Day 19 Pencarrow Head & Cape Palliser

In the morning, we had a little adventure. We rented bikes (electric bikes) from Bike Shed Pencarrow and rode along the Pencarrow Coast Road. This path can only be used by bikes or by foot. It is a beautiful flat path along the coast, where you can see incoming and outgoing ships. Our goal was to reach the Pencarrow Head Lighthouses. One is located right on the coast, while the other is on top of the mountain. The upper lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse in New Zealand. This lighthouse also has a special feature: it was manned by the only female lighthouse keeper. To reach the upper lighthouse, there is a challenging trek, and the e-bikes were very helpful. You can continue along the Pencarrow Coast Road, and there are more treks to various lakes in the mountains. It was definitely worth it to enjoy this fascinating area, even though it was quite windy today.

In the afternoon, we drove to Cape Palliser, the 'southern point of the North Island'. It takes about two hours from Wellington, but it is definitely worth it. The last 20 km along the southern coast are breathtaking. The destination is Cape Palliser Lighthouse, which can be reached by climbing 253 stairs. It is definitely worth the climb because you have a magnificent view. On a clear day, you can even see the South Island, but unfortunately, we couldn't see it today. However, we could observe plenty of seals up close.

The changing landscapes are also impressive, from the sea to steep mountains on winding roads.

That was our last day on the North Island, tomorrow we will be crossing over to the South Island.