Lindis Pass: A Scenic Stretch of Road Between Queenstown and Mount Cook

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The journey between Queenstown and Mount Cook is a scenic one, and one of the most impressive stretches takes you through the Lindis Pass. It takes around an hour to drive and there are several places to stop along the way. It’s a great place to drive, especially in winter, but make sure to check the conditions as it is occasionally closed due to snow. Keep reading (or looking, as this will be a photo heavy post) to find out more about this special New Zealand journey.

On the Road

We’ve driven the Lindis Pass a few times and it always looks a little different. It’s obviously best on a crisp, sunny morning, but that doesn’t always happen in these parts! The road gets a little curvy in places so it’s best to take it slow. There aren’t many places to pass slow moving vehicles, so you should pull over and let people pass when you get the chance. It’s always annoying when people don’t do this!

There aren’t many official places to stop along the Lindis Pass but there is usually plenty of room by the side of the road to stop and get photos. Obviously always be careful though. There’s also a track which we saw – we haven’t done it yet (we’ve always been in a bit of a hurry to get to Mount Cook etc) but it could be a cool thing to do. There’s not too much more I can say about driving Lindis Pass, so check out the photos.

Lindis Pass Viewpoint

There’s one main viewpoint around halfway along the road and it makes for a good place to get out and stretch your legs. You can see right out over a valley framed by mountains, with the main road being the only sign of civilization. As good as the viewpoint is, I think the some of the best views of the Lindis Pass are further down the road (the long stretch you can see from the viewpoint). It’s a great place to stop and get some road photos.

Queenstown to Mount Cook

Lindis Pass is just one section of the three-hour drive between Queenstown (or Wanaka) and Mount Cook. There are heaps of places to stop along the way and I’ll be writing a post about this entire drive in the near future.

Did you enjoy our post about driving Lindis Pass? Are you planning to drive between Queenstown and Mount Cook? Let me know in the comments below!

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Jon Algie

I'm a South Island local -- born in Timaru and raised in Dunedin. I left the island in 2006 and returned 10 years later. Having seen a good chunk of the world I realised how special this place is -- the most beautiful island in the world! Seven years (and almost 400 posts) later I'm still helping locals and tourists alike plan their trips around the South Island.