New Zealand State Highway 60

State Highway 60
Route information
Maintained by New Zealand Transport Agency
Length:	116.0 km (72.1 mi)
Major junctions
Southeast end:	Main Road Hope/Gladstone Road and Bateup Road at Richmond
Northwest end:	Collingwood
Location
Primary destinations:	Motueka, Riwaka, Takaka
Highway system
New Zealand state highways Motorways and expressways List Unused ← SH 58 SH 62 →

State Highway 60 is a New Zealand State Highway servicing the far northwest of the South Island of New Zealand. Running between the settlements of Richmond (south of Nelson) and Collingwood, it is 116 km long and lies entirely within the Tasman Region. It is the northernmost highway in the South Island and is a popular tourist route, servicing Motueka, Abel Tasman National Park and Farewell Spit.

Route

The highway starts at Richmond, and proceeds in the northwesterly direction across the Waimea Plains. It begins at a large round-a-bout, then immediately proceeds over a hump. This overbridge is over the former Nelson to Kawateri railway, now a cycle trail. This area is known locally as Three Brothers Corner, named for three Gum trees which were planted in memory of three brothers who died in infancy. After crossing the plains, the highway winds through rolling clay hills, flanked by pine forests, pasture, orchards, rural subdivisions and life-style blocks. Near Mapua, the road deviates onto the Ruby Bay bypass (Mamaku Drive) and emerges on the shores of the Moutere Inlet adjacent to Tasman Village. The highway then passes along the edge of picturesque Motueka Estuary and through the major town of Motueka. At Riwaka, the road to Kaiteriteri and Abel Tasman National Park branches off to the right while SH 60 branches to the left. The highway then rises towards Takaka Hill and the notorious Eureka Bend (elevation 791 metres above sea level). The highway then descends into the Takaka Valley and passes through the town of Takaka itself. The highway then hugs the coastline of Golden Bay before terminating at Collingwood. In all, the highway is a pleasant drive of about 2 hours 30 minutes in length.

History

At first there was no road connecting the coastal areas about Bronte, Mapua and Tasman. Early settlers had roads from landing sites on Waimea Inlet and along ridges, and they avoided crossing the peripheral swampy valleys. When the Coastal Highway was constructed it was gravel and the Inland (Moutere) Highway was the main highway. At some point in about the 1970s, the coastal route became the main route. Until 2010, before the construction of the Ruby Bay bypass, SH 60 followed the coastline around Mapua.

Gallery

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  SH 60 as Commercial Street passing through Takaka

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  Aerial view of SH 60 passing through the southern section of Motueka

New Zealand state highways List of New Zealand state highways List of unused highways in New Zealand National SH 1 (incl. SH 1B, SH 1D) SH 2 (incl. SH 2A, SH 2B) SH 3 (incl. SH 3A) SH 4 SH 5 SH 6 (incl. SH 6A) SH 7 (incl. SH 7A) SH 8 (incl. SH 8A, SH 8B) North Island SH 10 SH 11 SH 12 SH 14 SH 15A SH 16 SH 18 SH 20 (incl. SH 20A, SH 20B) SH 21 SH 22 SH 23 SH 24 SH 25 (incl. SH 25A) SH 26 SH 27 SH 28 SH 29 SH 30 (incl. SH 30A) SH 31 SH 32 SH 33 SH 34 SH 35 SH 36 SH 37 SH 38 SH 39 SH 41 SH 43 SH 44 SH 45 SH 46 SH 47 SH 48 SH 49 SH 50 (incl. SH 50A) SH 53 SH 54 SH 56 SH 57 SH 58 South Island SH 60 SH 62 SH 63 SH 65 SH 67 (incl. SH 67A) SH 69 SH 71 SH 73 SH 74 (incl. SH 74A) SH 75 SH 76 SH 77 SH 78 SH 79 SH 80 SH 82 SH 83 SH 84 SH 85 SH 86 SH 87 SH 88 SH 90 SH 93 SH 94 SH 95 SH 96 SH 97 SH 98 SH 99 Former state highways SH 1A SH 15 SH 17 SH 36 SH 40 SH 47A SH 49A SH 52 SH 57A SH 61 SH 70 SH 72 SH 73A SH 89 SH 91 SH 92 Touring routes Twin Coast Discovery Highway Thermal Explorer Highway Pacific Coast Highway Classic New Zealand Wine Trail Alpine Pacific Triangle Great Alpine Highway Foothills Scenic Route Southern Scenic Route