Beach Road is a short gravel access route on the Gisborne coast that drops you down onto the beach. The road itself is straightforward, but once you reach the sand the character changes quickly.

Expect to pick your way carefully through forestry slash that has washed down onto the foreshore, so a watchful eye and steady pace are needed to find a clear line. It's a place best suited to drivers comfortable reading the beach and choosing their route around debris. The setting is classic East Coast: open beach, sea air and a working forestry landscape close behind.

Keep an eye on the tides as you would on any beach drive, and travel with recovery gear and a companion vehicle if you can. Short and accessible, it makes a handy detour for those wanting to reach the coast, provided you're ready to negotiate the slash.