Touring route goes from by-way to highway

It took some clever scheming and midnight shenanigans to get it up and running but it was well worth the effort as it is fast becoming one of Southland’s most popular and well recognised tourism products.

The Southern Scenic Route takes you on a journey through some of the most spectacular coastal scenery and rural settings in New Zealand. The route offers a range of activities from a three-day walk along Tuatapere’s Hump Ridge Track or a cultural heritage experience at Te Hikoi in Riverton to something more peaceful like a guided horse trek across the Catlins hills. Along the route there are countless accommodation and dining establishments to suit a variety of tastes and budgets along the way.

The Venture Southland-managed Southern Scenic Route opened officially on 6 November 1988 and has played a huge part in enhancing Southland's potential as a tourist destination.

The route initially covered major highways, city roads, minor roads and gravel roads from Te Anau to Balclutha and was extended to Dunedin in 1998. More recently, all roads along the route have been upgraded and sealed allowing rental cars and motorhomes accessibility to the route. The 440km Southern Scenic Route links Fiordland to the beauty of the Southland and Otago coasts and was the first touring route to be established in New Zealand.

The route was the brainchild of John Fraser after he became fed up with being so isolated from his friends and family and was looking for a way to attract more people to Tuatapere. Mr Fraser started up Tuatapere Promotions as an authority to foster the Southern Scenic Route. Promotional groups from Riverton and Owaka were quick to jump onboard and raised money for the development of the route before receiving a big break with government funding of $50,000 for signposting.

Mr Fraser said he was amazed at the way the Southern Scenic Route has developed with Venture Southland’s help, "It has exceeded my expectations by a mile.”  Mr Fraser said visits to information centres along the route had increased dramatically. “As well as higher usage of the route, the number of services and accommodation facilities have also flourished.”

In the future Mr Fraser would like to see the Southern Scenic Route well promoted at the entrance points to the South Island where people might begin their holiday. He also saw the internet as an important medium to promote the route but still saw a continuing need for the route's presence on maps and brochures.

Venture Southland has watched the route grow in popularity and recognises it as a key product in the region. Venture Southland commissioned Southern Scenic Route research at the beginning of 2009 when a variety of travellers were surveyed.

Venture Southland has now re-established a Southern Scenic Route steering group including representatives from Tourism Dunedin, Clutha District Council, Venture Southland, Destination Fiordland, Department of Conservation and New Zealand Transport Authority. The group is looking at a range of initiatives to market the touring route and raise its profile even further.