Driving to Island Saddle, the Highest Public Road in New Zealand
New Zealand, oceania
112 km
1,371 m
moderate
Year-round
Alright, fellow adventurers, let's talk Island Saddle! Perched way up in the New Zealand high country at a cool 1,371m (4,498ft), this spot might just be the highest public road in the whole country!
You'll find it straddling the Canterbury and Marlborough regions in the North Island, tracing a route etched back in the 50s when they needed to get power lines up to Nelson and Buller.
Forget smooth tarmac – this is strictly unpaved territory. We're talking about Rainbow Road (aka Rainbow Valley–Hanmer Road), a 112km (70 mile) beast of a track stretching from Hanmer Springs to Saint Arnaud. A 4WD is essential to get over the Saddle (though 2WDs can access Lake Tennyson).
Keep in mind, this route cuts across private land within the Crimea Range. It's generally only open to the public from late December to early April, so time your trip right. The views are out of this world!
Where is it?
Driving to Island Saddle, the Highest Public Road in New Zealand is located in New Zealand (oceania). Coordinates: -40.6906, 175.1535
Road Details
- Country
- New Zealand
- Continent
- oceania
- Length
- 112 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,371 m
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Coordinates
- -40.6906, 175.1535
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