Winter 2019 - NZ3 Cape Reinga

NZ3 Cape Reinga

Heading North

The car we rented was very nice. It had all the modern features one expects in a car. I felt much better after a good night’s sleep. The drive from Kaitaia to the northern land’s end was a breeze; except maybe for a lot of the one lane bridges that are a peculiarity to NZ. You drive down the road and come to a bridge. But now, instead of having a 2-lane road, the bridge is only one lane wide so you need to be very careful before crossing the bridge. Make sure you know who has the right of way; it would be very difficult backing up once you commit

One Way Bridge. We do NOT Have the Right of Way

yourself to crossing on this bridge. The locals of course, know the rules, know who goes first, but as a visitor you have to be a bit careful. It all worked out though, I just needed to take my time and look, or read the road signs. It’s a peculiarity of NZ, these one way bridges and a bit quaint.

The Lonely Pohutukawa Tree

Cape Reinga itself is a wonderful area. It’s a sacred area of the Maori, the first inhabitants of New Zealand. In their traditional beliefs, this Cape is where the spirits of the dead leave the land and the exact spot is the lonely tree that grows at the rocky shoreline. The sacred tree, a Pohutukawa Tree, is an about 800 years old.   There is only one tree here, see the photo. 

From this point, this tree, the spirits jump into the water to return to their home, the land they call Hawaiki. The Maori called this spot “Te Rerenga Wairua” (leaping-off place of spirits).

The oral traditions of the Maori are fascinating. The language the Maori speak is closely related to other Polynesian languages. It is possible to live on Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga or Hawaii and understand the gist of the other languages, including Maori.    

The Maori had and still have their own culture. It is a culture as foreign to me as what I experienced in Bali. It would take another life time to understand all the intricacies of how they look at life, how they perceive the world around them. 

Made It All the Way Down to the Lighthouse AND BACK UP

I will go more into the Maori in a later blog, but here, at Cape Reinga was my first exposure to their Mythology. 

 Gilbert Puckey was one of the first Europeans who learned the Maori Language and at a young age, he was instrumental in writing down treaties, concepts and translations of Maori life. He saved a young boy from drowning and lived his life as an honest, humane and sincere man with considerable integrity. He was able to keep a relative peace and build mutual trust between the early European settlers and the Maori.

Lots of Rest Stops Required

While some concepts were interpreted one way or the other during the signing of treaties, I am sure this man gave it his best. "The shadow of the land was passing to the Queen, while the substance remained with Māori" was one such sticking point in the treaty. Later on in history, the Maori even today, believe it was the opposite and that the land now belonged to the Queen of England and the Maori are just a shadow of what they used to be.  The Maori felt they were victimized, no matter the words. This is important as I will explain later in the other blogs. Many of today’s Maori would love to get monetary compensation for the loss of their land, but how can just 5 million people pay off this huge, inherited burden? It’s a national, albeit a bit hidden, NZ dilemma.

Sand Map Made Permanent By Copying Onto a Metal Plaque. The Pohutukawa Tree Is Shown in the Upper (L)

As for the traveling spirits of the dead, there was an old “finger in the sand-map" that was installed at the entrance to the Cape Reinga area. It shows the walking route of the spirits, across the land, across the mountains nearby and then finally the jump off spot or the cave that is near the tree where all the souls will return to Hawaiki. This "map" was given to someone as an explanation of the spirit route all souls take in NZ.

Pohutukawa Tree on (R). Rocks Where Whales Rug Against to Remove Barnacles (L)

Like I said, it’s a fascinating story, a wonderful seascape, a protected stretch of land, covered in sparse vegetation that is exposed to the mixed climate that exists here, at the seam of the Tasman Sea and the Pacific. It’s a bit strange, the vegetation, moss covered rocks, gives an illusion of greenery that in actuality does not exist.

Moss and Small Shrub Covered Cliffs

To the Maori this is holy land, no food or eating is allowed within the confines of the spirit world all around us here… I liked this spot.

90 Mile Beach Starts at Cape Reinga