Roaring Meg in Queenstown-Lakes District, Otago Region, New Zealand — Southwestern Pacific Ocean
Crown Range Summit
Photographed by Shirley A Stirling, December 20, 2025
1. Crown Range Summit Marker
This pass, the Crown Range Summit, at 1076 metres above sea level, is the highest sealed road in New Zealand.
In February 1860, W.G. Rees and P. Von Tunzelman were the first Europeans to cross the pass, searching for sheep pasture and burning the speargrass and matagouri on route.
In 1861, Alfred Duncan drove the first sheep to the Rees Run at Wakatipu. After crossing the Clutha River at Albert Town, they moved up the Cardrona Valley and over this pass, where they saw "the promised land of Rees".
Early in 1863 hundreds of gold seekers used this route to the Arrow and Skippers diggings.
In 1877 the first tourist trips using horse drawn coaches drove over the pass.
In the year 2000, the road was finally sealed. It is now a major tourist route, bringing the communities and skifields of Queenstown and Wanaka closer together.
Erected by The Queenstown and Districts Historical Society and Upper Clutha Historical Records Society Project.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical month for this entry is February 1860.
Location. 44° 59.54′ S,
this page online
Regionally, it is in Oceania, in Australasia, in Polynesia, in the Pacific Ocean, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony.
Other nearby markers. At least 7 other markers are within 11 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Mary Cotter Tree (approx. 10.2 kilometers away); Bank of New Zealand (approx. 10.2 kilometers away); Welcome to the Arrowtown Chinese Settlement (approx. 10.6 kilometers away); Invited but Unwelcome (approx. 10.6 kilometers away); The Manure Room (approx. 10.7 kilometers away); The Hayloft (approx. 10.7 kilometers away); The Dairy (approx. 10.7 kilometers away).
Photographed by Shirley A Stirling, December 20, 2025
2. Crown Range Summit Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on December 26, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 22, 2025, by Shirley A Stirling of Lacey, Washington. This page has been viewed 128 times since then and 90 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 22, 2025, by Shirley A Stirling of Lacey, Washington. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
