Auckland to New Plymouth Road Trip: Route, Stops and Camping

The route and how long it takes

Take State Highway 1 south to Hamilton, then State Highway 3 through Te Awamutu and Ōtorohanga to Te Kūiti, where the road swings west. From Te Kūiti it follows the Mōkau River through the Awakino Gorge to the coast, runs south along the shoreline past Mōkau and Urenui, and arrives in New Plymouth with Mount Taranaki ahead of you. Allow 5 to 5.5 hours of driving.

The gorge and the coast road are narrow and winding, with heavy trucks, and you cannot overtake in many places, so the time on a map is a minimum. Leave Auckland by 8 am to arrive in the afternoon, and do not plan to cover the last stretch in the dark.

A note on Mt Messenger

State Highway 3 north of Urenui climbs over Mt Messenger, a steep and winding section that has long been a bottleneck. NZTA is building the Mt Messenger Bypass to replace it with a new route and tunnel, so the road you drive may be the old climb or the new bypass depending on when you go. The old road has been closed more than once by slips and flooding.

Check the NZTA Journey Planner for the current state of the road before you leave, and be ready to wait for a single lane if work or a slip is under way. If the road is closed, the alternative is a long detour through Whanganui or the Forgotten World Highway, which is slow but a trip in its own right.

Stops along the way

Hamilton and Te Awamutu are the fuel and food breaks, and Ōtorohanga has the kiwi house and a handful of cafes. Waitomo is about 20 minutes off the highway if you want to see the caves, and the Waitomo guide shows how to fit them in. Te Kūiti, the shearing capital, makes a good lunch stop before the gorge.

In the gorge itself, Awakino and Mōkau are small coastal settlements with a cafe and a pub, and the Mōkau Museum is a short stop. Closer to New Plymouth the Three Sisters and Elephant Rock at Tongaporutu are a short walk on the beach at low tide, so check the tide table before you set out.

Fuel, food and toilets

Fill up in Hamilton, Te Awamutu or Te Kūiti. Beyond Te Kūiti fuel is limited until you reach the New Plymouth area, so do not run the tank down. Awakino and Mōkau have cafes, and Urenui has a small shop, but supplies are limited, so shop in Hamilton or Te Awamutu.

Public toilets are at Te Kūiti, Awakino, Mōkau and Urenui, and at some of the lookout stops along the highway. Cell coverage is patchy in the gorge. Stock up in Hamilton or Te Kūiti; the resupply guide has a campervan shopping list.

New Plymouth and Mount Taranaki

New Plymouth has a coastal walkway that runs for kilometres along the waterfront past the Te Rewa Rewa Bridge, Pukekura Park in the middle of town and the Len Lye Centre. The mountain is the reason most people come, and Egmont National Park has short walks from the North Egmont visitor centre and Dawson Falls, and the longer Pouakai Crossing for those with a day to spare.

Mountain weather changes fast, and the summit and upper tracks need proper gear and a check with the visitor centre first. For a gentler day, take the Pouakai Tarns walk for the famous reflection of the cone on a still morning, or drive the loop around the base of the mountain.

Where to camp around Taranaki

Holiday parks and motor camps in New Plymouth, Oakura and Ōpunake give you power, showers and a kitchen, and the ones near the coast book out in summer. The holiday parks guide explains what to expect. DOC runs campsites in Egmont National Park, which are simple and close to the tracks.

New Plymouth District Council has a handful of freedom camping areas for self-contained vehicles, and the beaches closest to the city are mostly closed. The New Plymouth freedom camping guide and the hub list the sites, and the council's own pages are the final word on the day. Booking is wise in summer.

Planning Auckland to New Plymouth in KiwiCamping

KiwiCamping covers the camps around Egmont National Park and the Taranaki coast, from DOC sites to holiday parks with power. Lay out the Waitomo, Mōkau and New Plymouth nights as one trip to read each leg's distance and the mountain's forecast at every stop. For the actual driving and any slips on State Highway 3, check a maps app and the NZTA Journey Planner.

DOC bookings stay on DOC's own booking pages.

Places along the way