East Cape on SH35

It’s rough out east: the roads, the country, the living conditions. But it’s also rich in history, culture, and scenic coastline—making “Eastland” ideal for a road trip.

Coordinates

Wakatiri | Lottin Point is the most northerly extent of Gisborne District; we got to a beach at its base following the public road (first photo). Continuing east, we had views across Kawakawa Bay from Haupara Point towards Te Araroa (second photo). In Te Araroa’s school grounds is NZ’s oldest (at 600+ years) and largest (at 21.2m high/ 40m wide) pōhutukawa, named Te Waha-o-Rerekohu (third photo). The name may relate to a Māori store house formerly on site; one has been reconstructed at the tree’s base (final photo).

We spent a majestic evening at Te Araroa, where the changing light inspired an attempt to find words matching a series of images recording it:

Mountains steep,
Meadows deep.
Seafaring souls,
Heavenly goals.

B.

East Cape Lighthouse is the eastern-most lighthouse on Earth—so first to witness the dawn of a new day. Here’s the view across Hautai Beach from Horoera Point, en route (first photo). East Cape and Whangaokeno | East Island can be seen from Te Wharenaonao Point (second photo). The cast iron tower was set atop 144m Otiki Hill in 1922 and stands 15m tall (third photo). Access to the lighthouse via private land has been withdrawn since 2021—due to Covid and subsequent storm damage (final photo).

Here’s what the worst bit of the road to East Cape looks like, should you be contemplating the drive (about 45min each way from Te Araroa if driving with care). We cleared a small rockfall by hand here on the way in (you can see our tyre tracks). There are also wandering horses, sheep and cows—and possibly seals to watch for! It is narrow in places, so you need to be confident reversing with a crumbling cliff on one side and a steep drop-off on the other!

St. Mary’s Memorial Church in Tikitiki was built in the 1920s as a unique fusion of European and Māori craft. The pulpit was gifted by Te Arawa iwi (first photo), with carvings, paintings (second photo) and weaving of tukutuku | woven panels (third photo) by Ngāti Porou artists. It serves to remember the iwi’s solders killed in war (final photo). The vision of iwi leader Sir Āpirana Ngata in promoting Māori culture and identity is also memorialised here.

Tokomaru Bay was severely impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle and the compounding effects of poor forestry practices (slash in particular). We parked at the beach (first photo) to enjoy Café 35 pies, opting for pork rather than the famous pāua filling. The dilapidated wharf was closed, having once served a meat export business based in the bay (second photo). SH35 between Te Araroa and here was still in a bad state and we were sad to have missed Mt Hikurangi as we drove south, due to cloud. The weather improved and we did get views looking back into Tokomaru Bay (third photo) and as we approached Anaura Bay (final photo).

Tokomaru Bay and its Café 35 pies (among other points of interest) feature in this upbeat local song about a road trip on SH35:

Anaura Bay is between Tokomaru and Tologa Bays. Waipare Stream discharges near the DOC camp at north end of the beach (first photo). Motuoroi Island lies offshore, once inhabited by Māori skilled at working greenstone (second photo). Towards the south end is a private camp, marae and village (third photo). Cook’s ship Endeavour called here in 1769, impressed by the regimented and extensive horticulture. As we missed seeing it from the East Cape Lighthouse, we resolved to see a world-first sunrise here (final photo)!

Cooks Cove Walkway offers an elevated view over Ūawa | Tolaga Bay (first photo). Te Pourewa | “The Beacon of light” sculpture (2019) honours Tupaia (a Tahitian navigator and interpreter who sailed on the Endeavour) and celebrates “our dual heritage and shared futures” (second photo). We felt grateful for sight of 1,752m Mt Hikurangi, North Island’s highest non-volcanic peak, some 56km away as crow flies (third photo). Ōpoutama | Cook’s Cove can be seen from a viewing platform (final photo).

On the way to the cove Te Kotore o te Whenua | Hole in the Wall (first and second photos) impressed us, as it did Joseph Banks in 1769:

It was certainly the most magnificent surprise I have ever met with, so much is pure nature superior to art in these cases.

Joseph Banks, Endeavour (1769)

Ōpoutama | Cook’s Cove with Mitre Rocks offshore; here Endeavour anchored to replenish supplies and trade (third photo). Wild goats grazed on the steep headland (final photo).

Tolaga Bay Wharf (1929) is closed to the public—yet a member of said public evidently reopened it with an angle grinder (first photo). NZ’s second longest pier at 660m, it last saw use by a cargo ship in 1967. It isn’t the prettiest of constructions, but like many wharves, it has an interesting geometric underside (second and third photos). At the entrance is a contemporary pou | carving; this represents chief Te Whakatatare-o-te-rangi (final photo).

Whāngārā, a small community (first photo) near to Gisborne, is the setting for Whiti Ihimaera’s novel and the 2002 film Whale Rider. Local legends tell of Paikea, who escaped murder in Hawaiki by riding here atop of a whale. The whale itself petrified into Whāngārā Island (second photo). A carved whale rider tops the meeting house (third photo). In the film, Pai reverses a whale stranding on the local beach (final photo). Note that there is no public access to the settlement.

In the book/ film, Pai is a young Mãori girl frustrated by tradition and sexism; the film explores themes of identity, culture, family and destiny:

Gisborne is well served by accessible beaches for swimming, fishing, surfing or picnicing. To the north are Makorori Beach (first photo) and Wainui Beach (second photo). The city itself has Midway Beach, seen here looking towards Waipaoa River mouth (third photo). Across Tūranganui-a-Kiwa | Poverty Bay from Midway Beach’s is Te Kurī | Young Nicks Head (final photo), named for a lost dog | the Endeavour crewman who first sighted land.

Rere Falls on the Wharekopae River inland from Gisborne are about 5m high by 20m wide, but weren’t at their best during our visit (first and second photo). Two kilometres upriver is Rere Rockslide (third photo), likewise low on water and bereft of people cooling off. Why? There’s storm debris in the river and the water is biologically unsafe. You can’t see the E. coli in the farm run-off, but you can smell it (final photo). Sadly, this is a problem for many NZ beaches, lakes and rivers (see here).

Te Māra Rākaunui o Aotearoa | National Arboretum of NZ at Okahuatiu | Eastwood Hill, is also inland from Gisborne. Eucalyptus regnans, the world’s tallest flowering plant, has been set as the pillars of The Cathedral (first photo). There is 25km of trails including woodland and farmland (second and third photos). Treeman by J Wright (2014) “shows the morphing from man to land, respecting and protecting our environment [by] working together as one” (final photo).

Visiting the reef in waders at Tatapōuri Bay in Tairāwhiti | Gisborne District is a highlight:

We got to interact with Myliobatis tenuicaudatus | whai keo | NZ eagle ray (max 1.5m span) and Bathytoshia brevicaudata | oru |short-tail stingray (max 2.1m span). As a child in our group put it, they felt like “salty and wet gummy-bears”. Kahawai with the zoomies stole from the rays as they were being fed.

Here are a couple of images of Gisborne’s palm-lined town centre, with heritage architecture (first and second photos). Beside the port is a vandalised statue of Capt. James Cook (third photo) who sought provisions here, but fled without any—having slain local Māori after misinterpreting a traditional challenge as hostile; thus, Poverty Bay got its name. The plains south of the city contain vineyards and extensive corn fields (final photo).

Where next? Hawke Bay—including a visit to see a person you can tramp on and swim in.

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