New Zealand Hikes: Cape Brett Hike

When Captain Cook first sailed off the coast of New Zealand he spied a prominent peninsula of land, and named it after a trusted officer: Brett Piercy. Little did he know it was also the landing site of what may be the very first Polynesian travelers to arrive on New Zealand and later evolved into the indigenous Maori culture. The rich history of the place adds interest, but the 17 kilometer hike from the Maori settlement of Rawhiti out to the cape is a great backcountry adventure in itself. There's lots of ways to do it, best is to get a lift from Russell about an hour out to Rawhiti at the end of the road, and just hike out to the cape. The route follows the ridgelines of the seven peaks that form the dragon like spine of the peninsula. The Department of Conservation has turned the lighthouse keepers house into a hut, with gas cookers and bunks. It's a dramatic place to spend a few days whether it's stormy or sunny. I'm on a tight schedule, so to save a day Peter Stuart of Cape Brett Walkways chartered a boat to take us out to the Cape early in the morning so we could hike back, and thereby see the whole route. Jeremy, the driver of the high performance inflatable was actually making an epic beer run out to a remote lodge on one of the islands, before heading off to dive on a newly sunken former New Zealand navy frigate. The warship was sunk just last Saturday to provide a recreational dive location for the Russell area. Like most Kiwis, Jeremy was happy to abet the cause of fun, so was good with a short detour to drop us off before heading for the wreck. The Cape Brett track itself, which was used by the lighthouse keepers before the light was automated in 1978, is in pretty good shape, just be prepared for four or five thousand feet of elevation gain as the route follows the peaks and descends to the water on several occasions. Plan on seven to eith hours for a one-way traverse. A highlight is to see the very bay where mythology holds the Maori forebears arrived eons ago. We saw a plethora of sea birds on the coast and brightly colored rosellas flying among the tea trees. Stunning views north to the Bay of Islands and south to the Poor Knights Islands make this one of the most scenic coastal hikes I've done. Next: The Herekino Forest Track.