TORA COASTAL TRACK

The Southern Wairarapa coast. One of the few spots in the North Island still relatively cut off. Felt like Aotearoa before things got hectic. Simple and elemental with a touch of sheep shit…

Hiking the Tora Coastal Track with Mum felt like a quiet return to something familiar — a shared rhythm of footsteps along a rugged stretch of coastline where steep hill country meets the sea. The rocky shore was alive with movement, tide pools brimming and seabirds tracing the edge of the water, while inland groves of mānuka and kōwhai softened the landscape in bursts of green and gold. The climbs were honest and demanding, opening out to wide coastal views that made each ascent feel earned. 

What lingered was the sense of abundance — in the land, the sea, and the small moments in between. Long stretches passed in peaceful solitude, the rhythm of the trail broken only by birdsong and waves, before being rounded off with a well-deserved lemon tart (or two).