State Highway 79 (New Zealand)
| State Highway 79 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by NZ Transport Agency | ||||
| Length | 61.0 km (37.9 mi) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| East end | SH 1 (Orari-Rangitata Highway) at Rangitata | |||
| West end | SH 8 (Main Street/Mount Cook Road) at Fairlie | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | New Zealand | |||
| Primary destinations | Geraldine | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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State Highway 79 (SH 79) is a New Zealand state highway connecting the South Canterbury communities of Rangitata, Geraldine, and Fairlie. Starting at State Highway 1 the highway is 61 kilometres in length and runs in a general east–west direction. 6.3 km of the highway through Geraldine runs concurrently with the Inland Scenic Route (), formerly State Highway 72. The road is a two-lane single carriageway, with a one-lane bridge crossing the Orari River.
It is an important tourist highway, and forms part of the most direct route between Christchurch and the Mackenzie Country, Aoraki / Mount Cook and Queenstown/Wānaka.