The Tip of the North

Cape Reinga, Northland. Image: ExploreNZ

Here I am – at the very tip of the North Island – getting a glimpse of the Cape Reinga Lighthouse. It was built in 1941 and became fully automated in 1987, ending the era of the lighthouse-keeper. According to Maori mythology, the spirits of the dead travel to Cape Reinga on their way to the after-life, so theoretically it should feel like a very spiritual place. Overflowing with tourists as it invariably is though, it’s a very special kind of hell - which is a very great pity for it’s the sort of spot I’d love to sit alone in.