Pacific Coast Highway: Surf Bays, Vineyards & First Sunrise

Departing Tauranga brings you east along the sunny shores of the Bay of Plenty, passing vast kiwi fruit orchards to arrive at Whakatane. Nestled at the mouth of the Whakatane River, this coastal town offers a spectacular clifftop walk where you can look straight out onto the open ocean to spot White Island (Whakaari)—New Zealand's most active offshore marine volcano—emitting massive, billowing plumes of white steam on the horizon. Continuing east brings you to Opotiki, the official gateway to the remote East Cape peninsula. This historic town is deeply connected to Maori heritage, featuring the beautiful, wooden Hiona St. Stephen's Church built in 1862. The surrounding bays feature massive, ancient pohutukawa trees lining the white sand beaches, which bloom in brilliant crimson-red flowers in summer. It is a peaceful, salt-crusted maritime stop that establishes a warm, coastal, and historic beginning to your drive.

Driving deep around the rugged East Cape peninsula brings you to Te Araroa, the gateway to the absolute easternmost point of New Zealand. Winding down a narrow, unsealed coastal gravel road brings you to the foot of the Cape. From here, a steep, wooden flight of exactly 700 steps climbs to the summit of the sheer, 154-meter-high volcanic headland. Perched on the cliff edge stands the historic, fully automated East Cape Lighthouse. Reaching the summit in the pre-dawn dark is a deeply powerful, emotional pilgrimage: standing on the observation deck, you are among the very first people on the planet to witness the sunrise of a new day! As the sun rises over the vast, empty Pacific Ocean, it paints the sky in blinding golds, purples, and pinks, illuminating the sheer ocean cliffs and the wild waves below. The air is incredibly fresh, cold, and salt-crusted, providing an unforgettable, bucket-list travel climax.

Continuing south out of the rugged cape brings you to Gisborne (Tūranga-nui-a-Kiwa), a sunny, historic coastal city that is the absolute first city in the world to see the sunrise. Blessed with high sunshine hours and rich alluvial volcanic soil, Gisborne is globally celebrated as the 'Chardonnay Capital of New Zealand.' The vineyards here are nestled next to pristine, wide surf beaches where the waves of the Pacific crash onto the sand. You can drive past the vineyard rows to explore world-class, award-winning tasting rooms (like Millton Vineyard, the pioneer of organic biodynamic winemaking in the country). Sitting in their scenic garden terraces, you will sip rich, buttery, and tropical Chardonnays paired with fresh local seafood. The town also features historic Maori monuments, celebrating the location where Captain Cook first landed in New Zealand in 1769, concluding your epic coastal loop with rich wine, history, and sun.