Located at the top of the North Island, Cape Reinga is a place of special spiritual significance to the Maori. It’s believed the spirits of the dead leap off the headlands to the after life to their spiritual homeland of Hawaiiki. I felt that spirit on my last trip there. Our coach driver told a moving and personal story of his own family and losing his young son. He finally came to Cape Reinga to deal with his loss and release his son. I felt my own parents at the Cape and felt their presence with me. It was a spiritual moment I would never have expected on a coach tour with a bunch of strangers. But it happened. Go see for yourself. And see the iconic lighthouse. It was built in 1941, flashes every 12 seconds and can be seen for 19 nautical miles. The signpost with destinations all over the world is one of the most famous pictures of New Zealand you’ll ever see.

Nancy Purdin and New Zealand Explorations is a Tucson-based travel agent who specializes in travel to New Zealand and all of the South Pacific. www.newzealandexplorations.com