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Three Kings Island Area

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Cape Reinga - Three Kings Island Area

Cape Reinga - Three Kings Island Area is also submitted on the tentative list of World Heritage.

Around the most northern tip of New Zealand, the Tasman Sea collides with the waters of the Pacific Ocean. From the cliff-top lighthouse at Cape Reinga, the battle between two powerful currents is clearly visible in the heaving ocean, 290 metres below.

  Cape Reinga
The northern tip of the North Island has great spiritual significance for Maori people
The spirituality of this place is almost tangible, and for good reason. At Spirits Bay, a gnarled 800-year-old Pohutukawa tree faces seaward. It is a traditional belief that when Maori people die, their spirits travel to this tree and slide down its roots to the underworld beneath the ocean. From here they continue northward emerging 55 kilometres offshore at Manawatawhi, Three Kings Islands. Then the spirits bid a final farewell to Aotearoa New Zealand, before travelling to Hawaiki, the legendary ancestral home of Maori.

Walkways in the area lead to sweeping ocean views, spectacular beaches, and coastal wetlands. Rare native species of trees and land snails, as well as ancient Maori pa (fortress) sites, add to the natural and cultural importance of this recreational reserve.

In 1643, Dutch explorer Abel Tasman named the Three Kings Islands after the biblical three wise men. The waters either side of this remote nature reserve are extremely deep and crystal clear. They are influenced by both temperate and sub-tropical currents. The resulting abundance and variety of marine life make this is a top location for serious diving and recreational fishing. In 1902, the steamship Elingamite struck rocks here in fog and sank with the loss of 45 lives. Lying in 38 metres, the wreck offers a fascinating dive.

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