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Highway 1: Awanui to Cape Reinga, Aupōuri Peninsula, Northland
Photo: Rsfinlayson · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped

Drives Northland, New Zealand Northland

Highway 1: Awanui to Cape Reinga

SH 1, Far North Road, Cape Reinga Road · Awanui → Cape Reinga

Sweeping65 mi1 hr 30 min3,000 ft climbHigh point ≈ 600 ftOne way
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The drive

State Highway 1 ends at the top of the country, and this drive follows it there: 104 km (65 mi) from Awanui, a few kilometres north of Kaitaia, up the Aupōuri Peninsula to Cape Reinga. It takes about an hour and a half each way, through dunes, farmland and scrub, with mostly gentle curves and one twisty stretch early on.

The whole road is sealed. The last stretch was gravel until the sealing was finished in 2010, so an ordinary car can now make the trip. At the end is Te Rerenga Wairua, the leaping-off place of spirits in Māori belief, and the lighthouse on the headland. The drive stops on the highway just short of the Cape Reinga car park, and it is a dead end, so you return the way you came.

The gravel side roads, Te Paki Stream Road and the road to Tapotupotu Bay, are not part of this drive.

Along the way

  1. Awanui
  2. Cape Reinga
Elevation
3,000 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 600 ft
AwanuiCape Reinga
Curves
Mostly gentle, with one twisty stretch
AwanuiCape Reinga
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • Fuel is scarce on the peninsula: fill up in Kaitaia or Awanui, and treat the petrol station at Waitiki Landing, about 20 km before the cape, as a backup and check its hours.
  • There are no services at Cape Reinga beyond toilets and information panels.
  • Te Paki Stream Road and the road to Tapotupotu Bay leave SH1 as gravel; the sealed road ends at the cape.
  • Allow time for the return trip, since this is a dead end.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check NZTA Journey Planner.

Questions about this drive

Is the road to Cape Reinga sealed?

Yes. State Highway 1 to Cape Reinga has been sealed all the way since 2010, so the drive from Awanui is on tar seal.

How long is the drive from Awanui to Cape Reinga?

State Highway 1 from Awanui to Cape Reinga is 104 km (65 mi) and takes about 1 hr 30 min one way.

Where can I get petrol on the way to Cape Reinga?

Fill up in Kaitaia or Awanui before heading north on State Highway 1; there is also petrol at Waitiki Landing, about 20 km before the cape, but check its hours.

Can I drive to Cape Reinga by 90 Mile Beach?

That is a separate route using Te Paki Stream and the beach, for suitable vehicles; this drive stays on sealed State Highway 1.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
Preview it in 3DFly the whole drive over satellite and terrain before you go.
Drive it with no signalAPEXDownload the map and every turn before you go.
Live Group TrackingAPEXEveryone on the route, on the map, by name.
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More drives near here

All 6 drives in Northland, New Zealand ›

Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of Highway 1: Awanui to Cape Reinga, from Awanui to Cape Reinga