State Highway 60 is a
state highway servicing the far northwest of the
South Island of New Zealand. Running between the settlements of
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, ...
(south of
Nelson
Nelson may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey
* ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers
* ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
) and
Collingwood, it is long and lies entirely within the
Tasman District
Tasman District () is a local government district in the northwest of the South Island of New Zealand. It borders the Canterbury Region, West Coast Region, Marlborough Region and Nelson City. It is administered by the Tasman District Council, ...
. It is the northernmost highway in the South Island and is a popular tourist route, servicing
Motueka
Motueka is a town in the South Island of New Zealand, close to the mouth of the Motueka River on the western shore of Tasman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aorere. It is the second largest in the Tasman Region, with a population of as of
The surrounding ...
,
Abel Tasman National Park,
Golden Bay Golden Bay may refer to:
* Golden Bay / Mohua, a bay at the northern end of New Zealand's South Island
* Golden Bay (Malta), a bay and beach on the coastline of Malta
* Golden Bay High School
Golden Bay High School is a secondary school
A s ...
, and
Farewell Spit
Farewell Spit ( mi, Onetahua) is a narrow sand spit at the northern end of the Golden Bay, South Island of New Zealand. It runs eastwards from Cape Farewell, the island's northernmost point. Farewell Spit is a legally protected Nature Reserve ...
.
Route
The highway starts at Richmond at a roundabout junction with
SH 6 and proceeds in the northwesterly direction across the
Waimea Plains. Near
Māpua, 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 Motueka Estuary and through the major town of
Motueka
Motueka is a town in the South Island of New Zealand, close to the mouth of the Motueka River on the western shore of Tasman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aorere. It is the second largest in the Tasman Region, with a population of as of
The surrounding ...
. Just past
Riwaka
Riwaka ( mi, Riuwaka) is a small settlement in the Tasman District of New Zealand's South Island. It lies beside Tasman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aorere, five kilometres north of Motueka, and close to the mouth of the Riuwaka River. The land where the t ...
, 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
Tākaka Hill (elevation 791 metres above sea level) and the notorious Eureka Bend. The highway then descends into the
Tākaka Valley and passes through the town of
Tākaka
Tākaka is a small town situated at the southeastern end of Golden Bay, at the northern end of New Zealand's South Island, located on the lower reaches of the Tākaka River. State Highway 60 runs through Takaka and follows the river valley ...
. The highway then hugs the coastline of
Golden Bay Golden Bay may refer to:
* Golden Bay / Mohua, a bay at the northern end of New Zealand's South Island
* Golden Bay (Malta), a bay and beach on the coastline of Malta
* Golden Bay High School
Golden Bay High School is a secondary school
A s ...
before terminating just outside the township of Collingwood.
History
At first there was no road connecting the coastal areas about Bronte, Māpua 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.
In 2003, the terminus at Collingwood was curtailed 1.1 km to the intersection of Collingwoood-Bainham Main Road.
Until 2010, before the construction of the Ruby Bay bypass, SH 60 followed the coastline around Māpua.
Gallery
File:Takaka, Golden Bay Not So Sunny Today.jpg, SH 60 as Commercial Street passing through Tākaka
Tākaka is a small town situated at the southeastern end of Golden Bay, at the northern end of New Zealand's South Island, located on the lower reaches of the Tākaka River. State Highway 60 runs through Takaka and follows the river valley ...
File:New Zealand, Top of the South Island (Nelson), Skydiving.jpg, Aerial view of SH 60 passing through the southern section of Motueka
Motueka is a town in the South Island of New Zealand, close to the mouth of the Motueka River on the western shore of Tasman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aorere. It is the second largest in the Tasman Region, with a population of as of
The surrounding ...
See also
*
List of New Zealand state highways
This is a list of highways of the New Zealand state highway network and some touring routes. State highways are administered by the NZ Transport Agency, while all other roads are the responsibility of territorial authorities.
Current
North ...
References
External links
New Zealand Transport Agency
{{New Zealand State Highway navbox
60