Lake Hawea & Haast Pass

Kirwin reckons this is the best photo anybody's ever taken of him. It was taken at a roadside rest stop on State Highway 6 (SH6) just before the road bends away from Lake Hawea (pictured) westward toward Lake Wanaka.

Between Lake Hawea and Haast (141 km) there are no petrol stations. This catches out a lot of tourists so if you are planning to go here, make sure to fill up at every opportunity. Those with sports cars requiring RON 98 are in for a surprise as it is not stocked in many places outside major towns/cities. Mobil and BP are the only gasoline companies to supply RON 98 in New Zealand. Generally speaking it is OK to use RON 95 instead of 98 (check with car manufacturer) but very remote places will often only stock diesel and RON 91.

SH6 between Haast and Wanaka is split into two basic views: lakes and mountains on the southern/eastern side, and lush rainforst on the northern/western side. Kirwin says to remind our Australian guests that the term bush means something completely different in NZ. Walk a couple of meters into NZ bush and you are likely to lose sight of the track as the forest is so dense.

SH6 is easily the most scenic highway in New Zealand and there is never a dull moment for the driver either. There are plenty of one lane bridges, especially on the West Coast. Highway is a misnomer for many international visitors who expect it to be a multi-lane freeway. Actually it is one lane each way, with the occasional passing lane and plenty of slow traffic bays on the shoulder. The Haast Pass section of SH6 has all of the above plus chicanes and hairpins thrown in for good measure. Drive defensively on this road.

An underpinning philosophy in NZ is that, being so remote, we play nicely and share our toys. If you're in a camper van and there's a string of traffic piled up behind you, the thing to do is pull into a slow traffic bay and let faster folks get past you. Failing to do so will generate a healthy dose of road rage and the potential for risky over-taking manoeuvres in which people die fairly regularly. Buses and trucks will sometimes indicate they are turning left as a means of letting you know it is OK to pass them. You will know when this is happening because they aren't slowing down enough to turn. [Editor's note: the Kiwi sign photo was taken near Okarito on the West Coast.]

Because the roads in NZ are often windy, narrow and/or steep, calculating driving times is not as straight forward as allowing 100km per hour on an open road. For example, the road between Wanaka and Haast is 141 km but it will take a bit over three hours to drive it. Here's a handy website to help you plan yor trip.

You can also reasonably expect to have a dirty vehicle - dust over the back window and a generous smattering of bug splat on the windscreen. Stone chips are also common outside the main centres.

When you get to the Haast side of the pass expect a full-on attack from sandflies (also known as midges). The NZ sandfly is as evil as the mosquito in most other parts of the world although it is not equipped with a bio-warfare arsenal i.e. no yellow fever, dengue fever, or malaria. You won't die from a bite, but apply insect repellant liberally if you can't stand to be itchy. Calamine lotion is a good remedy should you encounter commando sandflies.

Kirwin survived Haast Pass with Zonk at the wheel on 21-Dec-2008.