New Zealand State Highway 65

State Highway 65
Route information
Maintained by New Zealand Transport Agency
Length: 71.7 km (44.6 mi)
Major junctions
From: Fern Flat
To: Springs Junction
Location
Primary
destinations:
Shenandoah, Maruia
Highway system

New Zealand State Highways
Motorways and Expressways • List • Unused

SH 63 SH 67

State Highway 65 (also known as the Shenandoah Highway) is a New Zealand State Highway in the South Island. It is 71 km long and runs south to north down the Maruia river valley from SH 7 at Springs Junction, 15 km west of the main divide at the Lewis Pass, to SH 6 in the Buller Gorge, 11 km west of Murchison. It forms part of the most direct route between Christchurch and Nelson. It takes its name from a small settlement toward its northern end.

The road is sealed and two-lane, with some single-lane bridges. The surrounding country is used for pastoral farming (beef and dairy) with some forestry on the surrounding hills. Springs Junction is the only locality with fuel or food along the route while Maruia is the largest settlement along the route.

Maruia Falls, a 5-m waterfall near the road, did not exist prior to the 1929 Murchison earthquake (magnitude 7.8).