January · Good
Summer, which means perfect conditions and the busiest roads of the year. Book everything early.
Verdict
Good
Where to base
Queenstown, Wanaka or Nelson
Roads in the Atlas
6
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. Seasonal notes are reviewed against published closure dates and reopened each spring. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 31 March 2026
Context
Two islands of mountain passes, empty highways and coastlines, with a seasonal calendar reversed from the northern hemisphere.
Roads
Fiordland
A glacial valley run to the Homer Tunnel and a fiord surrounded by vertical rock.
73.9 mi · Rating 9.6 / 10
Avalanche closures in winter, carry chains
Otago
New Zealand's highest sealed road with a hairpin stack above the Cardrona valley.
43.5 mi · Rating 9.5 / 10
Snow and ice, chains may be required in winter
West Coast
Rainforest and waterfall canyon roads link the lakes to the wild West Coast.
90.1 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10
Slips and flooding after heavy rain
Canterbury
Braided rivers, beech forest and the dramatic Otira viaduct across an alpine fault.
55.9 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10
Snow and ice in winter
Nelson
Marble mountain switchbacks between Tasman Bay and Golden Bay.
21.1 mi · Rating 9 / 10
Fog common at the summit
Coromandel
A narrow shoreline road under pohutukawa trees with the Firth of Thames alongside.
34.2 mi · Rating 8.9 / 10
Slip prone after storms