Arthur's Pass New Zealand, South Island

Set in the heart of the Southern Alps of New Zealand, Arthur’s Pass is a divided landscape rich in imposing natural beauty. This route has been used by Māori tribes who used the pass to reach between Westland and Cantebury for Greenstone trading, before being overtaken by European Settlers who utilised the pass for travel. A couple of years later, gold was discovered on the West coast and a road quickly replaced the track that had originally been there. The road was built in less than a year, and since then engineering anomolys have been added such as a chute redirecting active waterfall and a viaduct.

You can drive through Arthur’s Pass today to appreciate the stunning scenery of the mountains, sweeping forests, and deep gorges. There is a small village of the same name where you can find comfortable accommodations and can be used as your ‘base camp’ when going out to explore some of the popular hiking trails available in Arthur’s Pass such as Devil’s Punchbowl Falls and Avalanche Peak Track. The Devil’s Punchbowl Falls walk is only about an hour and is not very strenuous, however Avalanche Peak Track requires more expertise and leads about 1,100 m/3,609 ft above Arthur’s Pass village.