To the Lighthouse: Castlepoint
Perfect for a weekend away, Castlepoint is a tiny coastal gem with secluded beaches, a reef/lagoon and a remarkable walk to the top of the world…
Living in New Zealand you often take the natural beauty of our country for granted. Growing up in Christchurch I was fortunate enough to travel the length and breadth of the South Island with my family on many road trips in a vairety of classic, vintage and modern cars (having a car-mad-dad has its advantages!)
However the North Island of New Zealand - whilst now ‘home’- still holds many undiscovered destinations and a trip to Castlepoint on the East Coast north of Wellington did not disappoint…
Castlepoint beach before sunset
We had packed up for an end-of-summer holidays weekend away “off the grid” including board games & books, plenty of delicious food, our trusty Bialetti stove-top coffee maker, freshly ground coffee, wine from the cellar and all the trappings for making G&T’s for our little cabin experience.
Friends had kindly rented us their gorgeous little cabin on the main road across from the beach and anticipations were running high.
But I had no idea how beautiful this little coastal village (population just over 1,500) would be.
February in the greater Wellington region is normally when summer really shows its best days and we were blessed with three perfect days to explore and enjoy this sleepy seaside village. Most of the New Year’s and Summer holiday folk had departed so we felt as if we had Castlepoint to ourselves along with the locals.
The lighthouse had to be our first stop. We arrived late afternoon/evening and dusk was on our doorstep. Before we even unpacked the car we hit the totally deserted beach and walked down toward this little beacon of light set up on a point.
The wind from the exposed coast made the walk up the boardwalk precarious - I wouldn’t want to do this in the full blast of a Wellington winter - but we made it in time for sunset which was truly remarkable.
Off to our cabin for a celebratory Chardonnay and a dinner of halloumi on toast, roasted tomatoes and freshly picked baby spinach from the owner’s garden.
Happy and content we had a great sleep in virtual darkness as we were out of the latent street lights of a city and the moon was waning. For an insomniac, this was the ultimate sleep zone. Bliss.
Miss S and her Strawberry Milkshake
The next day we grabbed a milkshake: the traditional style Longest Drink in Town cup which took me back to my childhood days which led to cartwheeling down the beach (well, Miss S did… I was in charge of photography). I relived another childhood memory of bach holidays and insisted we eat granola with cream out of a coffee mug outside listening to birdsong.
Half way up Castle Rock
The day was perfect for a walk up Castle Rock - which is quite imposing. When you look up and see tiny people at the top you wonder how anyone gets up there, but as you walk up the exposed and narrow goat tracks, you remain focussed on your next foothold and before you know it you are at the top of the world!
This place isn’t for the faint-hearted - there was a narrow causeway heading out to a tiny pad of rock which you can stand on and look out over the lighthouse, lagoon and the Pacific Ocean. The hairs on my toes were tingling but it was a photo opportunity not to be missed and the wind was reasonably still so we all took a leap of faith and ventured out to this little precipice. The lighthouse seemed minescule from this advantage and I had a sense of conquering a couple of fears: risky tramping at a height and not having my phone for our 4 hour expedition.
One of life’s highlights!
Sitting on a precipice on the edge of the Castle Rock, Castlepoint, NZ
We enjoyed our time at the top of the Castle Rock - looking north and south along the coast and eastward out across the ocean - with the waves crashing far below us and the wind blowing the long, dry grass upwards towards our position on the cliff edge.
Having managed to get up to the top of Castle Rock I had underestimated how difficult it would be to get down - the walk was really steep and at times trickier than the climb up - but we made it down to the most gorgeous little alcove of a beach.
Miss S and I promptly took off our sneakers and walked in the golden sand and splashed in the foamy waves as they came in from this inlet. The waves can be pretty big in this alcove and this is known as a great spot for surfers.
Looking back at the inlet below Castle Rock - the top pointy bit is the ledge where we had been standing!
The rest of our weekend was filled with BBQ’s, board games and homemade brunch; swimming and sunbathing on the main beach; visiting the lagoon to watch the waves crashing over the rocks; spotting fur seals basking on the opposite side of the lagoon rock face and reading, resting and re-grouping.
All in all this was a magic trip to close off the summer vacation and one we wish to relive.
What to take:
Sunblock, sunglasses, hat and a windbreaker
Food & Drink: There is a great little Castlepoint Store which serves food (toasted sandwiches, burgers, milkshakes, ice cream and coffee) as well as most pantry items, refrigerated goods and kids games. You can even buy hats, jandals and totes if you need a handy bag for the beach!
Walking shoes - definitely go on the walk up to Castle Rock if you can and visit The Lighthouse (an easy walk up a concrete and boardwalk path).
Your camera. There are so many beautiful moments to capture in this little beachside retreat.
What to know:
Castlepoint is just over 2 and a half hours drive from Wellington.
Castlepoint was named by Captain Cook in 1770 as he thought Castle Rock looked like the battlements of a castle.
Book your stay at the campground via Castlepoint Holiday Park & Motel BookaBach.co.nz HolidayHouses.co.nz or Airbnb.co.nz
For more info visit https://wairarapanz.com/castlepoint
Pink Sky at Castlepoint
