New Zealand, West Coast
Rainforest and waterfall canyon roads link the lakes to the wild West Coast.
Length
145 km
In miles
90.1 mi
Driving time
3 hr 38 min
Atlas rating
9.3 / 10
The run
Wanaka to Haast, following the SH6. Drive it in either direction, though the views usually favour the climb.
Season
Slips and flooding after heavy rain
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. Every road in the library carries a driving and scenery score set by the same method. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 6 April 2026
Nearby
61 km away
Lindis Pass
Golden tussock hills and long, high speed sweeps through empty high country.
98 km away
Crown Range Road
New Zealand's highest sealed road with a hairpin stack above the Cardrona valley.
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Milford Road
A glacial valley run to the Homer Tunnel and a fiord surrounded by vertical rock.
229 km away
Arthur's Pass
Braided rivers, beech forest and the dramatic Otira viaduct across an alpine fault.
448 km away
Takaka Hill
Marble mountain switchbacks between Tasman Bay and Golden Bay.
724 km away
Forgotten World Highway
Four saddles, a gorge and a tunnel, on a road that feels a century out of date.
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