In a country full of gnarly roads, the one leading to The Remarkables ski area is undoubtedly one of the gnarliest. If you’re in any doubt, just check out the video of a bus attempting to negotiate it’s way down the hill above.
As with many non-residential/non-highway roads in New Zealand it’s constructed from gravel, hope and not much else, fine in the summer but perilous in the snow, and as NZ’s highest public access road it sees a lot of the white stuff every year.
Gnarly or not, the drive is more than worth it – the Remarks is a great, fun resort, even featuring the only Burton Stash in the Southern hemisphere. And like many other mountains in the South Island, if you’re lucky enough to get above the cloud line the views can be pretty spectacular.
