Here is a map of the Tohe (90 mile beach) with the main on ramps marked. The solid red line is main road, the dotted red lines are metal road and the blue line is the Te Paki Stream. Cape Reinga and Kaitaia are on the map to help you get your bearings.
Te Paki Stream is the northen most off ramp on the Tohe - 90 mile beach.
Coming from the Tohe, here are the rules for driving the stream.
Stop on the Tohe and get out and walk to see where the stream runs.
Drive in about third gear up the stream, avoiding the water as much as possible. You will see that there are lots of places where it is only sand, aim for these and plan your route accordingly. If you need to stop, stop ONLY on the sand parts and not in the water.
When going from water to stream, or visa versa, go at an angle and not straight on.
You will notice the dunes on the left hand side getting higher. Sooner or later you will see in front of you two streams and bulrushes with no sand. Find a safe place to park then get out and walk--you need to see which steam is the deepest or if there is a side track that runs on the right hand side of the stream--sometimes there is and sometimes there isn't!
Once you have figured that out, get back into your car and get a good run up DO NOT STOP IN THE WATER and go for it! If you feel your car starting to slow down a lot, change (down) gear FAST but DO NOT STOP!!!!
Once through that part you will round the corner and see a toilet block by some grass. Go over there, then park and have fun on the dunes before moving on.
The Waipapakauri off ramp.
This is the easiest on ramp to find.
Head north out of Kaitaia, through Awanui and keep going until you see a sign on pointing to a road on the left saying Waipapakauri and 90 Mile beach. Take that road and after a while you will start to see the ocean peering through sand dunes and trees. Keep going until you get to the car park and STOP!
Get out and go and check the on ramp seeing where the tide is and what it is like. This is the west coast and can be wild--seeing a calm day out there is fairly rare, a normal day out there is about ½m high, waves about 20m apart. This is also the Tasman sea, so straight out is Australia.
It is best to hit the Tohe about 3 hours after the high tide, but just because you know when the high tide was it still pays to check as it could be a high tide and the water may not have gone out to far. Also, depending on currents and winds and moon pull, the surface can change from one tide to the next.
If you are in doubt about driving out there, DON'T DO IT!!!!
The Hukatere on ramp is north of the Waipapakauri ramp and south of the Te Paki ramp. It an easy one to gain access to.
Head north from Kaitaia for about 40 to 50km. You will see on the right hand side a motel called The Chalets. Just north of that is a sign pointing to the left saying 90 Mile Beach. This is the road that leads to the Hukatere on ramp.
If you pass a garage on the right you have gone too far.
The road will take you through the forest--it is a metal road.
You may see the wild horses while traveling through. If they are on the road, SLOW DOWN as soon as you see them and approach very slowly. This will give them time to get off the road. If there are foals and you don't slow down, the stallion will attack you--you have been warned! They can do damage to 4WD vehicles and a car is a lot smaller.
When you get to Hukatere, you will see a hill to the right. It is worth going up there for the sweeping views of the Tohe.