What are the most spectacular roads in New Zealand?

Located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, New Zealand is an island country that comprises two main landmasses: the North Island and the South Island, with around 700 smaller islands. Similar in size to Italy or Japan, it covers an area of 268,680 km2 (103,740 sq mi).

Due its geography, with mountain ranges, fjords, volcanic plateaus, and coastal plains, it features some of the most spectacular roads in the world. When travelling to New Zealand you can’t miss driving Skippers Canyon Road. Tucked away in the southwest of South Island, it is now one of New Zealand's better-known scenic roads and is unbelievably scary, being extremely narrow and difficult to maneuver. It’s a road so dangerous that your rental car insurance won’t be honored if you drive on it.

For those who prefer scenic drives, Forgotten World Highway is a world's top drive. The country is renowned for its stunning natural beauty and outdoor recreational opportunities and the scenic Crown Range Road is worth the drive. It’s an exhilarating road with hairpin bends, serpentines, and steep grades in the South Island. And if you prefer mountain roads, you can’t skip the sensational road to the Remarkables in Queenstown, a ski resort at 1,622m (5,321ft) above sea level. And don't forget to check out our content about the highest roads in the country, where altitude and adventure are a breathtaking challenge.

Mount Olympus is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 1.643m (5,360ft) above the sea level located on New Zealand's South Island. The road to the summit is best negotiated by high-clearance 4WD that is able to be equipped with chains if required. It’s one of the highest roads in the country.

Ohau Mountain Access Road is a 9.3km good metal access road located in the Ohau Range in the Mackenzie High Country, not far from the Mt Cook region on the South Island of New Zealand. The road is extremely steep, with a gradient average of 10.1%.

Island Saddle is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.371m (4,498ft) above the sea level located on the boundary of Canterbury and Marlborough, in New Zealand. 

Otaki Gorge Road is a very scenic yet challenging drive following the Otaki River, in the Kapiti Coast District of the North Island of New Zealand. The drive has a history of slips and road damage in heavy rain events.

Wards Pass is a mountain pass at an elevation of 1.145m (3,757ft) above the sea level, located in the Rachel Range of the Inland Kaikoura Ranges of New Zealand's northern South Island. 

Located on the west of the North Island of New Zealand, Moki Tunnel is a 180-metre-long, single lane tunnel.

Access Road to Mount Cheeseman is an unsealed road located in New Zealand's South Island. The access road is suitable for 2WD vehicles with chains. The road climbs up to 1.550m (5,085ft) above the sea level. It’s one of the highest roads in the country.

Takarau Gorge Road is a very scenic drive located in northern Wellington, New Zealand. Sections of this road are often closed due to flooding.

Whatipu Beach is the name of a remote black sandy beach located on the wild west coast of the Auckland region of the North Island of New Zealand.

Haast Highway is a spectacular and scenic drive located on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It's one of the most scenic coastal drives in the world. 

Located within the Arthurs Pass National Park, the major national park in the center of the South Island New Zealand, the old Arthurs Pass road is known as The Zigzag. It was built across a huge scree slope and was subject to erosion due to earthquakes and flooding. In the last century the road was cut further and further back into the hillside, until it was 20 metres higher and 65 metres further back into the slope than it had been seventy years earlier.

Located in Taranaki, New Zealand, the Bertrand Road Swing Bridge is one of the most spectacular bridges in the world. It’s 67 m long.

Tasman Valley Road 4X4 track is a very scenic yet challenging drive located on New Zealand's South Island.

Old Woman Range is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 1.739m (5,705ft) above the sea level, located in the Otago region of New Zealand. It’s one of the highest roads of the country.

Waipu Gorge Road is a winding but fairly smooth metalled road located in the Northland Region of New Zealand.

Karamea Highway is a very scenic drive at the most northern end of the South Island's West Coast of New Zealand. In some ways, this road is special because it's a "road to nowhere", ending spectacularly as the southern access point to the Heaphy Track.

Pembroke Road is a very scenic drive in the Taranaki region, on the western coast of New Zealand's North Island. The road is pretty steep, with an average gradient of 5.75%.

Duffers Saddle is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.275m (4,183ft) above the sea level, located in the Old Woman Range, in Central Otago, New Zealand. 

Located on the West Coast of the North Island of New Zealand, the narrow Waikawau Tunnel Beach is used by people for accessing the beach.

Lake Ohau Road is a very scenic drive located in the Ohau Range in the Mackenzie High Country, not far from the Mt Cook region on the South Island of New Zealand. The road features gravel and asphalt sections.

The South Island, also known as Te Waipounamu, offers some of the New Zealand’s most beautiful coastal drives. The island hosts the purest natural landscapes you’ll ever experience. There are lots of places to stop, little hidden bays and places to take in the scenery. From wildlife to wineries, from glacial valleys to star-filled skies, nature's best flourishes against a palette of dramatic scenes.

Aramoana Road is a very scenic coastal drive located on the South Island of New Zealand. It's one of the most beautiful coastal drives in the world.

Kiwi Road is a scenic narrow and rough track located in northern Taranaki, in the North Island of New Zealand.

Located in the Manawatu-Wanganui region of New Zealand's North Island, the wooden bridge over the Ohau River is one of the most spectacular bridges in the world.

Pomarangai Road is a very scenic drive running through the Whareorino Forest, in the western King Country of New Zealand.

Obelisk/Kopuwai is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 1.687m (5,534ft) above the sea level, located on the Old Man Range, in the Otago region of New Zealand. It’s one of the highest roads of the country.

Remutaka Pass is a mountain pass at an elevation of 556m (1,824ft) above the sea level, located in in the Wellington Region of New Zealand's North Island. The road is well known to NZ motorcyclists

The Waihoanga Road Bridge is located in the Manuwatu Region, in the southwestern North Island of New Zealand. It’s one of the most spectacular bridges in the world.

Cardrona Alpine Resort is a ski resort at an elevation of 1.660m (5,446ft) above the sea level, located in the heart of the South Island of New Zealand. It’s one of the highest roads of the country.

Lake Road is an amazing unsealed road located in the North Island of New Zealand. The road leads to the Lake Waikaremoana, in the heart of Tuhoe country.

Harington Point Road is a coastal drive located at the northeastern end of Otago Peninsula, in New Zealand's South Island.

Tapotupotu Beach is an unspoilt beach located the Aupouri Peninsula, at the northern end of the North Island of New Zealand.

Located in the Waikato region of New Zealand’s North Island, Whaanga Coast Road is a rugged, rocky, gravel road that has become a legend.

Located in the north east of the South Island of New Zealand, the Sawcut Gorge is a lovely place to be on a hot day, with excellent swimming holes and towering rock faces.

Henderson Bay Road is a short metal road connecting Henderson Bay to the State Highway 1. This very quiet little road is 6km long and is located north of Kaitaia, the northern most city in New Zealand.

Nugget Point Lighthouse is a lighthouse at Nugget Point in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand. The road is 8.9km long.

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