At the mouth of the Whanganui River near Whanganui city, Castle Cliff Beach is a low tide drive up the coast, taking you past some stunning cliffs further north. The open black-sand beach offers a great run when conditions allow, but it's an unforgiving stretch and demands respect.

Be sure to check the tides before heading out and only attempt it on a low, outgoing tide. Take recovery gear and travel with another vehicle if you can. Watch for soft patches: what looks like wet sand with a shallow layer of water can actually be a deep hole, and locals regularly recover vehicles that have dropped into them. Pick your line carefully and keep moving on the firmer sand.

In saying that, it's well worth the trip for the scenery and the coastal driving.