Climb the Deliverance Track up the magnificent 162-metre-high Castle Rock, named by explorer Captain Cook in 1770, in about 1-2 hours!
To find the track, start at the carpark, walk through the pines above the lagoon and follow the reserve boundary to the base of Castle Rock. Or start from the lagoon beach. As you're walking, keep an eye out for seabirds - terns, gulls, black shags and herons all make their home here. You might also spot the incredibly rare Brachyglottic compacta - a daisy that only grows on the crumbly limestone of the reef and Castle Rock.
After that climb, a stroll up to the lighthouse will be a piece of cake!
2023 UPDATE - The track closest to the beach is closed due to a slip, however the backtrack, from the carpark will remain as an in-and-out pathway. This means you will need to go up and back on the same track.
Don't forget to stop at Rewanui Forest Park on your way to Castlepoint (it's just before the Riversdale turn-off) - a series of of loop walks through a 334 hectare farm, taking in native bush and pine forest.