byronic :: mad bad and dangerous to know

Our destination today: Spirits’ Bay and all the way up to Cape Reinga.

“The name of the cape comes from the Māori word ‘Reinga’, meaning the ‘Underworld’. Another Māori name is ‘Te Rerenga Wairua’, meaning the leaping-off place of spirits. Both refer to the Māori belief that the cape is the point where the spirits of the dead enter the underworld.”

While I’m not a religious person at all, I do feel a strong pull towards natural sites with a spiritual significance. We have a Pakhea (=white New Zealander) friend here whose insight into Maori culture has provided us with the most valuable and fascinating tools to get to know this country. We’ll be meeting an old Maori lady today to accompany us all the way to the Cape.