Discover the Lower North Island’s East Coast – New Zealand
Castlepoint makes a ideal holiday destination for those who love outdoor activities, or those who just want a relaxing weekend away. Located 64kms east of Masterton, Castlepoint was named in 1770 by Captain Cook who thought Castle Rock looked similar to the battlements of a castle. With it’s long stretches of beach, breathtaking scenery, and rich natural history, here is what Castlepoint offers to its visitors:
The Castlepoint Scenic Reserve
A fossil-rich limestone reef, sand dunes and the 162 metre high Castle Rock form the Castlepoint Scenic Reserve. Castle Rock is a spectacular land form made of successive layers of lime and sandstone that have been deposited over the last two million years. On the seaward side the rock sits on an older base of siltstone and as the land rose from the sea, the encircling softer mudstone was eroded, which exposes harder limestone.
Castlepoint Wildlife
The Castlepoint Scenic Reserve is frequently visited by fur seals, several species of dolphin and occasionally penguins. The area is also home to a wide range of sea birds including black-backed gulls and reef herons who nest on the cliffs of Castle Rock, and black shags, red-billed gulls and white-fronted terns on the south end of the reef.
The Castlepoint Lighthouse
Erected in 1913, the Castlepoint lighthouse looks out over the Pacific Ocean. It was one of the last manned lighthouses in New Zealand when it was automated in 1988. Standing at 23 metres tall, it is New Zealand’s third highest lighthouse and one of only two lighthouses in the country that is still fitted with its original lens. Many visitors enjoy the popular lighthouse walk which takes 30 minutes return on a boardwalk over the reef and past the lighthouse.
Other Activities in Castlepoint
Other activities in the area include jet-boating, surfing, swimming, canoeing and fishing. There are many great surf-casting and rock fishing spots as well as diving for crayfish and paua. There is also a 9-hole golf course with coastal views and a number of walks, including the The Deliverance Cove Track, which takes one and a half hours return, through the pine trees over the lagoon around to the reserve boundary to above Deliverance Cove.
