For many in the Western world, New Zealand was long seen as a remote corner of the globe — a distant land at the edge of the world.
That all changed in the early 2000s, when the Lord of the Rings film trilogy hit theaters. Director Peter Jackson, himself a New Zealander, chose to shoot the entire fantasy saga amid the country’s breathtaking natural landscapes.
The films were a global phenomenon — and suddenly, the world fell in love with New Zealand.
Since then, tourism has grown exponentially, as millions of people have traveled to this far-flung destination to experience its otherworldly beauty.
But beyond the tourist boom, New Zealand also preserves a powerful connection to the ancestral roots of its first inhabitants, the Māori people.
To this day, Māori communities live across the country, alongside descendants of British settlers who arrived over two centuries ago. Much of New Zealand’s cultural identity is shaped by Māori influence: from the famous haka dances to ancient legends and the country’s traditional ghost stories.
One of the most mysterious and sacred places is Spirits Bay, and the name is no coincidence.
A Gateway to the Afterlife
Spirits Bay is hauntingly beautiful. The crystal-clear waters and narrow stretch of beach create a view that is nothing short of awe-inspiring.
At the far western tip lies Cape Reinga, home to a small hill with sweeping panoramic views.
Atop this hill grows a sacred tree through which the spirits of the dead are believed to pass on their journey to Hawaiki, the Māori afterlife.
Interestingly, in Māori tradition, the afterlife isn’t up in the sky, but rather in an underworld beneath the earth. According to legend, the spirits of the dead travel as incorporeal beings to Spirits Bay to reach this sacred tree. Through it, they cross into the otherworld — beneath the Pacific Ocean.
While symbolic, some historians believe Hawaiki was also a real location: the homeland from which the ancestors of the Māori first sailed to New Zealand.
This theory is supported by the fact that these sacred crossing points are located at the northern tip of the North Island—likely where the earliest settlers first made landfall.
Given its deep significance, it’s no surprise that Spirits Bay is surrounded by ghost stories and tales of supernatural phenomena.
It’s said to be the most haunted place in New Zealand, which surprises many Western tourists, who usually associate haunted sites with houses, castles, or cemeteries.
There are hundreds of accounts — particularly from travelers — describing mysterious lights around Cape Reinga.
The Māori, however, aren’t surprised. They simply tell their stories of Hawaiki and the underworld.
A Country Full of Natural Spirits
Like Australia, another former British colony, modern New Zealand has cities that feel distinctly British in character.
But it still holds vast stretches of untouched wilderness that captivate those who venture to its most remote corners.
Lakes, mountains, forests, valleys, volcanoes, beaches — New Zealand’s natural beauty seems limitless.
Māori folklore includes many tales of supernatural beings believed to live in these landscapes.
Taniwha are the guardians of rivers and forests, dwelling near bodies of water — from lakes to the ocean itself. They are generally benevolent spirits, but can become hostile if nature is disrespected.
Taniwha are believed to shape-shift into many creatures, including sharks, fish, and dragons.
Every stream or lake in New Zealand is thought to have its own taniwha, and nearby villages often share stories of these spirits as protectors of nature.
But not all spirits are kind.
Kikokiko are malevolent ghosts that possess humans, driving them to madness and, in extreme cases, violence or suicide.
Many believe that these spirits originated as a way to explain mental illness — conditions like schizophrenia that ancient societies had no framework to understand.
Even today, some Māori believe that illness is caused by the presence of a Kikokiko.
New Zealand remains one of the most fascinating countries on Earth — not only for its landscapes but also for the rich mythology and enduring legacy of its first people.
The Māori continue to protect and preserve this spiritual heritage, keeping it alive in the sacred forests, windswept cliffs, and haunted beaches of Aotearoa.
