04/07/2018 - The most beautiful place on the North Island?

The announced freezing temperatures turned out to be true and it was really unpleasant - the night in "Masterton" was freezing cold. In the morning, we saw the full extent: the sponge that was lying on the dashboard to dry was frozen; overnight, a thin layer of ice formed around our car and the shower gel had become thick. It was difficult to shake it out of its tube. But after the warm shower and with a bright blue sky, the rest of the day could only be good.
Our road trip took us to "Castlepoint". Despite its remote location, the small coastal village offers a beautiful lighthouse. However, the drive there was a bit adventurous. The asphalted road became quite narrow at some curves. When we reached the parking lot next to the lighthouse after about an hour, we were overwhelmed. The pictures we had seen beforehand did not do justice to what was presented to us on site. We quickly gathered our cameras and set off for the lighthouse. On the way, you cross a wide stretch of beach where several fishing boats (on trailers) were parked.

Tractors can/will be used to launch them into the sea.

The short hiking trail to the lighthouse is not worth mentioning. A short climb and a few steps later, you stand in front of it - the snow-white lighthouse overlooking the vast sea.
Just as we were taking photos of the bay and the beach, we unexpectedly discovered a few seals lying on the rocks. They were peacefully taking a nap at the foot of the headland. We only met one resident and her dog on site. - In summer, this place will probably be much more crowded. In winter, however, we had the entire area almost to ourselves.
We climbed the wooden steps to a viewpoint where we had a good view of the lighthouse and the surrounding area.

"Castlepoint Lighthouse" was put into operation in 1913. It is the last New Zealand lighthouse to be built from individual parts manufactured in England. Since 1988, its light has been remotely controlled and no longer requires a keeper on site.

After spending some time on the platform, we were amazed when three uniformed police officers approached us. They greeted us friendly and started taking selfies of themselves. We also spotted more police officers further back, apparently on a small company outing - quite understandable, there are definitely worse places to visit. ;)
For us, it was time to go a little further, almost once around the lighthouse. We climbed over cliff sections that have many stories to tell. At least here you will find a lot of fossilized shells and rocks dating back to previous epochs, indicating that this land mass was once der the sea - simply impressive!
For lunch, we headed to the local campground. Here, too, we enjoyed the peace and quiet. Besides us, only one other camper was at the site. Therefore, we parked our van in the best beachfront setting and enjoyed the breathtaking panorama! The view of the endless ocean, the fine sandy beach, and the lighthouse on the cliffs made us happy.
After a small refreshment, we decided to visit the lighthouse for the second time today. Since the sky was partly covered with clouds, we hoped for a beautiful sunset. But finding the optimal position to place the lighthouse in front of the sunset was not easy. During our search, we found a mysterious ladder off the hiking trail. Several iron rods were drilled into the cliffs, arousing our curiosity. So we climbed down the steps and found ourselves in front of a mirror-like lake (or a giant puddle). Castlepoint Lighthouse reflected perfectly on the water surface. The clouds in the sky changed color as time went on. We captured this beautiful moment with some pictures. While we were walking back to the car, the sky continued to burn. For us, it was clear: this sunset was the most beautiful of our trip!
As daylight faded and we returned to the campground, the lighthouse turned on its light. With the sound of the waves in our ears, we quickly fell asleep and dreamed of this fantastic day.