Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
shores lie strewn with driftwood, while picture-postcard sandy bays lure just a handful of
visitors.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Pacific Coast Highway
The long and winding road around the North Island's easternmost point has long been a
rite of road-trip passage for New Zealanders. And if you like scenic drives and don't
mind attractions that are few and far between, you'll likely find the journey intrepid and
captivating.
If you're short on time, head for Gisborne via SH2 from Opotiki - a 144km alternative
via the
Waioeka Gorge
and the two- to three-hour walk leading off from the historic
Tauranga Bridge
. The route takes about 2½ hours to drive, although you could easily
make a day of it.
Both routes are covered in the excellent
Pacific Coast Highway Guide,
available at
Gisborne and Opotiki i-SITEs. Set off with a full petrol tank, and stock up on snacks and
groceries - shops and petrol stations are in short supply. Sleeping and eating options are
pretty spread out: we've listed them in the order you'll find them, heading east from
Opotiki.
Opotiki to Te Kaha
The first leg offers hazy views across to Whakaari (White Island), a chain-smoking act-
ive volcano. The desolate beaches at
Torere
,
Hawai
and
Omaio
are steeply shelved and
littered with flotsam. Check out the magnificent
whakairo
(carving) on the Torere school
gateway. Hawai marks the boundary of the Whanau-a-Apanui tribe whose
rohe
(tradi-
tional land) extends to Cape Runaway.
About 42km east of Opotiki the road crosses the broad pebbly expanse of the
Motu
River
, the first river in NZ to be designated as a protected wilderness area. Departing
from the Motu bridge on the highway, Motu River Jet Boat Tours (
Click here
)
blats up
the river all year round, weather permitting.
Wet 'n' Wild Rafting
( 0800 462 7238;
www.wetnwildrafting.co.nz
; 2-5 days $995-1095)
offers multiday excursions, with the longest
taking you 100km down the river. The two-day tour requires you to be helicoptered in,
therefore costing as much as the five-day trip.
Twenty-five kilometres further along, the fishing town of
Te Kaha
once sounded the
death knell for passing whales. There's a shop here, a holiday park, and the welcoming
B&B
Tui Lodge
(
07-325 2922;
www.tuilodge.co.nz
; 200 Copenhagen Rd, Te Kaha; s/d incl
