NationMaster - Encyclopedia: State Highway 1 (New Zealand)

State Highway 1 is the most significant single element of the New Zealand roading network Image File history File links NZ-SH1_map. ... Image File history File links NZ-SH1_map. ... The New Zealand State Highway Shield. ...

State Highway 1 can be considered as a single highway running the length of both main islands, a total of 2027 km. For the purposes of measuring distances, it is deemed to start at the northernmost point on both islands. KM, Km, or km may stand for: Khmer language (ISO 639 alpha-2, km) Kilometre Kinemantra Meditation Knowledge management KM programming language KM Culture, Korean Movie Maker. ...

North Island

In the North Island, the start point of State Highway 1 is at Waitiki Landing, at the base of the Aupouri Peninsula. From there, SH 1F - designated in 2004 - runs north to Cape Reinga. From Waitiki Landing, SH1 tends to follow the eastern side of the Northland Peninsula, passing south through Kaitaia, Whangarei, Wellsford, and Warkworth to Orewa, where you join the Northern Motorway to reach Auckland, and cross the Auckland Harbour Bridge into the city. North Island The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, the other being the South Island. ... The Aupouri Peninsula is a tombolo at the northern tip of the North Island of New Zealand. ... Cape Reinga Lighthouse Cape Reinga (or Te Rerenga Wairua in the Maori language) is the northwesternmost tip of the Aupouri Peninsula, at the northern end of the North Island of New Zealand. ... The North Auckland Peninsula, frequently referred to simply as the Northland Peninsula, is located in the far north of the North Island of New Zealand. ... Kaitaia is a town in Northland Region, in the far north of New Zealand. ... Whangarei (the initial consonant is often prounounced F) is the northernmost city in New Zealand and the regional capital of Northland Region. ... Wellsford is a town in the northern North Island of New Zealand. ... Warkworth is a town in the Rodney District of New Zealand. ... Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest urban area in New Zealand. ... Auckland Harbour Bridge Auckland Harbour Bridge is an eight lane road bridge that spans the Waitemata Harbour joining Freemans Bay in Auckland City with Northcote in North Shore City, New Zealand. ...

From Auckland, the motorway continues south, changing into an expressway 50km south of the Harbour Bridge. Just beyond this point SH 2 branches off to the east while SH 1 continues south to Mercer, from where it follows the course of the Waikato River through Hamilton. Here, SH 3 branches off to the southwest and SH 1 turns southeastwards towards Cambridge and past Lake Karapiro. A $NZ500 million project to convert the entire 160 km between Auckland and Cambridge to a four-lane divided carriageway is about 50% complete as of the beginning of 2006. At Tirau, SH 5 starts and travels eastward towards Rotorua, while SH 1 turns south, passing through Tokoroa and extensive tracts of plantation forest eventually reaching the city of Taupo on the northeastern shore of the lake of the same name. The highway skirts the lake's eastern shore before reaching Turangi, near the lake's southern tip. Waikato River passing through Hamilton The Waikato River is the longest river in New Zealand. ... Hamilton is New Zealands 4th-largest metropolitan area. ... Cambridge is a town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. ... Lake Karapiro is one of several artificial lakes formed as part of a hydroelectricity scheme on the Waikato River in the North Island of New Zealand. ... The Big Sheep Wool Gallery, Tirau NZ Main Road, Tirau Tirau is a small town of approximately 800 people in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand, 50 kilometres southeast of Hamilton. ... Rotorua is a city located on the southern shore of Lake Rotorua in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. ... Tokoroa is the second largest town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. ... Taupo is a large urban area in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand. ... Lake Taupo. ... Turangi is a town on the North Island Volcanic Plateau of New Zealand at the southwest corner of Lake Taupo. ...

South of Turangi, the highway crosses the North Island Volcanic Plateau and the Rangipo Desert. This stretch of road, south to Waiouru, is known as the Desert Road and is frequently closed by snow in winter. There are spectacular views of the three volcanoes Mount Tongariro, Mount Ngauruhoe and Mount Ruapehu. From Waiouru the road descends to Taihape before veering southwest along the course of the Rangitikei River. It briefly shares the route of SH 3 for a six-kilometre stretch between the small towns of Bulls and Sanson on the Manawatu Plain before reaching Levin. The North Island Volcanic Plateau (often called the Central Plateau and occasionally the Waimarino Plateau) is located in the central North Island of New Zealand. ... Say the word desert, and the usual definition conjured up is one of dry land that rarely if ever sees rain. ... Waiouru is a small town in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand. ... Mount Tongariro is a volcanic mountain complex in the North Island of New Zealand. ... Mount Ngauruhoe is an active stratovolcano in New Zealand. ... Mount Ruapehu, or just Ruapehu, is an active stratovolcano, situated at the southern end of the Taupo Volcanic Zone. ... Taihape is a small but picturesque town near the middle of the North Island of New Zealand. ... The Rangitikei River is one of New Zealands longest rivers. ... Bulls is a small town near the South Taranaki Bight of the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. ... Sanson is a small town in the Manawatu region of New Zealand. ... Some of the most fertile land in the southwestern North Island of New Zealand is located on the floodplains of the Manawatu and Rangitikei Rivers, in an area known as the Manawatu Plains. ... Levin is a town in the North Island of New Zealand. ...

South of Levin, the highway follows the ever narrowing western coastal plain through Otaki, Paekakariki, and Plimmerton. Difficult terrain and a large number of satellite towns make this an area of considerable congestion and a high accident rate. The highway runs through Porirua and across a steep section of road, descending through the Ngauranga Gorge into central Wellington, terminating close to Wellington Airport at the southern end of the city. Paekakariki is a town in the Kapiti Coast District in the south-western North Island of New Zealand. ... The township of Plimmerton surrounds one of the more congenial beaches in the northwest part of the Wellington urban area in New Zealand. ... Porirua is a city in New Zealand, 20 km north of Wellington. ... Wellington (Te Whanganui-a-Tara or Poneke) is the capital city of New Zealand, the countrys second-largest urban area and the most populous national capital city in Oceania. ...

Ferries cross Cook Strait from the capital to Picton in the Marlborough Sounds. There have been calls for the ferries to be classified as part of the State Highway network, in the belief that this would increase the Government's powers to intervene and keep the ferries running at times of industrial action. A view of from the summit of Mount Victoria, Wellington - Cook Strait stretches to the right (west). ... A view of the harbour in Picton. ... Sea kayakers in the Marlborough Sounds. ...

South Island

The State Highway 1 Shield.

In the South Island, distances are measured from the Picton ferry terminal. The first stretch of the highway is steep, climbing from Picton and crossing a saddle into the valley of the Tuamarina River. It descends alongside this river and across the Wairau Plain before reaching Blenheim. From here, the highway largely hugs the coast, passing at the foot of the steep Kaikoura Ranges. This stretch of the highway is one of the most scenic, with the open ocean on one side, and 2500 metre peaks on the other. Passing Kaikoura, the road veers inland, twisting tortuously through the Hundalee Ranges before eventually emerging at the northern end of the Canterbury Plains. Image File history File links NZSH1. ... Image File history File links NZSH1. ... The South Island The South Island forms one of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the North Island. ... Blenheim is a small city located in Marlborough, on the northeast of the South Island in New Zealand. ... The Kaikoura Ranges are two parallel ranges of mountains in the northeast of the South Island of New Zealand. ... A view of the bay in Kaikoura showing the mountains. ... The Canterbury Plains is an area bounded by the foothills of the Southern Alps and the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. ...

From here, the highway passes through Amberley and Kaiapoi before bypassing Christchurch. South of Christchurch, the highway becomes virtually straight as it crosses the wide fan of the Canterbury plains, crossing the country's longest road bridge at Rakaia before reaching Ashburton, and then veering back towards the coast, which it reaches at Timaru. Between Ashburton and Timaru, the road temporarily leaves the South Island, travelling across Rangitata Island in the delta of the Rangitata River (the only place where this highway is not technically in either of the two main islands). Amberley is a town located in the Hurunui District of north Canterbury, on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. ... Kaiapoi is a town in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand, located close to the mouth of the Waimakariri River. ... Situated on the Eastern coast, Christchurch is the principal city of the South Island of New Zealand. ... The town of Rakaia is seated close to the southern banks of the Rakaia River on the Canterbury Plains in New Zealands South Island. ... Ashburton is a town in the Canterbury region on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. ... Timaru is a major port city in south Canterbury, New Zealand, located 160 kilometres south of Christchurch and about 200 kilometres north of Dunedin on the eastern Pacific coast of the South Island. ... Rangitata Island is a long lenticular-shaped island in the delta of the braided Rangitata River in Canterbury, New Zealand, approximately halfway between Timaru and Ashburton, New Zealand. ... The Rangitata River is one of the braided rivers that helped form the Canterbury Plains in southern New Zealand. ...

From Timaru, the highway again follows the coast, crossing the Waitaki River and reaching Oamaru before crossing the undulating hill country of north Otago. South of Waikouaiti the road again becomes steep, rising sharply before dropping down to the coast at Dunedin. From here the highway runs southwest to Balclutha before turning west to avoid the Catlins Hills, only turning south again at Gore. From Gore, the road runs south and then southeast to Invercargill, and on from there to Stirling Point, one kilometre south of Bluff, which is the terminus of the South Island's part of the highway. The Waitaki River is a large river in the South Island of New Zealand, some 110 km long. ... pronunciation[?] Waitaki District Council building, Thames Street, Oamaru Oamaru is the largest town of North Otago in New Zealands South Island, and serves as its principal centre. ... Otago pronunciation? is one of the regions of New Zealand and lies in the south-east of the South Island. ... Waikouaiti is a small town in East Otago, New Zealand, within the city limits of Dunedin. ... Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, located in coastal Otago. ... Looking across the Clutha towards the town centre. ... The Catlins is an area in the south of the South Island of New Zealand and lies between Balclutha and Invercargill. ... Gore is a town and surrounding borough in the South Island of New Zealand. ... Invercargill is the southernmost and also the most western city in New Zealand, and one of the most southern settlements in the world. ... Panorama of the view from the summit of Bluff Hill near Invercargill Bluff is a town and seaport located in the Southland region on the southern coast of the South Island of New Zealand. ...

South Island

See also