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 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 kilometres (72 mi) long and lies entirely within the Tasman District. It is the northernmost highway in the South Island and is a popular tourist route, servicing Motueka, Abel Tasman National Park, Golden Bay, 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

References