We started on the Whitianga side of the R309. Stopped at the Kauri Trees first. This was a lovely walk and the children aged 21 to 10 had a great excursion. Wear comfortable shoes, a light jacket in case the weather is cool, but once you get walking its warm enough at this time of year. The walk is short and very easy to do. Not difficult or challenging. Some steps, but not many at all. Lots of beauty and these trees are just Magnificent giants. Then we drove to the Waterfall. It had a lovely pool and the water was quite fresh, but once in, it was very pleasant. Only the younger kids and my daughter were determined to swim. The walk to the waterfall from the road is 3 minutes!😁 so you can easily carry your togs and be ok. After the Waterfall, we moved onto The Waterworks. This was an absolute Joy and just an awesome little place with so many fun things to experience. We had loads of laughs and great fun here. The food was delicious and the kids had milkshakes and said they were the best they've had. This is worth the visit! Book online for discount entry, well worth your time. From 21 to 10 years old, everyone was laughing and wanting to do everything they had to offer. What a gem of a place!!

Drove this road as we wanted to go to Waterworks and walk the Kauri forest. We did see the pigs but didn’t stop. As others have said, it’s a wild road but we didn’t feel unsafe even in our crappy mini van rental. I can see that in the rain it would enhance the thrill but I’d recommend doing this anyway.

My dad and I drove along The 309 Road in May this year, we knew it was an unsealed road for the most part and that some sections would be more dirt track/gravel than others. There is a sign as you turn onto the road approaching from the Coromandel town end to warn you of this. It is also windy as others have commented and narrow in places. But if you're prepared for this, comfortable, careful and have a suitable vehicle (we had a suzuki swift, so could have had something a little better but it got through just fine) it's worth it. As another review said - drive through Jurassic Park. I couldn't have put it better. What a stunning road, gorgeous views of hills and mountain ranges, native bush and several attractions from Kauri Trees to waterfalls and of course Stuart and his wild pigs. Due to time we were unable to stop and enjoy the walks on offer and I think the Waterworks may have been closed due to low season? It looked open, but couldn't see any visitors. However we did stop to visit the pigs and it was a highlight of our trip. We met Stuart and stopped to chat with him for 10 minutes, he's such a lovely and charming man with a real passion and love for the pigs, all animals, nature and the great outdoors. He was an inspiration to meet. The pigs were just wonderful and you can see how loved and looked after they are, there were so many of them! Lots of piglets too , chickens and we saw a NZ Heron. I got to have a cuddle with a piglet called Merlin who fell asleep and started snoring in my arms. Highly recommend driving this road if you have a sense of adventure and have the time to get 'lost' in nature (although you cannot actually get lost on this road, it's one road!)

This is an amazing and enjoyable road which is unsealed and not really suitable for inexperienced drivers towing a boat, trailer, or driving a camper van. I was surprised to find it the recommended route on Google maps when the sealed Wangapoua/Coromandel road is just as scenic, much safer, and easier road for larger vehicles. There are warning signs that the 309 road is unsealed and narrow at both ends, but there was no similar warning on Google and I wonder how many people don't recognise the difference between the two roads. I loved my 309 trip as an ex Coro local that had not been home for many years, okay maybe decades. It was a great trip down memory lane but I really couldn't recommend it for all vehicles.

There are no signs on the Coromandel to Thames road to indicate that these wonderful attractions are here. The road is not brilliant so we were wondering if we were on the right road. However the waterfall was very pretty, and was signposted. The Kauri walk was a stunning experience, especially being able to actually touch the Kauri tree. The information boards were a nice touch and very informative. I highly recommend a visit to both these attractions- they are only 5 minutes apart.

Yes it’s bendy & yes it’s unsealed the whole way for 22 odd kilometres from Coromandel to Whitianga but i loved the pure adventure of this secluded drive through exotic tropical rainforest which I never knew existed. I started from Coromandel side and headed to Whitianga on my way to Hahei where I was staying. I stopped twice near the beginning & did two walks. The first was an 80m walk to the pretty Waiau Falls which I had to myself, and was surrounded by lush vegetation & the gorgeous smells of the rainforest. The 2nd stop was at the Waiau Kauri loop trail, a 2km circuit that takes you through an ancient grove of giant Kauris. This immersive experience was unforgettable and I enjoyed reading up on the history of the Kauris & counted at least 10 epic trees. These are now protected but many were logged during the World War 2 years for timber to aid the war effort. The drive was thrilling & felt like I was on a jungle adventure that could lead anywhere & where I could encounter anything. I saw a huge bird of prey on the road at one point and some great glimpses of the fast flowing river below (it was a wet day) and it was raining lightly the whole drive which added to the steamy jungle-like atmosphere. You do feel quite exposed & at the mercy of nature on this off-road odyssey, so it’s not for everyone, but for me it was an unforgettable part of my NZ road trip.

The waterfalls are a short easy walk from the road and definitely bring your togs on a hot day. The Kauri Grove walk is about 600m up the road and a lovely walk with a round trip of just under 30mins. The trees are majestic and well worth the visit. You drive past the wild pig farm on the way in but unfortunately we think the pigs were all sleeping that day as we only saw a couple.

We came through the road to get to the Waiau falls. One the way we passed an area where there were pigs roaming free. Jeep and eye out for the sign as well as the pigs along the road. We also passed by Waterworks to get to the falls. The road itself was mostly gravel. There were a few areas which were sealed but it was mostly unsealed.

There is nothing wrong with the road; any car can travel it over it, trucks and buses don't have issues. It will get closed after severe weather if blocked. The 309 is just your typical rural road requiring more awareness and adapting of driving to suit. If you have problems or it scares you then YOU are the hazard and shouldn't be driving on any road in the Coromandel as since your not capable of handling the possible conditions. The Pigs, Water Works, and Kauri are all nice low key relaxed stops for young Kiwi(Aussie?) kids. As an adult would happy just hunt the pigs in the bush and go on bigger walks. International visitors do for some reason seem amazed by pigs?

Awful road to drive on. Best part was seeing free range pigs roaming round partway along. Won't go again on this road - very windy and mostly gravel/metal surface.