NZ South Island Roads are sensational

Uncle Arthur · Postby **Uncle Arthur** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 4:46 pm

Queenstown to Wanaka, via Cromwell.

Twists through canyons, the road verge plunging to the Kawarau River on one side, on camber turns at every corner and majestic scenery.

A perfect MX5 road if EVER I saw one........

Matty · Postby **Matty** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 12:22 pm

Hehe, I was just in Christchurch for a couple of days last week. The hills just south of the city are awesome if you have a few hours to kill! The rental (Fairlane) did remarkably well :mrgreen:

mazlot · Postby **mazlot** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 12:32 pm

The roads to the ski fields aren't though :shock:

The road to Glen Orchy is also fantastic.

Uncle Arthur · Postby **Uncle Arthur** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 2:58 pm

mazlot wrote:The roads to the ski fields aren't though

What?? You don't like steep winding dirt/gravel hillclimbs?????

It's not the curves that hurt it's the sudden stop at the bottom..... :shock:

mazlot · Postby **mazlot** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 3:34 pm

You forgot muddy, gravel roads.

I do not like heights, I was driving on the wrong side of the road, clinging to the cliff face most of the time, it felt like I was driving Pikes Peak

mattywood · Postby **mattywood** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 10:57 pm

The road across the Lewis Pass from Hanmer Springs to the West Coast is lotsa fun too. Thank goodness for manual hire cars.

CoffeeBoss · Postby **CoffeeBoss** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 7:39 pm

Crown Range. I would argue, one of the greatest pieces of public road in the Southern Hemisphere. Glorious. Went through there in 2006 in a Liberty wagon, brakes were cooked by the time we reached the end.

Matty wrote:Hehe, I was just in Christchurch for a couple of days last week. The hills just south of the city are awesome if you have a few hours to kill! The rental (Fairlane) did remarkably well

Last year, we went back to spend more time around Christchurch and hired an NA6 (thread here). These roads Matty speaks of are the Port Hills - just fantastic, spent almost an entire day driving aimlessly around there.

NZMiata · Postby **NZMiata** » Wed Oct 14, 2009 10:25 pm

I was lucky enough to live in Christchurch for 3.5 years and really enjoyed the roads, even if it was in a Corolla. The Port Hills, Lyttelton peninsula and Wanaka/Queenstown areas are all fantastic. I even drove the Crown Range in the middle of winter. Snow chains sure do work!

Crapweasel · Postby **Crapweasel** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 11:59 pm

NZ South Island Roads are sensational:

You got that right!

I lived in Christchurch from 1981 through 1996, and now that I have an MX5 it's the one thing I miss about the place... A day trip is the West Coast & back, or Blenheim & back through the Kaikoura ranges or if you want an overnight stay, drive to Dunedin (8 hours taking it easy), and back the next day!

Heaps of twisties all around - with a few less on the Dunedin run, as the first 160km through to Timaru are dead straight, except for crossing the railway line at Heinz and a couple of other places...

CoffeeBoss · Postby **CoffeeBoss** » Tue Apr 13, 2010 7:04 pm

CoffeeBoss wrote:Crown Range. I would argue, one of the greatest pieces of public road in the Southern Hemisphere. Glorious. Went through there in 2006 in a Liberty wagon, brakes were cooked by the time we reached the end.

Couple of snaps of the mighty Crown Range (reportedly the highest sealed road in the Southern Hemisphere). Can't wait to return there and take it on in a more appropriate car!

New Zealand South Island Roads - I shall return.

NMX516 · Postby **NMX516** » Tue Apr 13, 2010 7:23 pm

Are these areas snowed in in May? I'm taking May off work and considering the possibility of going to NZ for a week or two and hiring an MX5 for the trip