Tuesday, March 29th Special "Kiwi" Post

For Māori, Cape Reinga is the most spiritually significant place in New Zealand.

An ancient pohutukawa tree and a lonely lighthouse mark this special place. 

It is here that after death, all Māori spirits travel up the coast and over the wind-swept vista to the pohutukawa tree on the headland of Te Rerenga Wairua.  


They descend into the underworld (reinga) by sliding down a root into the sea below.  The
spirits then travel underwater to the Three Kings Islands where they climb out onto Ohaua, the
highest point of the islands and bid their last farewell to New Zealand before returning to the land of their ancestors, Hawaiiki-A-Nui.


New Zealand is know as the toothless island.  No mammals are know to be native to the islands.

Over the years, many mammals introduced my man, have had a negative influence on the natural

beauty and horticulture of New Zealand.  Some of these include the possum, deer, and rats.

No better example of this devastation to the natural landscape is evident than at Cape Reinga.

The tree and shrub population at the cape suffered greatly at the mouths of these

foreign invaders.  An active eradication program is under way to rid the Cape of these

unwanted intruders.  There is also an active program underway to replace the natural

flora to the Cape.  Returned flora will bring back the many birds that lost their

natural habitat.

There is an opportunity to help in the program by donating a tree or shrub and then planting it

on the Cape.  The hope that over the next several years, some 400,00 trees and plants, native

to the Cape will be planted.  

I planted a Cabbage Tree (Ti Kouka) plant on the hillside overlooking the Pacific ocean in

memory of Mindy.  She loved to travel, she loved birds and she loved plants, flowers 

and trees.

Mindy at Red Rocks - Arizona 2002

Ti Kouka Plant (Cabbage Tree)

Southern view from planting site

Eastern view from planting site

Northern View from planting site

So, if you ever get to Cape Reinga, take a GPS and a bottle of water,

and water this special plant.  It is easily found along a pathway to the sea.

GPS Coordinates:

S:  34.42928

E: 172.68199