Kaitāia to Cape Reinga by Campervan: The Far North to the Top of New Zealand

Quick summary: The road to Cape Reinga runs around 110 km up the narrow Aupōuri Peninsula from Kaitāia, and it’s one of the great campervan and motorhome drives in New Zealand. It passes white silica beaches, giant golden sand dunes and wild, empty coastline, ending at the lighthouse at Cape Reinga, where the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet. The road is sealed to the cape, but Ninety Mile Beach, which runs alongside it, is commonly excluded from rental agreements, so see it on foot or on a coach tour.

At a glance
Distance	Around 110 km, Kaitāia to Cape Reinga
Driving time	Around 1 hour 30 minutes
Suggested time	1–2 nights in the far north
Road	State Highway 1, sealed to the cape car park
Key stops	Awanui, Houhora and Pukenui, Rarawa Beach, Te Paki dunes, Taputaputa Bay, Cape Reinga
Signature experiences	The lighthouse and Te Rerenga Wairua, sandboarding at Te Paki, Rarawa’s white sand
Overnight options	DOC campsites at Rarawa and Taputaputa, holiday parks around Houhora and Kaitāia
Not for rental vehicles	Ninety Mile Beach, and the Te Paki Stream route onto it

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Why make the journey to Cape Reinga?

Because it’s a pilgrimage to the top of the country, and a place of extraordinary significance. For Māori, Cape Reinga is Te Rerenga Wairua, the leaping-off place of spirits, where the souls of the dead begin their journey back to the ancestral homeland. Standing beside the lighthouse, you can watch the currents of two oceans collide in a line of white water off the point. The drive there, through a landscape of dunes, swamps, lakes and empty beaches, feels like the edge of the world.

What are the best stops on the way to Cape Reinga?

Stop	Distance from Kaitāia	Time to allow	What’s there
Awanui	Around 8 km	10 min	Small town where the road north begins
Houhora and Pukenui	Around 45 km	30 min	Harbour settlements with small stores and fuel
Rarawa Beach (detour)	Around 60 km	1 hour to overnight	White silica sand and a DOC campsite
Te Paki sand dunes	Around 95 km	1–2 hours	Giant dunes for sandboarding
Taputaputa Bay (detour)	Around 105 km	1 hour to overnight	Sheltered bay with a DOC campsite
Cape Reinga	Around 110 km	1–2 hours	Lighthouse and Te Rerenga Wairua

Houhora and Rarawa Beach

Houhora and Pukenui sit on a quiet harbour on the eastern side of the peninsula, with small stores and fuel. Further north, a short side road leads to Rarawa Beach, where the sand is so white and powdery it squeaks underfoot, and the water is clear and turquoise.

The Te Paki sand dunes

Near the top of the peninsula, the Te Paki dunes rise in vast golden hills of sand. Climbing them and sliding back down on a sandboard is one of the far north’s most popular experiences. The stream that runs beside the dunes leads out onto Ninety Mile Beach, but it is a route for four-wheel-drive vehicles and tour coaches, not rental campervans.

Taputaputa Bay

Just before the cape, a short side road leads down to Taputaputa (Tapotupotu) Bay, a sheltered sandy bay with a Department of Conservation campsite, only a few minutes’ drive from the lighthouse.

Cape Reinga

From the car park, a walk of around 20 minutes each way leads down to the lighthouse, with views over the meeting of the seas and Cape Maria van Diemen to the west. The pōhutukawa tree clinging to the rocks below the point is said to be the one down which spirits descend. Treat the site with respect and follow the guidance on the signs.

Longer walks lead from the cape to Te Werahi Beach and along the coast.

Can you drive an RV on Ninety Mile Beach?

Generally not in a rental vehicle. Ninety Mile Beach is officially a highway, but driving it means travelling on sand within the tidal zone, entering and leaving via stream beds and soft sand, and rental agreements commonly exclude it. Vehicles can be stuck and swamped by the tide. The way to experience it is on a Cape Reinga coach tour, which drives the beach in purpose-built vehicles and stops to sandboard at Te Paki. You can also walk onto the beach from access points such as Waipapakauri and Ahipara.

What tours are available?

• Cape Reinga and Ninety Mile Beach coach tours from Paihia and Kaitāia, driving the beach and stopping at the Te Paki dunes. See Cape Reinga tours.
• Sandboarding at the Te Paki dunes, with boards available to hire nearby.
• Guided cultural tours sharing the stories of Te Rerenga Wairua and the far north.

Where can you stay overnight?

• Taputaputa Bay, a DOC campsite a few minutes from the cape, with minimal facilities.
• Rarawa Beach, a DOC campsite behind the white-sand beach.
• Holiday parks around Houhora, Pukenui and Kaitāia, with more facilities.
• Self-contained freedom camping is limited in the far north and only for certified self-contained vehicles where Far North District Council or the Department of Conservation permits it. See our Northland freedom camping guide.

The far north’s DOC campsites have very simple facilities and limited rubbish collection, so take your rubbish out with you, and arrive with a full water tank and empty waste tanks.

What is the driving like?

State Highway 1 is sealed all the way to the cape car park. North of Houhora it becomes quieter and narrower, winding through hills and past dunes and wetlands, with few services. Side roads to some beaches and campsites are narrow or unsealed; Spirits Bay, east of the cape, is reached by a long unsealed road that rental agreements may exclude. See our guide to unsealed roads and Ninety Mile Beach.

Where are supplies?

Kaitāia is the last large town with supermarkets. Houhora and Pukenui have small stores and fuel, and there is very little further north. Fill up on fuel, food and water in Kaitāia, and empty your tanks there or at the dump station near the Te Paki turn-off. See our stocking up guide.

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Frequently Asked Questions