ZQN · New Zealand
The Crown Range starts minutes from the terminal, Milford is a long and spectacular day and Haast is four hours up the coast.
Great roads in range
4
First road from the terminal
Crown Range Road, about 8 min
Best months
March, April and November
Checked by the Drivers Atlas desk
Scored and written by the Drivers Atlas editorial desk, drawing on driven routes across the UK and Europe, mapping data and member road reports. Drive times are estimates from the terminal to the start of each road, padded for mountain routing. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 23 June 2026
Ranked
01 · Otago
New Zealand's highest sealed road with a hairpin stack above the Cardrona valley.
About 8 min from the airport · 43.5 mi · Rating 9.5 / 10
Snow and ice, chains may be required in winter
02 · Fiordland
A glacial valley run to the Homer Tunnel and a fiord surrounded by vertical rock.
About 1 hr 54 min from the airport · 73.9 mi · Rating 9.6 / 10
Avalanche closures in winter, carry chains
03 · West Coast
Rainforest and waterfall canyon roads link the lakes to the wild West Coast.
About 59 min from the airport · 90.1 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10
Slips and flooding after heavy rain
04 · Canterbury
Braided rivers, beech forest and the dramatic Otira viaduct across an alpine fault.
About 6 hr 34 min from the airport · 55.9 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10
Snow and ice in winter
Practical
Book far ahead in summer. Many contracts forbid the Skippers Canyon road, so read the excluded roads list.
March, April and November. Prices and availability move sharply either side of those months, so lock the car in before the flights if you want anything more interesting than a diesel hatchback.