First trip of 2023! Join me as I head inland from Koitiata Beach through the hills and up to Pokaka Mill before heading out to the gem - Tukino.
A soft beach run that skips past SH3 on your way to Wanganui. Best not tackled alone unless you're used to being on the beach - was one of the harder beach runs we've done.
Be sure to head through at low tide - at high tide, you'll be trapped by a creek crossing full of salt water.
A scenic seal/gravel road that leads from the coast at Turakina right the way through to Tangiwai near Ohakune.
The road follows the Turakina River the entire way and makes for a slightly more interesting, if not long, drive vs SH4.
A super basic campsite - Pokaka Mill offers a full remote camping experience. It is easily one of Overland NZ's favourite campsites in New Zealand. The 25 minute rough gravel road drive in takes you into a large open area with heaps of space to camp.
There's a simple long drop toilet there and nothing else.
On calm days the bird song is awesome. And on clear nights the stars are super bright. It can be pretty exposed though, so make sure to have warm gear, even in the middle of summer.
A short drive through the forest on your way out of Pokaka Mill. I drove it from the campsite end as far as to where the walk starts, from there it got super overgrown - so proceed with caution beyond there.
Driving up the side of an active volcano is something pretty special! The Tukino Access road is an amazing drive all year around - hit it up in winter to do some snow driving or head up in summer and see something completely unique .
There is a gate that can be locked - call into the Military Museum to pickup a key if you want to go further up the hill.
The route itself is rocky and rough. Beyond the 2WD carpark it climbs pretty steeply and can be very exposed in bad weather, the pay off being it's amazing when the weather is good. Take it easy and stick to the track and you shouldn't have any issues. Obviously if the weather is rough the track conditions change quickly.
Camp on the Pohangina River - awesome little spot not too far away from Takapari Road or North Range Road.
Make sure to head down onto the river - the campervan camping spot is a little average