Cape Reinga is a special place. It’s the place where the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean meet. If you look closely, you can see the ‘line’ where the two waters meet. More importantly, Cape Reinga is the place where spirits of the deceased start their journey home to the land of Hawaiki, the original land of the Māori. It’s hard not to feel some kind of reverence for this place. I thought it was beautiful and special with an even more special and beautiful meaning.
“According to mythology, the spirits of the dead travel to Cape Reinga on their journey to the afterlife to leap off the headland and climb the roots of the 800 year old pohutukawa tree and descend to the underworld to return to their traditional homeland of Hawaiki, using the Te Ara Wairua, the ‘Spirits’ pathway’. At Cape Reinga they depart the mainland. They turn briefly at the Three Kings Islands for one last look back towards the land, then continue on their journey.” (source)
Alive and Trekking 