Day 11 — Queenstown → Wānaka → Haast Pass → Franz Josef

Wednesday, April 1 · ~5.5 hrs driving · One of the great NZ drives

Haast Pass is among the most dramatic drives in the South Island — rainforest, waterfalls, gorges, and the moment the West Coast opens up at Knight's Point. The sequencing is excellent and kept as-is.

Before This Day

  • [ ] Confirm SNAP rental car is ready and note any damage before departing — West Coast roads are narrow and gravel sections are common
  • [ ] Fill up petrol in Queenstown before departing — don't rely on Wānaka for a full tank. Next reliable fuel after Wānaka is Makarora, then nothing until Haast township (~150 km further)
  • [ ] Pack lunch and snacks — no food options between Makarora and Haast township
  • [ ] Download offline Google Maps for the Haast Pass road and West Coast (SH6 south of Haast has patchy coverage)
  • [ ] Check road conditions for SH6 Haast Pass — NZ Transport Agency — the pass can close after heavy rain or slips

Top 3 Things

  • 💧 Blue Pools
  • 🌿 Ship Creek Walk
  • 🚗 Haast Pass Drive

Daily Timeline

Time Activity
7:30 AM Depart Queenstown
8:30 AM Wānaka — breakfast stop, Wānaka Tree
9:30 AM Depart Wānaka — begin Haast Pass drive
11:00 AM Makarora — last services, petrol check
12:00 PM Blue Pools walk (~1 hr)
1:30 PM Fantail Falls and Thunder Creek Falls (roadside stops)
2:00 PM Gates of Haast
2:30 PM Haast Junction
3:30 PM Knight's Point Lookout — first view of the Tasman Sea
4:00 PM Ship Creek walk
5:30 PM Fox Glacier township — fuel stop
6:00 PM Arrive Franz Josef, check in Rainforest Retreat
6:30 PM Dinner in Franz Josef

Hotel: Rainforest Retreat, Franz Josef

Notes

7:30 AM | Depart Queenstown

Return rental car if switching providers, or confirm SNAP car is ready for the West Coast roads. Fill fuel in Queenstown — don't rely on Wānaka for a full tank.

This is the longest drive day of the trip. Total distance from Queenstown to Franz Josef is approximately 380 km — with stops it takes 8–9 hours door to door.

Route: Queenstown → Wānaka → Makarora → Haast Pass → Haast → Fox Glacier → Franz Josef

8:30 AM | Wānaka — Breakfast, Wānaka Tree Stop

Route: Queenstown → Wānaka via SH6 (Frankton → Cromwell → Wānaka, ~1 hr)

The famous willow tree growing in the lake. Walk the foreshore from town — 10 min each way. Grab breakfast at Francesca's Italian Kitchen or Federal Diner. Leave by 9:30 AM — long day ahead.

  • The Wānaka Tree is right on the lakefront — the lone willow growing out of the lake a few metres from the shore. Worth 10 minutes even on a passing stop; the light is different from the Day 5 visit
  • Fuel note: petrol in Wānaka if not topped up in Queenstown — next reliable station is Makarora (~60 km), then nothing until Haast township (~150 km further)

9:30 AM | Depart Wānaka — Begin Haast Pass Drive

Leg 1 — Wānaka to Makarora (~60 km, ~45 min on SH6)

SH6 north through the Makarora valley. Road quality is good but narrows significantly after Makarora. Speed drops — don't try to maintain highway pace through the pass.

  • Head north out of Wānaka on SH6 along the western shore of Lake Wānaka
  • After about 15 km, Lake Hāwea comes into view on the right — a deeper, narrower lake separated from Wānaka by a thin neck of land called The Neck. A pull-off at The Neck gives views of both lakes simultaneously — worth a 5-min stop
  • The road continues north along the shore of Lake Wānaka before turning northwest into the Makarora Valley as the mountains close in on both sides
  • The valley narrows steadily as you approach Makarora — a tiny settlement with a café, DOC information, and the last petrol station before Haast. This is also the boundary of Mount Aspiring National Park

11:00 AM | Makarora — Last Services, Fuel Check

Small township with a petrol station. Top up here — next fuel is Fox Glacier, ~3.5 hrs away. This is not optional.

  • The Makarora Tourist Centre has basic supplies and a café if a coffee or snack is needed
  • From here the road enters the park and begins climbing toward the pass

12:00 PM | Blue Pools Walk (~1 hr)

15 min walk each way to a swing bridge over impossibly blue glacial pools. The water clarity is extraordinary — you can see the riverbed 5 m down. Don't skip this. Suspension bridge has a weight limit — cross one at a time.

  • Park at the Blue Pools carpark on the left, ~25 km past Makarora
  • Cross two suspension bridges over the Makarora River through old-growth beech forest to two glacially fed pools
  • The colour of the water is extraordinary — a deep, clear turquoise that appears almost artificial. Trout are visible in the pools from the bridges above
  • The forest on the walk is dense, mossy, and very atmospheric — the quality of light in the beech forest on an overcast day is excellent
  • Blue Pools — DOC info

1:30 PM | Fantail Falls + Thunder Creek Falls

Both are pull-off-and-walk-20m stops. Combined: 15 min total.

Fantail Falls: - A wide, fanned waterfall dropping directly beside the road — 2-min walk from the carpark - The spray creates a microclimate of dense vegetation at the base

Thunder Creek Falls: - Plunges 28 m straight down from the cliff face — one of the most dramatic roadside waterfalls in New Zealand

2:00 PM | Gates of Haast

The gorge narrows dramatically here — the river forces through a rock gap with real power. Short walk to the viewing platform. The roar is something else after heavy rain.

  • The road crosses a single-lane bridge directly above the gorge — stop on the bridge or take the short walk to the viewing platform on the far side

Leg 2 — Makarora to Haast Junction (~115 km, ~1.5 hrs on SH6)

  • The road descends from the pass through the Haast River valley — the landscape changes dramatically from alpine to dense temperate rainforest. The West Coast receives some of the highest rainfall in New Zealand and the bush reflects it — everything is intensely green and overgrown
  • The valley floor is wide and braided, the bush closes in on both sides, and the sky often disappears behind cloud on the West Coast even when Queenstown was clear
  • The descent to Haast takes about 1.5 hrs from the Blue Pools carpark

2:30 PM | Haast Junction

Turn north onto SH6 toward the coast. The vegetation changes immediately as you hit sea level — from alpine to dense coastal rainforest in minutes.

  • Small settlement at the junction of SH6 and Jackson Bay Road — basic services, café, petrol
  • The Tasman Sea is now 5 km to the west — close but not yet visible from the road

Leg 3 — Haast Junction to Fox Glacier (~120 km, ~1.5 hrs on SH6 north)

  • Head north on SH6 along the West Coast — the road runs between the Southern Alps on the right and the Tasman Sea on the left, often just a few hundred metres from the beach
  • The West Coast landscape is unlike anywhere else on the South Island — dense kahikatea and rimu rainforest, wild surf beaches, and the mountains rising almost immediately from the coast
  • The road is mostly good sealed two-lane with occasional tight corners — faster than the pass road

3:30 PM | Knight's Point Lookout — First Tasman Sea View

The moment the West Coast reveals itself — the Tasman Sea opens up below you. A genuine gasp moment after driving through rainforest for two hours. Pull over properly and take it in.

  • A signed pull-off on the left, about 45 km north of Haast
  • Interpretive sign explains the history of the road's construction — the coastal highway was only completed in 1965

4:00 PM | Ship Creek Walk (~45 min)

Two short loops from the carpark: swamp forest walk and dune walk to the beach. ~45 min total. The contrast between the kahikatea swamp forest and the wild Tasman beach is extraordinary. Sandflies are severe here — bring repellent.

  • Carpark on the left, ~55 km north of Haast
  • Kahikatea Swamp Forest Walk (20 min loop) — tall kahikatea trees growing in standing water, ancient podocarp forest right beside the coast
  • Dune Lake Walk (15 min loop) — to a small lake between the sand dunes and the bush, then out to the beach

5:30 PM | Fox Glacier Township — Fuel Stop

Fill up here. Franz Josef is only 25 min further but has fewer fuel options. Don't arrive at Rainforest Retreat on an empty tank.

6:00 PM | Arrive Franz Josef, Check In Rainforest Retreat

6:30 PM | Dinner in Franz Josef

Franz Josef is a small tourist town — options are limited but reliable. Early night: heli-hike check-in is 7 AM tomorrow.

Vegetarian-friendly options: - The Snakebite Brewery — best food option in town, good vegetarian dishes, relaxed atmosphere - Alice May — casual café, reliable, good coffee

Check the heli-hike weather forecast tonight. If it looks marginal, the operator will contact you by 6:30–7 AM with go/no-go. Do not check out of Rainforest Retreat before confirmation — operators often reschedule to afternoon slots same day.