Quick mission: Pokaka Mill Campsite and Tukino Ski Field

Sometimes it’s the quick ones that are the most entertaining and this time around, we can happily say it was so. With the need to escape Auckland for a couple of days, I dusted off the Landcruiser, roped in a mate Ralph with his 200 Series Land Cruiser, and we hit the road on Friday, midday. The destination was somewhat unknown at this point, but we knew we were heading to the Central North Island with another friend waiting for us in Taupo with his Landcruiser — let the adventures begin!

We escaped Auckland as quickly as possible, not wanting to spend the afternoon in the dreaded traffic, and convoyed our way down to Cambridge where we checked the Overland Navigator App to see where we’d end up for the evening. Somewhere an hour or so from Turangi would be ideal, so we locked in Pokaka Mill Campsite at Overland NZ’s recommendation. With the promise of a fun gravel road in and a basic campsite, it was the ideal spot in our books. And, as we had to make our way to Turangi in the morning, it was within an hour of there too — brilliant. 

The drive down State Highway 32 can be arduous, twisty, and incredibly dark at night. It’s much nicer heading to Taupo down State Highway 1, but where this campsite was situated that would have been a major detour. After our pitstop in Cambridge to purchase our food for the weekend, we set our ‘Cruisers to cruise mode, and made incredibly good time down to Pokaka Mill. If you’re ever heading to this campsite, the John McDonald Road off State Highway 47 is a much nicer route, if you’re wanting to avoid bush rash. 

A 25-minute drive in from the highway along twisty, tight, poorly-maintained gravel sees you poke your nose into Pokaka Mill, after passing cave sites, and numerous walks. If you’re looking for somewhere to spend a few days exploring, this is the place. 

Pulling up to camp at 6.45pm, our stomachs were howling. Thankfully, we’ve both got hard shell rooftop tents, so setup was quick. I whipped out the Cobb, threw some sausages and eggs on, and devoured a couple of wraps before settling into our chairs for the evening. It was wet, yes, but you could feel the serenity creeping in around us. We both made an effort to stay off our phones and technology too, so sorry about the lack of photos until the day after — you’ll just have to use your imagination!

Ah, what an evening — a couple of brews, good food, and stories around camp. I always sleep so peacefully in a rooftop tent, camping. I’m not sure if it’s the size of the tent and how cozy it feels that puts me right to sleep, or the peaceful camping environment. But, it’s a relief, struggling to sleep in the city, most nights. With the plan to meet our friend Stefan in Turangi at 9am, the hustle was on — wraps again, filled with eggs, feta cheese, and plenty of veges. Ralph was in charge of coffee, and in no time, we were chomping at the bit to get back into our Cruisers to tackle the road out of here. Fun.

Having avoided technology the day prior, we were both eager to get our cameras out in the morning. With the trucks packed away and warmed up, we hit the loose-stuff, stopping every couple of minutes for photos. Having turned up to this location at night, it was showing its beauty. The fog however, did limit visibility. On a clear day, this spot would be an incredible sight no doubt. 

As we didn’t need to air our tyres up, we were making quick progress and soon enough, found our friend Stefan in Turangi with his 100 Series Landcruiser. A quick splash of diesel at Waitomo Turangi, and we hit the road with Google Maps set to ‘Tukino Ski Field’. 

It’s a fairly short trip down and when we arrived, I deemed my 36-plus PSI of tyre pressure too much for the landscape here. I dropped the tyres down to 25psi for a little extra comfort, before we made our way up the Tukino Ski Field. The Land Cruiser comes alive in this environment — the Dobinson IMS and MRA shocks soaking up the terrain with ease. I’m glad I didn’t skimp out on shocks for the ‘Cruiser, as it drives incredibly well offroad. And, with the upgraded rear sway bar it doesn’t feel top-heavy either. 

Ralph’s 200 Series is basically stock with the addition of a rough-terrain tyre. It’s got a nice exhaust system too, so the V8 diesel purrs along nicely. It’s incredibly impressive just how capable a near-stock Land Cruiser is. Ralph’s 200 Series made light work of the terrain here, propelling Ralph to the top gate of the ski field with ease — it even made its way into a big bog hole, and out the other side again. 

Stefan’s not new to the 100 Series Land Cruiser platform, having previously owned a manual diesel 100 Series. He sold that though, bought a Suzuki Jimny for a short stint, then saw the light and made his way back into this 100 Series you see here.

For well under $20,000, it was the bargain of the century and very capable too. With only lift springs in the rear, a large tyre, and the front torsion bars wound up slightly, Stefan has a blast in this thing. 

After getting some photos together at the ski field, we decided to go our separate ways and all head home. The plan initially was to camp somewhere nearby, but the weather was seriously packing in.

Ralph and I had already done a night in the weather, so we made the call to slowly but surely, reluctantly make our way back to Auckland that evening. After a stop in Taupo to cook venison burgers, that was us. Our trip had come to an abrupt end, but we had an incredible time in the trucks.

Mud, rain, rocks, food, yarns, ‘Cruisers, photos, and memories — we’re already planning the next trip and hopefully, it’s longer than two days! 

PSA: Please drive respectfully on 4WD routes, National Parks, and in campsites. Access is already limited enough, so we don't need what's left taken away from us. 'Leave no trace!'