Our self-guided motorcycle tours of Aotearoa New Zealand ride some of the country’s best-known roads: the Coromandel Loop, the Forgotten World Highway and the Desert Road in the North Island; Queen Charlotte Drive, the Crown Range, the Milford Road and the Lewis, Lindis, Haast and Arthur’s passes in the South. This page lists each one, what it crosses, and which journeys ride it.
| Road | Island | Journeys |
|---|---|---|
| Coromandel Loop | North Island | North Island, Ultimate NZ, Aotearoa Odyssey |
| Forgotten World Highway | North Island | North Island, Ultimate NZ, Aotearoa Odyssey |
| Desert Road | North Island | Ultimate NZ, Aotearoa Odyssey |
| Queen Charlotte Drive | South Island | South Island, Ultimate NZ, Aotearoa Odyssey |
| Lewis Pass | South Island | South Island, Ultimate NZ, Aotearoa Odyssey |
| Lindis Pass | South Island | South Island, Ultimate NZ, Aotearoa Odyssey |
| Crown Range Road | South Island | South Island |
| Milford Road | South Island | Aotearoa Odyssey |
| Haast Pass | South Island | South Island, Ultimate NZ, Aotearoa Odyssey |
| Arthur’s Pass | South Island | South Island, Ultimate NZ, Aotearoa Odyssey |
Coromandel Loop
A road New Zealand riders know by name: from Kōpū, at the foot of the Firth of Thames, up the Thames coast of the Coromandel Peninsula to Coromandel town, then over the hills to Whitianga on the east coast. Hot Water Beach, where you can dig your own spa pool in the sand, is a side trip from Whitianga.
Forgotten World Highway
Inland from Taranaki through remote hill country and hidden valleys, with a stop in Whangamōmona, the self-declared republic, for a coffee and a passport stamp. Beyond it, the volcanic plateau of Tongariro National Park and the descent to Taupō.
Desert Road
Across the volcanic plains of the central plateau, below Mount Ruapehu, then south to Wellington.
Queen Charlotte Drive
Tight, technical corners above the Marlborough Sounds, from Picton to Havelock, towards Nelson. The South Island journey comes to it up the coast from Kaikōura; Ultimate NZ and Aotearoa Odyssey ride it straight off the Cook Strait ferry (Interislander or Bluebridge) at Picton.
Lewis Pass
Through forested ridgelines over the Southern Alps to Canterbury, and on to Mount Lyford for the night; the road into Mount Lyford has a short stretch of gravel. The South Island journey comes from Nelson by way of St Arnaud and passes the thermal pools at Hanmer Springs. Reefton, a gold-mining town, is an option on all three: a longer way round to the Lewis Pass, with lunch there on Ultimate NZ and Aotearoa Odyssey.
Lindis Pass
Out of the mountains through the golden tussock hills of Otago, on the way from Aoraki / Mount Cook to Queenstown, with the Clay Cliffs near Ōmarama as an optional side trip, partly on gravel.
Crown Range Road
Through the Cardrona Valley, with the option of the Cardrona Access Road, a gravel ski-field road, for the view, then along the Crown Range Road into Queenstown by way of Arrowtown and its gold-rush buildings.
Milford Road
From Te Anau, the gateway to Fiordland, to Milford Sound and back, past the Mirror Lakes and below sheer cliffs. The journey spends two nights in Te Anau around it.
Haast Pass
From Wānaka through Mount Aspiring National Park and over the pass to Haast, then up the West Coast past Fox Glacier to Franz Josef, where the ice comes down to the rainforest.
Arthur’s Pass
The last day of all three South Island routes: from the West Coast up the Otira Gorge to Arthur’s Pass, through the Southern Alps, then down to the Canterbury Plains and Christchurch.
Surfaces
The routes are almost all sealed: 99% on the South Island, Ultimate NZ and Aotearoa Odyssey journeys. There are a few short stretches of gravel: for example, on the South Island, the road into Mount Lyford, the last stretch past Glenorchy to Paradise and the side trip to the Clay Cliffs near Ōmarama. Some of our stays have a short gravel driveway too: at one near Mount Hutt, it’s 300 m.
You never have to ride a long unsealed section unless you choose to, and the gravel side quests in the Wandrith Journey App are optional. Each journey’s page gives its distance, its longest day and its rest days, and its day-by-day route.
