Waipunga Road, Eskdale, not to be confused with Waipunga Road, Rangitaiki that also comes off SH5 in Hawkes Bay.
Climbs up ridge above Esk River and Napier-Gisborne railway from SH5 just north of Eskdale. Great views up Esk valley.
Flows through forestry and farmland to meet up with Darkys Spur Road and Kaiwaka Road. Either will take you back to SH2 avoiding Tangoio Forest area, but Darkys Spur also skips Devils Elbow and Lake Tutira.
Watch out for logging traffic in southern half, though it looked like most blocks adjacent road had been harvested as of July 2020.
Contributed by: @knaufie
Track type: Gravel Road
Track composition: Smooth, Firm, Undulating
Slippery when wet?: No
Suitable for bikes <650cc? Beginner
Suitable for bikes >650cc? Beginner
River crossings? No
Road is easy riding with beautiful views. Was hoping to connect in to Darkys spur road but it was closed (did a sneaky reccy and the road got more interesting, but there is an impassible gap in the road from a slip).