East Cape is the easternmost point of the main islands of New Zealand. It is located at the northern end of the
Gisborne District of New Zealand's
North Island
The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-larges ...
.
It can also refer to the broader Gisborne cape.
East Cape was originally named "Cape East" by British explorer
James Cook
James Cook (7 November 1728 Old Style date: 27 October – 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean and ...
during his 1769–1779 voyage. It is one of four Cardinal Capes, alongside
North Cape,
West Cape and
South Cape.
operates the
East Cape Lighthouse is located at the cape's easternmost point.
[East Cape Lighthouse](_blank)
, Maritime New Zealand. Retrieved 1 December 2009. The small
East Island / Whangaokeno, also known as Motu o Kaiawa, is located directly offshore.
[East Island / Whangaokeno]
Rodent Invasion Project, Department of Statistics, University of Auckland. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
The
New Zealand Transport Agency upgraded the Horoera Bridge in 2017,
giving
campervans and other heavy vehicles full access to the
East Cape Lighthouse.
It replaced a temporary
Bailey bridge
A Bailey bridge is a type of portable, pre-fabricated, truss bridge. It was developed in 1940–1941 by the British for military use during the Second World War and saw extensive use by British, Canadian and American military engineering units ...
installed in 2015.
It is not to be confused with the East Cape / Koromere on
Stewart Island / Rakiura.
References
Headlands of the Gisborne District
{{Gisborne-geo-stub