East Cape – New Zealand’s Last Frontier

As we all know, travelling is about exploring new territories, discovering new cultures and learning new things. Ultimately all this will lead us, at the end, to find out who we really are.

Why do we visit foreign lands? Why do we go to strange places? Because we want to be blown away, we want to be surprised, we want to experience strong emotions.

If that is what you fancy, there is a place in New Zealand where you can find all that.

The region I am talking about is Eastland, in the North Island of New Zealand.

If you want open spaces, superb beaches, utter isolation, that’s the place to be.

The gem of Eastland is East Cape, which is, as the name says, the most eastern part of New Zealand.

You can reach your destination from Opotiki, in the Bay of Plenty, or from Gisborne. In the small village of Te Araroa you start following a 22 kilometre road, mostly unsealed. There is no exit and you go right to the end.

You will find spectacular beaches, amazing scenery and breath-taking views. In Summer it is amazing. The sky is so clear, the sun is warm and the sound of the waves is like a lullaby. The song of the countless cicadas remind you that you are alive and that life is beautiful.

Stop for a while, go for a swim, get a tan and have a water-melon or a pine-apple to refresh yourself…
Appreciate the moment.

There is a camping ground right in the middle of nowhere. Spend a couple of days there. You need to take everything with you, food and water. Have a BBQ in the evening, sip a glass of wine and enjoy the sunset…
In front of you is the sea. The moon and the stars are above you. What more do you want from life… ?

When you get to East Cape you will see that you can follow a track that reaches East Cape Lighthouse.

You will have to climb about 700 steps to get there… On the way up you want to stop sometimes not only to catch your breath but also to admire what is around you. Listen to the wind, hear the birds.

The effort of the climb is well worth it. The view from the top is unreal. Simply magnificent.

The Lighthouse is very interesting and you can walk around it even if you cannot visit it. It is not open to the public.

In front of you lays East Island and the sea, a boundless sea.

I hope you enjoyed the trip. Where are we off next time?