The best part is usually between the stops.
Follow the roads our family has actually travelled, then dig into the adventures we found along the way.
Our first road trip collection follows our journey over Tākaka Hill and through Golden Bay to the wild northwest coast.
One journey kept turning into another story.
We crossed Tākaka Hill expecting a good road trip. We did not expect the stops to feel this different from each other.
The series moved from exposed limestone cliffs to a giant cave, a strange little forest, incredibly clear spring water and finally a huge windswept beach on the northwest coast.
This page follows the route our series took. It is not meant to be a rigid day-by-day itinerary. Use the individual guides to decide how much time each stop deserves.
Five major stops across one Scenic Route series.
This is the order the adventure unfolded for us.
Start high above Golden Bay.
Our series began on Tākaka Hill with New Zealand's first free public via ferrata. We completed the Skill Zone and Cliff Traverse, then discovered how much harder the Cliff Conqueror really was.
Read our Tākaka Hill guide →
Then we went underground.
Rāwhiti Cave gave us a completely different kind of challenge. The track starts more gently before climbing steeply to a huge cave entrance filled with unusual formations.
Read our Rāwhiti Cave guide →
A little reserve that felt nothing like a little reserve.
The Grove mixed nīkau palms, enormous limestone blocks, narrow passages and one of the most beautiful little forests we had seen.
Read our Grove guide →
Then the water started playing tricks on our eyes.
The springs became one of the biggest discoveries of our trip. The walk itself is easy and accessible. The story beneath the water is much bigger.
Read our springs guide →
We ended at the edge of the island.
We went looking for the familiar Windows view and found a much wilder beach than the photograph suggested. Wind, rough surf and a high tide made timing matter.
Read our Wharariki guide →
Four episodes tell the full journey.
The website gives you the planning details. The videos get the mistakes, reactions and surprises.
A few things are worth checking before you point the car west.
This is the practical stuff we would put at the top of our own list.
NZTA describes the SH60 Tākaka Hill corridor as about 30 km from Riwaka to Upper Tākaka, with more than 800 m of elevation gain and several hairpin bends. There is no alternative road route into Golden Bay from this side, and dropouts, scour and landslips are key resilience risks.
Our visit convinced us that tide and surf conditions matter more than squeezing Wharariki into a fixed timetable. DOC notes that low tide allows more beach access and warns that strong currents and rips make Wharariki unsuitable for swimming.
DOC warns that Dry River can flood after heavy rain. If the river is up, do not attempt the crossing.
All contact with the spring water is prohibited. That includes swimming, wading, filling bottles and putting equipment into the water.
We started from Kaiteriteri.
Before heading over Tākaka Hill, our family stayed in a cabin at Kaiteriteri Recreation Reserve.
It worked well as a base on the eastern side of the hill and put us close to the start of the next part of the adventure. The reserve offers cabins, apartments and campground accommodation.
That was our family's price in July 2026. It is a first-hand historical price, not a promise of the current rate. Check Kaiteriteri directly before booking.
What we would know before leaving.
Nothing here ruined the trip. A few things would simply make the next one easier.
The distances do not look enormous on a map, but the stops deserve time and the roads are part of the experience.
Wharariki is much better treated as an ocean conditions decision than a fixed appointment.
The Grove is a good example. The official track can be done quickly, but we spent much longer exploring, photographing and looking through the limestone passages.
That is kind of the whole reason we called this The Scenic Route.
Golden Bay is the first route in the library, not the last.
We will add road trip collections when we have enough first-hand adventures to make them genuinely useful.
Built from trips our family actually drove and filmed.
Each major stop can lead into a deeper first-hand adventure page.
Follow the trip as it happened rather than just reading a list of stops.
Start with the road. See what you find.
Browse the individual adventure guides or come along for the full journey on YouTube.
We will keep adding the roads that give us something worth sharing.