Cape Palliser is a promontory on the southern coast of New Zealand's North Island. It is located at the eastern end of Palliser Bay, 50 kilometres southeast of Wellington (geographical distance). By road, the journey from Wellington to Cape Palliser is more than 100 kilometres.
The cape is the southernmost point of the North Island, and is considerably further south than Nelson or Blenheim in the South Island. A small settlement - Ngāwī - is situated near Cape Palliser where the main income comes from crayfish fishing. Some 20 to 30 fishing boats are pushed into the sea on their trailers by bulldozers. Kupe's Sail is another feature of Cape Palliser - a massive triangular upthrust of sedimentary rock shaped like a sail. Legend has it that Kupe sailed by Cape Palliser more than 1000 years ago. The Cape Palliser Lighthouse is also located here.
