2938 Cape Brett Walk FULL

(Depart 8am Friday 16 April, return Sunday 18th late evening)

We will leave early Friday morning and travel up to Northland, stopping on the way to do a short walk at a Regional Park. Friday night will be camping on the Marae grounds at Rawhiti. Dinner will be in Russell that night at Hones Garden Pizza Restaurant.

The next day we start the Cape Brett walk. 

This track traverses rugged terrain for 16 km through native and regenerating bush. Expect dramatic coastal views; steep cliffs and drop-offs to the side of the track are a feature. From the forested ridges, we will take in spectacular coastal scenery. Towards the Cape, walking alongside the dramatic cliff-face, you can often see dolphins and seals will come close to shore.

We may possibly take a side-track (1 hr return) down to Deep Water Cove, where we could enjoy a refreshing swim if its a nice day.

From Deep Water Cove onwards, the track gets more challenging and becomes quite exposed with steep drop-offs to the sea below. There are outstanding views of the outer Bay of Islands, north to the Cavalli Islands and south to Whangaruru and beyond to the Poor Knights Islands. The lighthouse at the end of the Cape Brett Peninsula is one of the many highlights of this spectacular walk. First built in 1910, more than 100 people looked after this station over its lifetime – including keepers, weathermen, butchers, gardeners, postmasters, painters and carpenters. It was decommissioned in 1978, although a replacement light still functions to this day.