East Cape Road: 330 km in Gisborne
The East Cape Road is a named touring highway in Gisborne. The governing figure used here is 330 km (NZTA SH35), not a straight line between towns.
Typical time on the route is 2 days. Grade: Scenic highway. Season window: Year-round.
Te Araroa township and East Cape lighthouse are the point. Fuel is sparse. This is not a loop with SH2 unless you want the Waioeka Gorge inland return.
The itinerary on this page is the published stop sequence: Ōpōtiki, Te Araroa, Tokomaru Bay, Gisborne. Cabins and holiday homes load live around each stop; hut and trailhead pins without a town page still search by radius.
Book DOC huts and Great Walks on the DOC system where that applies. Town beds are what this site lists. Carry the day’s food on remote legs — several of these routes have no shop between ends.
Stop by stop
Ōpōtiki — western start. Te Araroa — lighthouse road, first light. Tokomaru Bay — east-coast village. Gisborne — city finish.
Distances, grades and seasons above follow NZTA SH35. Confirm opening dates, slips and hut bookings on the operator or DOC page before you travel; alpine and West Coast tracks close or reroute after weather.
