Two of the South Island's finest roads, joined into one unforgettable alpine day.

This combined route stitches together the two drives Queenstown locals argue about most. The morning leg hugs Lake Wakatipu for 46 km to Glenorchy on a road regularly ranked among the world's most scenic, every bend opening a new panorama of the Humboldt and Richardson mountains, with snow-capped Mount Earnslaw growing larger ahead. This is Middle-earth in the most literal sense: Isengard and Lothlorien were filmed on the flats beyond Glenorchy. You then double back along the same shoreline (it looks entirely different in reverse) and climb out of the Wakatipu Basin on the Crown Range Road, at 1,121 m the highest sealed main road in New Zealand. The Zigzag's stacked hairpins lift you above Arrowtown to a summit of golden tussock, before the long descent through the Cardrona Valley delivers you to a well-earned drink at one of the country's oldest pubs and, finally, the Wanaka lakefront.

The two halves are true opposites: water-level curves in the morning, alpine pass in the afternoon, which is exactly why they belong together. Doing Glenorchy first puts the lake light at its best and saves the pass for the drama of late-day shadows.

Key Stops

Queenstown - Start with a full tank; this is the best fuel and supply stop of the day. If time allows, the Skyline Gondola gives an aerial preview of the basin you are about to drive.

Bob's Cove - 15 minutes out of Queenstown, a 30-minute return walk to a turquoise cove and jetty that is one of the lake's most photogenic corners. Free, and quieter before 10am.

Bennetts Bluff Lookout - The signature viewpoint of the Glenorchy road, a sealed pull-off high above the lake with Pig and Pigeon Islands below and Mount Earnslaw ahead. Do not skip it in either direction.

Glenorchy - The famous red wharf shed, the lagoon boardwalk (45 minutes, excellent birdlife), and a small cluster of cafés. A small fuel station operates limited hours; do not rely on it as your only option.

Arrowtown - Back past Queenstown and 20 minutes on: a preserved gold-rush village with the restored Chinese miners' settlement by the river. In late April this is the autumn-color capital of New Zealand.

Crown Range Zigzag and Lookout - The hairpin stack that opens the climb, with a large lookout at the top of the Zigzag surveying the entire Wakatipu Basin. Use the pull-off rather than stopping on the bends.

Crown Range Summit (1,121 m) - A car park amid the tussock with short ridge walks and huge views both ways. Often windy; often snowy June to September.

Cardrona Hotel - Established 1863 and among the most photographed buildings in the country. The garden bar makes the definitive late-lunch stop. The much-debated Cardrona Bra Fence is a few minutes further down the valley.

Cardrona Village - A historic mining village that becomes a ski hub in winter, when the Cardrona Alpine Resort access road fills the valley with traffic.

Wanaka Lakefront - End at the lake, with the solitary willow of #ThatWanakaTree a short stroll along the shore and the Roys Bay waterfront lined with restaurants for dinner.

Driving Tips

Drive the Glenorchy leg first and early. Morning light on Lake Wakatipu is the best of the day, the tour buses start arriving mid-morning, and this sequencing saves the Crown Range for dramatic afternoon shadows.

Fuel up in Queenstown before you start. Glenorchy's small station keeps limited hours and there is no fuel at all between Arrowtown and Wanaka over the pass.

Allow double what the map says. The 45-minute Glenorchy run routinely takes half a day once the pull-offs start working on you. Build slack into every leg.

Mind black ice on shaded hairpins in winter. The Zigzag's southern faces hold ice long after the rest of the road is clear, and the Glenorchy road's lakeside bluffs do the same at dawn.

Time it for late April if you can. Arrowtown's autumn gold, snow dusting the summit, and thinner traffic make it the connoisseur's window.

For more information visit: queenstownnz.co.nz/stories/post/scenic-drives-from-queenstown