The man who died in crash near the Karangahake Gorge has been named as 28-year-old Steven John Perry.
The Pukekohe man, a father of two young boys, was travelling between Paeroa and Waihi about 10.40am yesterday when his Holden Commodore vehicle collided with a Peugeot outside of the gorge.
A large rock on the road may have been a contributing factor to the fatal accident police said.
A close family friend who did not wish to be named said Mr Perry, a commercial fisherman, commuted to Tauranga for work often.
It is understood he was driving to work on the morning of the accident.
The friend said the 28-year-old man was a hard worker who would never miss a day.
His colleagues waited for him at the Tauranga wharf and were worried when he did not show, the friend said.
Mr Perry had worked on various fishing boats for many years.
Waikato District road policing manager inspector Freda Grace said the investigation into the accident was ongoing.
"The crash is the subject of an ongoing Serious Crash Unit investigation so it would be premature to comment on the cause of the crash but police are looking into what, if any part, a large rock found in the lane Mr Perry was driving in may have played in the crash."
The New Zealand Transport Agency said rockfalls were not common in this area but would not speculate the accident until the police finalised their investigation.
The man died at the scene and a female front-seat passenger in the Peugeot suffered serious injuries and was flown to Waikato hospital.
Mrs Grace urged drivers to factor in potential hazards such as rocks, land slides and surface flooding when driving in the winter.
"Expect the unexpected. Your driving should be of a nature that should you encounter the unexpected you are able to take action to keep yourself and other road users safe. It is far better to arrive at a destination later than not at all. It really is a case of asking people to drive to survive," she said.