W. Bulach · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi has changed the access timetable for State Highway 6 between Makarora and Lake Hawea after the August 28 storm slips. Its October 2 update schedules continuous access from 5:30 p.m. Friday, October 2, through the weekend until 8 a.m. Monday, October 5. Weekday daytime closures and escorted convoys then resume; a full 24/7 reopening has no confirmed date.
The traveler decision is still the clock, but the older overnight closure advice below has changed. NZTA now provides continuous weeknight access from 5:30 p.m. to 8 a.m., while daytime work limits traffic to convoys. If you are combining Wanaka, the glaciers, and New Zealand filming locations, check the live Journey Planner for the direction and current closure points before departure. All times in this report are New Zealand local time.
- Weekend: continuous access October 2 at 5:30 p.m. to October 5 at 8 a.m.
- Weekday daytime: closures and three escorted convoys resume October 5.
- Weeknights: continuous access from 5:30 p.m. to 8 a.m.
- Work zone: Wharf Creek to Camp Creek in the October 5 timetable.
- Full reopening: no definitive 24/7 access date; check Journey Planner.
Three Daily Convoys Replace a Full Closure
The October 2 update reduces the weekday work closure to the section between Wharf Creek in the north and Camp Creek in the south. From Monday, October 5, daytime closures resume at 8 a.m. Access during those closures uses escorted convoys rather than an unrestricted through route. The NZTA recovery page explains that arrangements can change with weather and road conditions.
For the week beginning October 5, NZTA lists northbound convoys from Camp Creek at 10 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m. Southbound returns leave Wharf Creek at 10:20 a.m., 12:20 p.m., and 2:20 p.m. These replace the September schedule reported by RNZ, which had used Makarora village and the Isthmus Peak Track car park as queue points.
Miss a convoy during the weekday daytime closure and you wait for the next permitted crossing. Use the direction-specific departure point in the current notice, not the old September queue location. NZTA has said there is no local detour around this recovery section; geotechnical work and the possibility of more falling rock continue to limit access.
Weekend and Weeknight Access Expands
NZTA schedules continuous access through the October 2 to 5 weekend, beginning Friday at 5:30 p.m. and ending Monday at 8 a.m. Its October 2 update also confirms continuous weeknight access from 5:30 p.m. until 8 a.m. Reduced temporary speed limits and single-lane stop-on-demand controls remain. Continuous access during these windows does not mean the recovery work is finished.
The earlier 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekend window and overnight shutdown described in the September reporting have been superseded by these later access arrangements. Weather or fresh slips can still change the plan at short notice. Confirm the live notice before setting off; the scheduled weekend window is not a guarantee against a new safety closure.
September Map Reports Need a Current Access Check
The second trap is an outdated map. RNZ reporting carried by the Otago Daily Times said in September that Google Maps was directing travelers on a nine hour detour from Franz Josef to Wanaka while convoys were running. NZTA area manager Chris Harris explained that Journey Planner had to show the road as closed because its legal status was closed. That was a dated account of the September restrictions, not proof of what Google Maps shows today.
Open Journey Planner, read the Makarora to Hawea listing, and decide whether your arrival falls within continuous access or a weekday daytime convoy. Do not treat a mapping app as permission to drive through a work closure. Harris also pointed drivers to NZTA’s Otago and Southland Facebook page as a supplement to the operating notice.
What to Check Before You Leave Makarora or Hawea
Check three things in order. First, whether your date and arrival time fall in the continuous-access window or the weekday daytime closure. Second, the direction and departure point of the next convoy. Third, weather and the latest Journey Planner notice, because access can change at short notice. A 10:20 a.m. southbound convoy from Wharf Creek is not a departure from Makarora village.
Build slack into the day. For the week beginning October 5, a daytime northbound crossing uses the 10 a.m., noon, or 2 p.m. convoy from Camp Creek; southbound crossings use the listed returns from Wharf Creek. The scheduled 5:30 p.m. to 8 a.m. continuous-access window changes the old advice to assume an overnight closure. Reduced speeds and stop-on-demand controls still mean this route should not be treated as a tight connection to a Queenstown flight.
West Coast Operators Say the Maps Are Costing Bookings
In the September RNZ report, Dale Burrows, owner of Franz Josef Wilderness Tours, said bookings were down about 40 percent compared with the same time the previous year and that visitors were canceling because they believed the highway was impassable. He described weekends without convoys and blamed a communications gap among NZTA, Google, and Apple Maps. That was his account of demand at his own business, not a closure of the township or a new October demand measurement.
If a map describes SH6 as shut with a long detour, compare it with the current NZTA access notice before canceling a West Coast stay. Use the date-specific continuous-access window or convoy timetable that fits your direction. If NZTA changes access because of new slips, respond to that operating notice rather than an old map or this report’s historical September schedule.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Cross during a weekday daytime closure from October 5 | Use the listed northbound Camp Creek or southbound Wharf Creek convoy time. |
| Cross during the October 2 to 5 weekend | Continuous access is scheduled Friday 5:30 p.m. to Monday 8 a.m.; check for changes. |
| See a long detour on a mapping app | Check the live NZTA notice before changing the trip; September map reports are historical. |
| Travel after 5:30 p.m. on a weeknight | Continuous access is scheduled until 8 a.m.; allow for reduced speeds and controlled lanes. |
The August 28 slips remain the recovery event. Access has expanded since September, but works, reduced speeds, and controlled sections remain.
New weekday convoy times apply from October 5. Northbound from Camp Creek: 10 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m. Southbound from Wharf Creek: 10:20 a.m., 12:20 p.m., and 2:20 p.m.
5:30 p.m. is now the start of scheduled overnight access. Weeknight continuous access runs until 8 a.m. The October 2 weekend window runs from Friday 5:30 p.m. through Monday 8 a.m.; check for short-notice changes.
Is SH6 through Haast Pass open right now?
NZTA’s October 2 notice schedules continuous access from Friday, October 2, at 5:30 p.m. through Monday, October 5, at 8 a.m. Weekday daytime closures and convoys then resume, with continuous weeknight access from 5:30 p.m. to 8 a.m. Check Journey Planner before travel.
How many SH6 convoys run on weekdays?
Three northbound runs are listed for the week beginning October 5: 10 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m. from Camp Creek. Their southbound returns leave Wharf Creek at 10:20 a.m., 12:20 p.m., and 2:20 p.m.
Where do the new southbound convoys leave?
The October 5 timetable uses Wharf Creek as the southbound departure point, at 10:20 a.m., 12:20 p.m., and 2:20 p.m. Check the current notice for the exact queue location; the old Makarora departure times are historical.
Why does Google Maps show a nine hour detour?
RNZ reported that Google Maps was drawing a nine hour Franz Josef to Wanaka loop during the September convoy restrictions. That report does not establish the current app display. Use NZTA’s live access notice to plan the crossing.
Is there a detour around the SH6 slips?
NZTA has said no local detour is available around this section. Use a permitted continuous-access window or direction-specific convoy, or adjust the overnight stop if a new safety closure is announced.
When will SH6 fully reopen?
NZTA’s October 2 update says full 24/7 continuous access is in sight but gives no definitive reopening date. Even when announced, pilot-vehicle escorts may still be needed through an active recovery section. The weekend and weeknight openings are separate from a complete 24/7 reopening.
