One of the few beaches you can drive on in the South Island, Oreti Beach lets you cruise along the sand at the very bottom of the country, just west of Invercargill in Southland. The wide, hard-packed sand makes for an easy, relaxed drive with straightforward access, suitable for most vehicles when conditions are right. Keep an eye on the tides, as access works best around lower water, and watch your speed and other beach users - there's a 30kmph limit on the beach. Stay out of the dunes too, as there are birds and plants in there that need the safe space. With the open ocean on one side and rolling dunes on the other, it's a scenic, breezy stretch of coast and a popular, welcoming spot for an easy beach run at the southern edge of the mainland.