Scenic Drives
A guide to every notable drive on the itinerary — what to expect, key stops, and what makes each one worth doing.
1. Christchurch → Lake Tekapo via Inland Scenic Route (SH72)
Day 3 · ~270 km · ~4–6 hrs with stops
Take SH72 (Inland Scenic Route), not SH1. The coastal SH1 is flat and uninteresting. SH72 heads through the foothills of the Southern Alps — it's a completely different landscape and the drive itself becomes part of the day.
Key stops along the way: - Rakaia Gorge Bridge (~80 km) — a suspension footbridge over a narrow turquoise river gorge. Easy 10-min walk from the carpark; well above average for a roadside pull-off - Geraldine (~160 km) — small town with a good café; last proper food stop before Tekapo - Lake Tekapo — the vivid turquoise appears on the left as you descend from the Mackenzie Basin. The colour is visible from the road well before you reach the township
⭐ Optional detour: Mount Sunday (Edoras from LOTR) via Mesopotamia Road from Geraldine. Unsealed for most of the route; adds ~2.5–3 hrs. Only do this if leaving Christchurch no later than 1:30 PM.
2. Mt Cook → Wānaka via Lindis Pass (SH8)
Day 5 · ~180 km · ~2.5 hrs with stops
Route: Mt Cook Village → Twizel → Omarama → Lindis Pass → Wānaka
- Fill up petrol in Twizel — no stations on the Lindis Pass road
- The flat tussock plains around Lake Ōhau and the Mackenzie flats were used for the Battle of Pelennor Fields and the muster of Rohan in The Return of the King — the scale is immediately obvious on the drive
- Lindis Pass (~971 m) is considered one of the best drives in New Zealand: wide open tussock grasslands, rolling golden hills, almost no traffic. The landscape is softer and more rounded than the Mackenzie Basin — deeply golden in autumn light
- Pull fully off the road before stopping at the top — people regularly stop mid-road to photograph the bends
3. Wānaka → Queenstown via Crown Range Road
Day 5 · ~75 km · ~1.5 hrs
Route: Wānaka → Tarras → Crown Range → Queenstown
Take the Crown Range road rather than SH6 — more scenic and not much longer. The Crown Range is the highest sealed road in New Zealand. The descent into Queenstown Basin from the top gives one of the best panoramic views of the Remarkables and Lake Wakatipu on the whole trip. Clear early afternoon light is ideal.
4. Te Anau → Milford Sound (SH94)
Day 6 · ~119 km · ~2 hrs one way
One of the most dramatic road trips in New Zealand. All paved, but narrow, winding, and mountainous — take it slowly around blind bends and give way to oncoming traffic. Leave early; traffic heading toward Milford builds significantly by mid-morning.
Key landmarks on the drive: - Te Anau Downs (~30 km) — the road enters Fiordland National Park here and the beech forest begins - Knobs Flat (~65 km) — a flat open river valley surrounded by mountains; the scale starts to become obvious - The Divide (~80 km) — the lowest east-west pass in the Southern Alps; trailhead for Key Summit on the return. The beech forest here was used as part of the approach to Lórien in LOTR - Eglinton Valley (~70–90 km) — wide, U-shaped glacier valley with perfectly flat meadows flanked by steep walls. Some of the most photographed scenery on the entire road - Lake Gunn (~95 km) — beautiful blue-green lake; short boardwalk through old-growth beech forest directly from the road - Homer Tunnel (~103 km) — single-lane, blasted through solid rock; 1.2 km long with traffic lights (5–10 min wait). The Darran Mountains above the Homer Valley were used for LOTR establishing mountain shots. The western portal opens to a sheer vertical drop into the Cleddau Valley — one of the most sudden landscape changes on the drive - Cleddau Valley (~103–119 km) — the final descent to Milford passes waterfalls, vertical rock walls, and the river through beech forest all the way to the sound
The return drive covers the same road in reverse — afternoon light hits the mountains differently and traffic is lighter once past The Divide. Plan stops here rather than on the way in.
5. Queenstown → Glenorchy (Glenorchy Road)
Day 9 · ~45 km · ~50–60 min one way
One of the best short drives in New Zealand and often cited as one of the most scenic short drives in the world. The road hugs the edge of Lake Wakatipu for the entire length — the lake is directly below on the right and the Remarkables and Richardson Mountains rise steeply on the left. Pull over frequently; every bend has a different composition.
- The entire drive was used extensively during LOTR filming for establishing shots of Middle-earth
- Glenorchy Lagoon at the end is one of the best reflection shots on the trip if the water is still in the morning
6. Queenstown → Arrowtown (via Lake Hayes)
Day 10 · ~20 km · ~20 min one way
Short drive but worth taking slowly. The road passes Lake Hayes — a small, perfectly still lake backed by hills, well known for its mirror reflections. Worth a brief pull-off if the water is calm, especially in autumn light.
7. Queenstown → Franz Josef via Haast Pass (SH6)
Day 11 · ~380 km · ~8–9 hrs with stops
The longest drive day of the trip and one of the most varied in New Zealand. The landscape changes completely three or four times across the day.
Route: Queenstown → Wānaka → Makarora → Haast Pass → Haast → Fox Glacier → Franz Josef
Key segments: - Wānaka (~1 hr from Queenstown) — breakfast stop; brief detour to see the Wānaka Tree on the lakefront in early morning light - Wānaka to Makarora (~55 km, ~45 min) — road follows the Clutha River upstream; increasingly remote and forested - Makarora to Haast Pass (~30 km, ~30 min, SH6 through Mount Aspiring NP) — the road enters a narrow valley with walls closing in on both sides. Blue Pools are here — a short 30-min return walk to vivid blue glacial pools in the beech forest; don't skip this - Haast Pass summit (~564 m) — the main divide; the landscape shifts from South Island high country to dense West Coast temperate rainforest almost immediately - Haast Pass to Haast (~55 km, ~45 min) — the road descends through the Haast River valley. Everything becomes intensely green — the West Coast receives some of the highest rainfall in NZ and the vegetation shows it. Ship Creek Walk is here (~30 min, coastal rainforest and black sand beach) - Haast to Fox Glacier (~115 km, ~1.5 hrs) — long flat coastal stretch on SH6; wild surf beaches are visible through the bush at multiple points (not swimming beaches — Tasman Sea surf and rips are dangerous) - Fox Glacier to Franz Josef (~25 km, ~20 min) — final short leg
Check road conditions before departing — NZ Transport Agency. The Haast Pass can close after heavy rain or slips.
8. Franz Josef → Greymouth (SH6 North)
Day 12 · ~175 km · ~2.5 hrs
Straightforward coastal drive north along SH6. Several West Coast lagoons and river mouths are visible from the road. The wild surf beaches appear through the bush on the left at multiple points — dramatic scenery but not swimming beaches.
9. Greymouth → Punakaiki → Hokitika → Greymouth (SH6 Loop)
Day 13 · ~200 km total · ~3 hrs driving
The SH6 coastal section between Greymouth and Punakaiki is one of the most dramatic coastal drives on the South Island — the road runs right along the cliff edge above the Tasman Sea almost immediately after leaving Greymouth. Short but excellent.
Route on the day: - Greymouth → Punakaiki north on SH6 (~45 km, ~35–40 min) - Punakaiki → Hokitika south through Greymouth (~85 km, ~1 hr) - Hokitika → Hokitika Gorge inland (~30 km, ~30 min) - Return to Greymouth (~40 km, ~30 min)
10. Greymouth → Arthurs Pass → Christchurch (SH73)
Day 14 · ~250 km · ~3.5–4 hrs with stops
Route: Greymouth → Otira → Arthurs Pass Village → Castle Hill → Christchurch
The drive follows the Grey River upstream through river gorges, then climbs the Otira Gorge to the pass summit before descending the eastern slope into the Canterbury Plains.
Key stops: - Jackson (~40 km east of Greymouth) — small settlement at the base of the main climb; last petrol before Arthurs Pass Village - Otira — tiny village on the western side of the pass; the road becomes steep and winding here - Arthurs Pass summit (~920 m) — the vegetation change on either side is immediate. West: dense, dark, dripping rainforest. East: open, drier, tussock and beech. The summit is clearly marked and a good stop - Arthurs Pass Village — DOC ranger station, a café, a pub, and kea. Trains on the TranzAlpine route stop here (Greymouth–Christchurch) - Castle Hill (~1 hr east of the pass) — a limestone boulder field spread across open tussock grassland. Used as a LOTR filming location. Good for 20–30 minutes of scrambling and photos - Porter Heights / Lake Lyndon (~1.5 hrs from the pass) — the plains open up; you begin to see Christchurch and the Canterbury coast in the distance
⚠️ Kea warning at Arthurs Pass Village: Kea (alpine parrots) are common here and will systematically remove rubber seals from car windows, wiper blades, and antenna fittings. Do not leave the car unattended for extended periods without checking. Do not feed them.
Quick Reference
| Drive | Day | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christchurch → Tekapo (SH72 Inland) | 3 | ~270 km | ~4–6 hrs |
| Mt Cook → Wānaka via Lindis Pass | 5 | ~180 km | ~2.5 hrs |
| Wānaka → Queenstown via Crown Range | 5 | ~75 km | ~1.5 hrs |
| Te Anau → Milford Sound (SH94) | 6 | ~119 km | ~2 hrs |
| Queenstown → Glenorchy (lakeside road) | 9 | ~45 km | ~50 min |
| Queenstown → Arrowtown (via Lake Hayes) | 10 | ~20 km | ~20 min |
| Queenstown → Franz Josef via Haast Pass | 11 | ~380 km | ~8–9 hrs |
| Franz Josef → Greymouth (SH6 north) | 12 | ~175 km | ~2.5 hrs |
| Greymouth coastal loop (SH6) | 13 | ~200 km | ~3 hrs |
| Greymouth → Christchurch via Arthurs Pass | 14 | ~250 km | ~3.5–4 hrs |