New Zealand · Hairpins · Mountain · Scenic
Crown Range Road
Queenstown to Wānaka, Otago
- Length
- 68 km42 miles
- High point
- 1,076 m3,530 ft
- Driving time
- 1 hour
- Season
- October to April (chains may be required in winter)
- Toll
- Free
- Country
- New Zealand
The Crown Range Road is the direct route between Queenstown and Wānaka and the highest main road in New Zealand, reaching 1,076 m. It starts with a zigzag of tight hairpins up from Arrow Junction, crosses a high tussock saddle with views back to Lake Wakatipu, and runs down the Cardrona Valley.
The drive
The Queenstown side is the steep one, with a set of first- and second-gear switchbacks followed by a faster climb across open hillside to the summit lookout. The Cardrona side is gentler: a long, quick, flowing descent past the historic Cardrona Hotel to Wānaka.
It is short, so link it with the road from Wānaka over the Haast Pass, or the Lindis Pass to the north, both of which are faster and emptier.
In your Lotus
The South Island is one of the great places to own a small sports car, with empty, well-surfaced roads and scenery to match. This road has featured in New Zealand tarmac rallies. In the shoulder seasons, watch for frost and grit on the shaded corners near the top.
Watch out for
- Ice and grit from May to September; chains can be compulsory.
- Rental campervans on the hairpins.
- Strong crosswinds on the summit saddle.
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