When you turn an easy day trip into a mint little overnighter camped up in a valley with no one around. Giant cliffs, amazing views - it can only be Ocean Beach in the Wairarapa!
Down at the southern end of the Wairarapa coast, where Lake Onoke (normally) drains out to the sea, there's a short, easy beach run along the sand up to Ocean Beach. The views are good the whole way and especially nice at sunset.
It's straightforward beach driving for the most part, though the sand goes soft in places. Worth carrying recovery gear and letting your tyres down before you head out onto it. The whole spot is fully exposed to the weather, so you only really want to linger or camp here in the finest conditions.
The thing to plan around is the water crossing at the start. Depth varies enormously depending on how the lake is flowing into the sea, and it can get impassably deep. Always stop and walk it first before you commit. The mouth is a popular fishing spot too, so you'll often find people down there having a go.
Tucked into Remutaka Forest Park, Corner Creek Campsite sits just a five minute walk from Palliser Bay on the Wellington coast. It's a scenic, sheltered spot that's well-liked by those who make the trip, with great coastal views and a number of tucked-away camping nooks among the trees.
The ground here tends to be rocky, so flat pitches for ground tents can be limited. Facilities are basic but handy: non-powered tent sites, non-flush toilets, a shelter for cooking, and a fire pit for campfires (except during fire bans). Water can be drawn from the stream, though bringing your own in summer is a sensible idea.
There's plenty to keep you busy — fishing, surfing, walking, hunting, and mountain biking are all on offer, and a couple of tracks head up the nearby river beds. Cell phone reception is available, though the tree cover can interfere with Starlink. A stunning, easygoing base near the wild Palliser coast.
Out on the Wairarapa's rugged south coast, this is a fine-day drive that takes in a bit of everything. 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 right on the beach, including Corner Creek Campsite. 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 for most vehicles, so plan your run around that. Quads and bikes have reportedly been getting past via the beach.
Take care on the beaches, as the soft sand can easily bog a vehicle down. On road pressures the gravel and small crossings are no trouble, but this is exposed coastal country that rewards a sensible, well-prepared approach.