At the End of the World

Today was not the last day, but the last day with my planned route. Okay, yes, I still have the car for a few more days and Auckland is still coming. But this was the last time driving from stop to stop the way I had planned, you know. Filled with paranoia, I filled up this morning in Awanui right after getting up (I still had almost 3/4 of a tank). You never know. With a beautiful sunrise on my side, I first headed up a bit. At first, I wanted to go to Ninety Mile Beach. My god, I had wanted to go there for so long, guys, and then I was finally there. To the left, to the right, the beach stretches far away; you can see the land and guess where the Cape might be. A few cars drove on the beach, and I would have loved to do that too, but I’m pretty sure my car would have just gotten stuck. So I played it safe and went for a long walk without collecting shells. Mh yes, I’m also proud of myself. So back in the car, full of sand, I thought I was headed to the highlight. Cape Reinga. The drive there took my breath away completely. Through green mountains, occasionally at the end, you see sand dunes, up and down. Just before the Cape, the view was so legendary that I stopped a few times. You could see Cape Maria van Diemen, and it looked unbelievably beautiful. A short walk to the Cape and wow, the beach you see from above, the rocks — I almost cried. But first, I went to the lighthouse and to the spot where the seas meet. For the Māori, Cape Reinga is a sacred place where the souls of the deceased begin their final journey — they glide down the root pathway of an old Pohutukawa tree into the sea. There, the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet, symbolizing the transition between the world of the living and the world of spirits. The place is called Te Rerenga Wairua in Māori, meaning “the place where the spirits descend.”

I was all alone there and could enjoy it in complete tranquility. It was truly a unique view and an absolute highlight. After a while, I managed to tear myself away from the view, but then I headed towards an almost cooler highlight. To the Giant Sand Dunes. And yes, they are already incredibly cool, but what makes it even cooler? Renting a sandboard, using all my energy to somehow climb up the dunes, and sliding down on the sandboard. Yes, that was pretty cool. I had underestimated how strenuous it is to climb up (yeah, okay, I was on the steepest dune there), but it was so unbelievably fun. I then walked a good way towards the sea and had breathtaking views. I climbed up a giant dune and saw just how huge the dune landscape is, the sea on one side in the background and the green mountains. After sliding back most of the way on my return, I first went for something to eat. Since I was full of sand, having given it my all, it was clear: back to Kaitaia for the free shower. That was another dream, showering for free and hot. And then I headed to Tokerau Beach to the camp, right by the sea, folks. Unfortunately, it was too windy to cook, but you can forgive that for the views. So beach walk, reading, and chilling. A perfect day