Southern Scenic Route
{{short description|Road in New Zealand}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=June 2015}}
{{Infobox road
|country=NZL
|name= Southern Scenic Route
|marker_image= File:Southern scenic route NZ marker.jpg
|map=NZ-SouthernScenicRoute.png
|maint= NZ Transport Agency, Venture Southland, Destination Queenstown, Destination Fiordland, Clutha District Council, Dunedin City Council and Department of Conservation
|length_mi=
|length_km=610
|length_round=
|length_ref=
|established= {{start date|1988|11|6|df=y}}
|direction_a=West
|terminus_a= 20px20px SH 6 at Queenstown
|junction=
20px SH 6 and 20px SH 97 at Five Rivers
20px SH 97 and 20px SH 94 at Mossburn
20px SH 94 and 20px SH 95 at Te Anau
20px SH 6, 20px SH 98 and 20px SH 99 at Lorneville
20px SH 1 and 20px SH 6 at Invercargill
20px SH 1 and 20px SH 8 at Clarksville
|direction_b=East
|terminus_b= 20px SH 1 at Caversham, Dunedin
}}
The Southern Scenic Route is a tourist highway in New Zealand linking Queenstown, Fiordland, Te Anau and the iconic Milford Road to Dunedin via Riverton, Invercargill and The Catlins. An Australian travel magazine labelled it "one of the world's great undiscovered drives" in 2008.{{
cite news| first = Anthony | last = Dennis | date = 2 December 2008
| url=http://www.smh.com.au/travel/worlds-top-emerging-travel-destinations-20081114-66qk.html?page=-1
| title = World's top emerging travel destinations | work = The Sydney Morning Herald | publisher= Fairfax | accessdate=30 January 2011}}
History and development
The Southern Scenic Route concept and name were conceived at an informal gathering by Tuatapere residents John Fraser and Les Hutchins in November 1985 and confirmed at a public meeting in January 1986.Julie Walls (ed) Southern Scenic Route Visitor Publication 7ed, Focus Publications, Te Anau, November 2006{{cite news |first= Joe |last=Dodgshun|title=Scenic drive completes the circle |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/queenstown-lakes/scenic-drive-completes-circle |accessdate=9 August 2020 |work=Otago Daily Times |date=12 February 2011}} The promoters then negotiated with road and tourism authorities and local government.
The project was a first for New Zealand and approval was a slow process. At one stage, traffic signs were installed in a clandestine operation. The Route opened officially on 6 November 1988, initially running between Te Anau in the west and Balclutha in the east. It was extended from Balclutha to Dunedin in 1998 and from Te Anau to Queenstown in 2010.
Route
= Current route =
File:Invercargill Water Tower.jpg
File:Purakaunui.jpg, 17 km (11 mi) southwest of Owaka]]
The Route runs in a U shape from Queenstown to Dunedin.[http://www.southernscenicroute.co.nz/map/default.asp route map on official website] The first stretches of the route are along State Highway 6, along the southern coast of Lake Wakatipu. The route turns west before skirting the eastern boundary of Fiordland National Park, where it passes Manapouri and Tuatapere. At Te Waewae Bay the coast is reached and the route swings eastward towards Orepuki, Colac Bay, and Riverton. At Lorneville the New Zealand state highway network is rejoined, and the Southern Scenic Route runs on SH 6 for just eight kilometres south into Invercargill.
From Invercargill the route heads east through Fortrose and into the Catlins, then through Owaka to Balclutha. This part was formerly SH 92. The next section of rugged coastline with poor roading through Kaitangata is avoided, as the Southern Scenic Route follows SH 1 to Milton and Lake Waihola.
The Route leaves the highway at Waihola and climbs through Otago Coast Forest, reaching the coast at Taieri Mouth. From here it follows secondary roads through Brighton and Green Island, ending where it meets SH 1 again at Caversham.
=Proposed extensions=
In early 2007[http://blueskin-co-nz.blogspot.com/2007/05/ecosanctuary-ticks-top-option.html from blueskin.co.nz] a proposal arose to extend the route northward beyond Dunedin through Waitati. In November 2007, the Dunedin City Council confirmed that it planned to talk with the Waitaki District Council about extending the route to Oamaru, an idea that was not adopted.[http://blueskin-co-nz.blogspot.com/2007/11/blueskin-road-proposed-for-scenic.html 'Blueskin Road proposed for Scenic Highway' on blueskin.co.nz, retrieved 19 November 2007]
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.southernscenicroute.co.nz/ Southern Scenic Route]
{{New Zealand State Highway navbox}}
{{coord|46|08|0|S|167|41|0|E|display=title}}
Category:Tourist attractions in the Southland Region
Category:Scenic routes in New Zealand
Category:Transport in the Southland Region