Surf Highway 45: 105 km in Taranaki
The Surf Highway 45 is a named touring highway in Taranaki. The governing figure used here is 105 km (NZTA SH45), not a straight line between towns.
Typical time on the route is 1 day. Grade: Scenic highway. Season window: Year-round.
SH45 is the surf highway. Ōpunake and Oakura are the beach towns. The mountain is Taranaki Maunga, inland on every view. Combine with Forgotten World if you are crossing to Taumarunui.
The itinerary on this page is the published stop sequence: New Plymouth, Oakura, Ōpunake, Hāwera. 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
New Plymouth — city start. Oakura — first beach town. Ōpunake — west-coast surf. Hāwera — southern join to SH3.
Distances, grades and seasons above follow NZTA SH45. 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.
