Tag 50 - Ninety Mile Beach

The more rural the area, the smaller (and therefore less developed) the roads are. This is logical and understandable, but I had never seen a highway being called a highway when it was just a simple gravel road, not even wide enough for two cars to pass (more like a 'one lane road'). But it is evident that New Zealand is very sparsely populated.

After driving for just over 5 hours for only 250 kilometers, I was pretty tired and a little disappointed with Ninety Mile Beach, which is actually just a normal beach. Although the glossy brochures and travel guides also make no different claims, this name is everywhere as a 'must-see' or 'highlight of the sightseeing tour'. I can't understand that. But what is probably quite fun: the beach is listed as a road in many route planners, and officially anyone can drive there, with a speed limit of 100 km/h. Unfortunately, Avis excludes this route, as it is best to drive it with 4-wheel drive. In fact, I saw some cars driving on the beach. A beach as a road!

Tomorrow I'm going to the Bay of Islands, which is also designated as a highlight, hopefully I will be pleasantly surprised there.

But it's good to realize that you don't need a highlight every day to have a good day!