Southern Scenic Route

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The Southern Scenic Route is a tourist highway in New Zealand linking Te Anau and Dunedin via Fiordland, Invercargill and The Catlins^[1].

Contents 1 The route 2 History and development 2.1 Proposed extension 3 Trivia 4 External links 5 References

[edit] The route

The Southern Scenic Route follows a U-shaped route from Te Anau to Dunedin^[1]. Skirting the eastern boundary of Fiordland National Park the route 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 joined and the Southern Scenic Route follows Highway 6 south into Invercargill.

From Invercargill the Southern Scenic Route heads east through Fortrose into the Catlins then through Owaka to Balclutha. The next section of rugged coastline with poor roading through Kaitangata is avoided as the Southern Scenic Route follows SH1 to Milton and Lake Waihola.

The Southern Scenic Route leaves the highway at Waihola and climbs through Otago Coast Forest rejoining the coastline at Taieri Mouth. From here the route follows secondary roads through Brighton and Green Island into Dunedin's southern suburbs, ending where it meets SH1 again at Caversham.

[edit] History and development

The Southern Scenic Route concept and name were conceived at an informal gathering in Tuatapere in November 1985 and confirmed at a public meeting in January 1986^[2]. The promotors then negotiated with road and tourism authorities and local government. The project was a first for New Zealand and approval was a slow process^[2]. At one stage, traffic signs were installed in a clandestine operation^[2]. The Southern Scenic Route opened officially on 6 November 1988^[2], initially Te Anau-Balclutha. The route was extended to Dunedin in 1998^[2].

[edit] Proposed extension

This section contains information about a planned or expected future road. It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change as the road's construction or completion approaches and more information becomes available.

In early 2007^[3] a proposal arose to extend the route northward beyond Dunedin through Waitati. Later, in November 2007, the Dunedin City Council confirmed that it was planning to talk with the Waitaki District Council about extending the route to Oamaru^[4].

[edit] Trivia

• The north-western terminus of the Southern Scenic Route at Te Anau is considerably further north than Dunedin, though usually viewed as in New Zealand's extreme south.

[edit] External links

Southern Scenic Route official website

[edit] References