Da Wānaka al Passo Haast: un percorso naturalistico di 3 giorni

Wānaka a Makarora

Lascia Wānaka con carburante e generi alimentari, quindi segui il lago Hāwea e la sorgente del lago Wānaka senza percorrere le curve. Utilizzare le vedette segnalate, perché le banchine della strada scompaiono rapidamente.

Makarora offre la possibilità di pernottare in modo naturale e l'accesso a brevi passeggiate o viaggi più lunghi nell'entroterra. Controlla i flebotomi, le condizioni del fiume e gli orari di alloggio prima di sistemarti.

Attraverso il Passo Haast

La strada del passo può chiudersi per neve, scivolate, alberi caduti o incidenti. Rivedi gli aggiornamenti di Waka Kotahi immediatamente prima della partenza e conserva scorte sufficienti per aspettare o tornare indietro.

Cascate e piscine blu tengono traccia dei cambiamenti dovuti alla manutenzione e ai danni provocati dalle inondazioni. Seguire l'attuale avviso DOC e le barriere piuttosto che dare per scontato che una fermata famosa sia aperta perché i veicoli sono parcheggiati nelle vicinanze.

Costa Haast

Il lato occidentale è più umido, più verde e più esposto ai flebotomi. Un soggiorno coperto o un sito alimentato può valere la spesa quando diversi giorni di pioggia hanno inzuppato il veicolo.

Scegli la prossima mossa solo dopo aver controllato la strada costiera verso nord. Haast è un luogo dove reimpostare carburante, cibo e aspettative, non semplicemente la fine del passo.

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.

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