Paekakariki Beach & Kapiti Island
Travelling south into Wellington (or north, out of it) I would rarely miss an opportunity to wind my way up the Paekakariki Hill Road, just so I could stop at this lookout at the top, before the road dives between two hills and follows a stream down the valley to Pauatahanui.
That gentle curve of the beach, seemingly dissappearing over the horizon at Paraparaumu, though if you look closely you can see that Kapiti really is an island.
I've stood here on days when you had to hold on for dear life and lean at 45 degrees into the wind to stay "upright", and on days like this, where the Tasman Sea looks completely at peace. Regardless of the weather it's always a spectacular spot.