Wānaka à Haast est un transfert d'une demi-journée uniquement si rien n'est fermé et que rien n'invite à la promenade. Trois jours créent de la place pour Makarora, les cascades du col et une arrivée patiente sur le versant ouest humide.
Wānaka vers Makarora
Quittez Wānaka avec du carburant et des provisions, puis suivez le lac Hāwea et la tête du lac Wānaka sans courir dans les virages. Utilisez des belvédères signalés, car les accotements en bordure de route disparaissent rapidement.
Makarora offre une pause naturelle d'une nuit et un accès à de courtes promenades ou à des voyages plus longs dans l'arrière-pays. Vérifiez les phlébotomes, l'état de la rivière et les horaires d'hébergement avant de vous installer.
À travers le col Haast
La route du col peut être fermée en raison de la neige, de glissades, d'arbres tombés ou d'accidents. Consultez les mises à jour de Waka Kotahi immédiatement avant le départ et conservez suffisamment de fournitures pour attendre ou faire demi-tour.
Les traces des cascades et des piscines bleues changent en fonction de la maintenance et des dégâts causés par les inondations. Suivez l'avis et les barrières actuels du DOC plutôt que de supposer qu'un arrêt célèbre est ouvert parce que des véhicules sont garés à proximité.
Côte d'Haast
Le côté ouest est plus humide, plus vert et plus exposé aux phlébotomes. Un séjour couvert ou un emplacement motorisé peut valoir le coup lorsque plusieurs jours de pluie ont détrempé le véhicule.
Choisissez le prochain mouvement seulement après avoir vérifié la route côtière au nord. Haast est un endroit pour réinitialiser le carburant, la nourriture et les attentes, et pas seulement la fin du laissez-passer.
Haast Pass is the lowest of the alpine crossings
At 563 metres it is the lowest road pass over the Southern Alps, which makes it the most reliable of the three in winter. It is still subject to closure from slips and snow, and the western descent is steep with tight corners and frequent one-lane bridges.
Check the NZTA status before crossing, particularly after heavy rain. When it closes there is no short alternative; the detour is back through Wānaka and around, which is most of a day.
The roadside walks are the point
Blue Pools, Fantail Falls, Thunder Creek Falls and the Haast Pass lookout are all short walks close to the road, and together they turn a two-hour drive into a satisfying day. Blue Pools is the standout, with a swing bridge and genuinely startling water clarity.
The Blue Pools bridge and track have been closed for reconstruction at various points, so check the current DOC status. Do not jump from the bridge; it is prohibited and people have been seriously injured doing it.
Wānaka is the calmer alternative to Queenstown
An hour from Queenstown with a similar lake and mountains, Wānaka has a fraction of the intensity and noticeably better value. Roys Peak is the famous walk and is a hard six hours return with a queue at the viewpoint in summer.
Diamond Lake and the Isthmus Peak track give comparable views with far fewer people. The lone tree in the lake is five minutes from town and busiest at sunrise, which is also when it is worth seeing.
Sandflies begin at the pass
The eastern side around Wānaka and Hāwea is largely sandfly-free, and the moment you descend the western side that changes completely. Haast and the coast beyond it are serious sandfly country and the transition is abrupt.
Have repellent accessible in the cab rather than packed in the back before you start the descent. Stopping at Thunder Creek Falls without it is a memorable mistake.
Lake Hāwea and the Neck
The road runs along Lake Hāwea then crosses the narrow isthmus known as the Neck between the two lakes before following Lake Wānaka north. The viewpoint at the Neck looks down both lakes at once and is one of the better roadside stops in the country.
Hāwea is quieter than Wānaka with a good lakefront campground and considerably fewer people. It works well as a base if Wānaka is full or expensive, and it is only fifteen minutes further on.
Makarora, at the northern end, is the last settlement before the pass and has fuel, a cafe and camping. It is also the departure point for flights and jet boat trips into the Siberia Valley if you want a day out of the vehicle.
Where to stop for the night
Camping options thin out considerably between Makarora and Haast, and the DOC sites along the pass are basic with no reception. Fill water and fuel at Makarora rather than assuming something appears.
Haast township itself has fuel, a shop and accommodation but very little else. Treat it as a service stop rather than a destination.
Lieux sur le chemin
Emportez-le sur la route
Enregistrez les arrêts. Planifiez tout le voyage.
Créez un itinéraire ordonné à partir de lieux enregistrés, calculez la distance et conservez les dates, les notes et les tâches en pièce jointe.