Arthur's Pass and the TranzAlpine

The Main Road And Rail Crossing Of The Southern Alps Between Christchurch And The West Coast, Ridden On The TranzAlpine, Regularly Rated One Of The World'S Great Train Journeys, With Arthur'S Pass National Park'S Beech Forest, Kea Parrots And The Devils Punchbowl Waterfall Either Side Of The Alpine Village At The Summit · Arthur's Pass, Canterbury

Arthur's Pass is the highest and most dramatic of the handful of routes across the Southern Alps, carrying both State Highway 73 and the TranzAlpine railway between Christchurch and the West Coast. The road climbs through beech forest and braided river valleys before switchbacking up to Arthur's Pass village, a small alpine settlement sitting inside Arthur's Pass National Park at over 900 metres. The TranzAlpine, which shares much of the same route by rail, is regularly ranked among the world's great scenic train journeys, with open-air viewing carriages for the four-and-a-half-hour run. Kea - large, inquisitive, and genuinely mischievous native parrots - are a protected species that often turn up around the village and car parks, picking at wiper blades, rubber seals and unattended bags. The short walk to the Devils Punchbowl waterfall, a 131 metre drop a few minutes from the village, is the single most popular stop for anyone travelling the road rather than the rail. Snow closes it without notice in winter, feeling like a different country from Christchurch an hour either side.

The main crossing of the Southern Alps between Christchurch and the West Coast, Arthur's Pass, Canterbury, New Zealand

The road over Arthur's Pass (SH73) and the pass itself have no gate and are open at any hour, though the Arthur's Pass National Park visitor centre keeps standard daytime hours, roughly 8am to 4:30pm, shorter in winter. The TranzAlpine runs once daily each way between Christchurch and Greymouth, departing Christchurch around 8:15am and returning mid-afternoon - check the current timetable directly, since it has changed seasonally in the past and is sometimes reduced outside peak travel months. The road itself closes without notice for snow, ice or slips in winter, June through September most years, and chains are sometimes required even when the road stays open - check NZTA road status before setting out, not an earlier trip's memory. The Devils Punchbowl track is a free, unstaffed walk open daily.

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