Take a remote beach walk with four river crossings to Kahurangi Point lighthouse at the northern tip of the Karamea Bight. 

Begin this sandy trek at the mouth of the Anatori River (the first of four river crossings), or shave an hour/ off your walking time by driving south to Turimawiwi River in a suitably robust vehicle.

It is crucial that you time your trip to reach the final river crossing at low tide. Other waterways encountered are mere trickles compared to the appropriately named Big River. However, DOC cautions that river conditions may change daily; the first three crossings can range from shin to thigh deep depending on tide and recent rainfall. From Turimawiwi River, they are naturally spaced to divide your walk into almost equal sections of 2–3km. All are stained a rusty brown with tannin from decomposing vegetation.

As with any beach walk, locating the point where the vast expanse of sand is firm but still dry enhances both enjoyment and steady progress, with the indigo blue breakers of the Tasman Sea on one side and steep cliffs giving way to towering dunes on the other.

Iconic nīkau palms are plentiful beyond Anaweka River, and as cleared land on the left is gradually replaced by native bush there is no mistaking your arrival at Big River. An imposing water course that snakes around a forested bend to greet the Tasman Sea, even at low tide this is an obstacle to be reckoned with. Cross either at the mouth when shallow enough, or find a suitable spot further up the estuary. 

The landscape changes again on the far side, where intertidal rock shelves pave the sands and sweep upward into surreal outcrops and flax-fringed cliffs. Salt spray lends an ethereal quality to the light.

Broken spars soon come into view, the remains of a derelict jetty where the lighthouse keeper’s supplies were landed.

Just before Kahurangi Point is Kahurangi Keepers House, a 25-bunk hut. A beach marker indicating the access path through a prominent stand of nikau has been washed away, so stay alert for other signage. Built to replace the lighthouse keeper’s original home, which was destroyed during the 1929 Murchison earthquake, the house was constructed from sections of other buildings. It was renovated in 2003 and even offers a working bath.

A visit to the lighthouse itself is practically mandatory, and a short walk to the point soon reveals its gleaming tower rising above the cliff-top bush canopy. Now just an eerily quiet hilltop, three homes and numerous supply sheds once formed a tiny community here before the quake sent buildings sliding down to the sea. A chimney stack is all that remains.

The Keeper’s House hut is a perfect base from which to explore more of the coast, but always remember to time your return crossing of Big River with the lowest tide.