Marine Drive Reserve Glinks Gully

If you’re heading out to Pouto Point Lighthouse, this is the spot most locals use as their jumping-off point — and honestly, it’s worth lingering here before you even hit the road. The dunes are the real drawcard, the kind you actually want to climb and mess around on rather than just photograph from a distance. Camping here means waking up to that coastal Northland quiet, which is hard to beat. The scenic drive out is half the experience, so don’t rush it.