Waipatiki

The teeny tiny settlement of Waipatiki has a sprinkling of baches and a holiday park. Pack a picnic (there are few shops nearby) and a sun umbrella (shady spots are scarce). The 35-minute drive there follows SH2 north of Hastings and passes through the citrus groves and grapevines of Eskdale and ends on a windy forest drive down Tangoia Settlement Road. Take a quick detour on SH5 down the Eskdale Valley to visit boutique winery Linden Estate

Winery (lindenestatewinery.co.nz) and craft brewery Zeelandt (zeelandt.co.nz). Zeelandt does tastings at the brewery on Saturdays but is open for bottle sales Monday to Friday — try the award-winning Black Monk Schwarzbier lager. There are two lovely bush walks close to Waipatiki via SH2: Tāngōio Falls, a 60-minute trek over a swingbridge to a three-tiered waterfall (look out for freshwater crayfish/kōura) and White Pine Bush Scenic

Reserve, a 30-minute loop through a forest of giant kahikatea (white pine trees).