SH 36 used to be located in the Gisborne/Hawkes Bay district, some 200 km south east of where it is now, before being revoked in 1991.

SH 36 travels south-east initially before merging with Pyes Pa Road at another roundabout intersection.

SH 36 then turns south through Pyes Pa and passes mostly through hillside before terminating with SH 5 at Ngongotahā, about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north of Rotorua.

It recently was shifted west to its current terminus, with the deviation along a newly constructed section of highway.

[1] Former Provincial State Highway 36 used to run between SH 2 at Patutahi west of Gisborne and SH 38 at Frasertown just north of Wairoa, a distance of 83.4 km.