Up in the hills above the Wairarapa, this narrow climb finishes with a good sweep of views out over the plains. Locals call it the paint wrecker, and for good reason. It's a scratchy bush track lined with overhanging branches, so go in expecting plenty of bush rash on the panels.

Best suited to small-to-mid sized 4WDs in low range. There's a fair bit of overgrowth, a few tight blind corners, and very few spots to pull over if you meet someone coming the other way. It's a steady climb rather than a technical crawl. Once you've made peace with the pinstriping, most drivers find it an easy enough run.

About three-quarters of the way up the track splits. The right-hand line is the usual route, while the left looks a good deal harder. It all finishes at a small clearing with a turnaround loop. Take it slow on the blind corners, and only tackle it if you don't mind a beating on the paint.