnic. By this time it was past 1pm and we were all staaaarving. We found a great spot near the sand dunes but just as we laid out the picnic, in true Kiwi fashion, it started to rain. Thankfully, it didn't last long and after a bite, we played on the sand dunes. The dune in the background of the photo below looked like lots of fun, but the smaller one in the foreground took a bit of effort to climb so we can only dream about the fun that could have been had...
We drove back to Ahipara on the beach, stopping along the way for a surf and an explore at The Bluff.
like the notion of a leaping off spot for spirits - wonder where ours will end up - fingers and toes crossed 'together' xxx
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