We wind our way along the southern coast of the North Island visiting some of the amazing sights and exploring the offroad tracks that hug the hills in an epic weekend trip out to the Wairarapa. Starting the day at Ocean Beach, we head along to Lake Ferry, Whangaimoana Beach then out to Palliser for an amazing night camping under the stars.
On the Wairarapa's rugged south coast, Ocean Beach is a fantastic drive on a fine day. The route mixes gravel, dirt and sand with a few small river crossings, leading out to a wild stretch of coastline with views that are hard to beat.
It's popular for surfcasting and there's good camping at the beach, including Corner Creek Campsite, making it well worth the trip out. A locked gate at the far end means it's best treated as a return trip rather than a through-route. Heading west toward Mukamuka Valley, a long-standing slip has narrowed the main track to a point where it's impassable to most vehicles, so plan your run accordingly.
Take care on the beaches too, as the soft sand can easily bog a vehicle down. On road pressures the gravel sections and small river crossings are straightforward, but this is exposed coastal country that rewards a sensible, well-prepared approach.
Whangaimoana Beach is a short coastal 4WD track running along the cliffs at Whangaimoana, on Wellington's south coast near Lake Ferry. It follows a striking shoreline dotted with fishing spots, making it a great place to spend a few hours hanging out on the beach and watching the surf.
The route is generally easy and beginner-friendly when dry, with some drivers reporting even a Forester can manage it in good conditions. A muddy stretch in the middle can be challenging depending on recent rain, so it's well worth getting out and checking your lines before heading through. There's also a beach B-line bypass option, but the sand here is very soft and catches people out, so dropping your tyre pressures helps a lot.
A slip along the track has become a notable feature of the route, a rugged, cowboy-western scene worth pausing to take in. The lagoon at the Lake Ferry end can flood across the track at times. All up it's a simple, scenic run with great coastal views and plenty of fishing.