![\"Cape](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/lighthouse-cape-palisser-new-zealand-FQAASREFEFGKVATTRTQP7PGM4Q.jpg\")
<\/p>\nIn the first part of a focus on the North Island\u2019s fragile \u2013 but well-travelled \u2013 road to Cape Palliser, Local Democracy Reporting examines the road\u2019s current state.<\/p>\n
By Sue Teodoro of Local Democracy Reporting<\/p>\n
The road to the iconic North Island landmark is at risk of being reclaimed by the sea, with the community and the council working on a permanent fix.<\/p>\n
Windswept and isolated, the most southerly of North Island roads gets regularly battered by winter storms.<\/p>\n
Last year, one section of an entire lane washed away just before the small fishing village of Ngawi. Since then, that part of the road has been one-way traffic only.<\/p>\n
Not that this deters tourists. All year round a steady stream of campervans and daytrippers head along Cape Palliser Rd \u2013 down to the boats, campground and food truck at Ngawi. <\/p>\n
A major drawcard, Cape Palliser lighthouse and its resident seal colony is just 15km beyond.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Cape Palliser lighthouse. (Source: istock.com)<\/p>\n
Palliser Bay farmer Brian Jephson, who was previously a South Wairarapa District Councillor for 12 years, said the local community was working with the council on getting the road fixed as soon as possible, and ensuring the road was funded going forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cSouth Wairarapa District Council are really in behind this,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast winter that part of the road got pretty bad.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said roading contractors Fulton Hogan were doing a good job of managing the now one-lane road.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen there\u2019s sea coming over the road at night, they close the road. If it happens during the day, Fulton Hogan generally have a stop-go in place.<\/p>\n
![\"Cape](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/cape-palliser-rd-had-one-lane-scoured-out-by-the-sea-in-a-wi-37XVGD6FINHEZGPBHWFOF6XVMM.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Cape Palliser Rd had one lane scoured out by the sea in a winter storm last year, in a section just north of Ngawi. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting)<\/p>\n
\u201cGenerally, it hasn\u2019t been shut for more than a day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jephson said there were large numbers of tourists and others using the road these days.<\/p>\n
\u201cNgawi demographics are changing quite a bit. Retirees are probably not affected if the road is closed for a day or two, but people who work in town are affected. \u201d<\/p>\n
Cape Palliser Rd is presently categorised as a special purpose road, meaning it is a local road with high tourism or strategic value. <\/p>\n
They typically received 100% funding from the government, unlike other local roads that shared funding with councils.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are lucky to have had the special purpose road category for some years,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for NZTA confirmed they helped fund repairs for the road, which was managed by South Wairarapa District Council.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe help fund the South Wairarapa District Council for its operation and maintenance, but any work done on the road is done by the council, not NZTA\/Waka Kotahi,\u201d the spokesperson said<\/p>\n
\u201cCurrently, it is classified as a special purpose road which means NZTA\/Waka Kotahi has a 100% financial assistance rate, covering approved maintenance, low-cost, low-risk, and emergency works activities for the road.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, while the cost is covered by NZTA\/Waka Kotahi, the work is done by the council as the relevant road controlling authority.\u201c<\/p>\n
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In the first part of a focus on the North Island\u2019s fragile \u2013 but well-travelled \u2013 road to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":229344,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[42,43,40,38,41,39,52],"class_list":{"0":"post-229343","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-headlines","8":"tag-headlines","9":"tag-news","10":"tag-top-news","11":"tag-top-stories","12":"tag-topnews","13":"tag-topstories","14":"tag-wellington"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=229343"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229343\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/229344"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=229343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=229343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=229343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}