Went up there in a bus when I was a kid to see the pub with no beer. Not only was there no beer, there wasn’t a pub either.

The conversation in the cab was pure gold! Worth watching just to hear that :)

My Dad drove myself and my three siblings over this road in 1958, in our wonderful green Austin A70. I sat in the front with Dad and put my trust in him, but I remember feeling a bit scared. There was much more loose gravel on the road then, and I remember serious pot-holes. Mum flatly refused to come with us, saying that she would be so frightened it would frighten her children! Good choice Mum.

Been there done that hundreds of times. Ex skippers coach driver here 1970s, H@H tours. Long before the bungy.

The unimog story isnt quite accurate. They were planning to take them in there and did do some test runs. It was all a bit too tight especially for a commercial tourism operation carrying the public. Plus locals pushed back since we didnt want the road being altered or ruined to accommodate them.

For a bit of perspective: the Skippers Canyon Road its a bit like any bog-standard road in northern India thats used routinely by all the trucks, cars, tuk-tuks, moto's, bicycles etc that service those himalayan regions...except the Skippers Road is in generally much better condition, traverses much more stable country, and is located above - and below - WAY smaller and less-steep cliffs.....

My favourite memories are driving the rafting busses here. 23 seater buses with tandem trailers and 6 rafts on top. Some corners you had to take with the front of the bus over the edge. Scared the crap out of the passengers. Even had non rafters refusing to come back with me and take a helicopter back. If I spent too long having a cold swim in a side river on a stinking hot summers day, I would have to race back to the rafting take out. 22 minutes from rafting drop off to Shotover jet rafting take out. Now that was an adrenaline rush.

My ex-partner used to drive tour coaches over the Skipper's Road back in the day. He reckoned it was the only time the Aussies on board shut up.

Had to watch in 10-minute bursts, to let my heart rate come down. Loved the background banter!

im glad i watched this on the screen and not from the cab.very scary.thanks Geoff for showing this.

When I was a kid in NZ during the 50's and 60's, most of the passes were similar . Buller Gorge, Lewis pass, round the Kaikoura's, Arthurs Pass. Plus the ones down south. Lots of times you had to back up, go through water courses.. down hill traffic had to give way to up hill. As a little kid in some places I would close my eyes. Loved the Lewis Pass because my brother and I could have a swim at the hot springs swimming pool at the Maruia Springs old pub, a couple of miles to Spring's Junction... so very different to now on these roads.

Took the family up this track in the 80's in our Hillman Hunter, and wouldn' you know it met another vehicle at Devils Gate and had to reverse up the bank to let them pass. With nowhere to turn for home we carried on through thick Mica type powdery dust with the Skippers River on our left faaar below. Further up we came to the Skippers Bridge, rusty old steel affair, we'll that was enough for the son , he hops out and starts walking while the rest of us negotiated the bridge , unfortunately the Hillman didn't have much clearance so tore the exhaust off exiting the opposite end. Spent the afternoon wandering around and found small stream that had small strawberries growing abundantly which took the kids minds off the trek. The trip out was fine but a bit noisy without the muffler now in the boot for reconnection at a later date. Back in Queenstown Next morning thought I'd give dusty old car a wash as she was looking preeetty rough when the neighbour happened by with a 'jeez mate where ya been' Skippers I replied, 'WHAT'

What an awesome beautiful road!! Thank you!

Na not that bad. Better maintained than our motorways. Better yet not one orange road cone.

Beautiful vehicle, fantastic views, love the tussock blowing in the gale and the mist. I noticed you have a multitude of antennas.

Have crap snow, so no skiing - mid-winter was the time to do it... June... The ruts were great.... created wide by Landrovers, so with the Suzuki Vitara, it was easy to flip one wheel in the frozen bit, let the steering loose and sneak along, particularly at the big slip... A certain nameless woman (aka, the Great Rhonzo) was screaming so loud she could be heard in Lumsden@!@! We sat her in the back seat in the middle and put her hood up so she could see nothing!!! My family had a mine at Maori Point. Well worth a visit - Great memory! The other crazy road was at Mount Cook. You could drive up to Ball Hutt. (I think) It was 50 years ago; the memory has faded a bit.

Wonderful country and great presentation!

Imagine driving along that road when a earthquake comes. I don't even want to think about it 😅😅

Been up this road in winter, to visit the Borrells at the Branches Station, with chains on all 4 wheels, had to cut wheel tracks in the ice at the blue slip.Try the road on the eastern side of lake Hawea, much more scary. A private road, though. It is reputed that the owner/builder Sarginson, did rock drilling tied to a rope.

Bravo, gentlemen. A great video to watch and some great overhead drone shots. I watched it while on my indoor rowing machine so it was just like being there with you guys. Have done some off road driving in NZ but never in such a big truck nor with such steep.sides. Great to watch!

My husband and I travelled this road....area, late 1980s! Beautiful!!!!Wairoa, HB😂😢😮!!!

well I know where I'm going on my next adventure ride! Nice one chaps. Love the vids. Low key. Spot on. keep it up.

In 1985 there was a section of the road, in a saddle, that dropped off sheer on both sides. Four wheel drive vehicles had rutted that section so badly that a motorcycle or car could not drive in the ruts. So the answer for a mad motorcyclist like myself was to put a wheel on each side, in each rut with the bike balanced on the exhaust under the engine. Then gun it with loads of counter steer to force the rear wheel to give traction. The most dangerous road in the country was justified back in those days because The centre ridge was only about six inches across at that point. And a road that is 6 inches wide is for definite pretty dangerous given the drop either side. The ruts were more than a foot deep and sloped washed out. Easier on a dirt bike, than the road bike I was riding. On foot well it would have been sit down and scramble unless you were a gymnast with perfect balance and zero fear of height. I’m watching this to see if the drovers camp, and tepee at the end of the road is still there after all these years. Being homeless at the time, I stopped there for a week or so.

Bloody awesome! Another great video! Cheers from Oz.

Great Video Geoff, looks like a challenging route for your truck, thanks for sharing

We had to drive roads like that in a firetruck (very similar in size to this one) for our Fire Brigade Drivers Qualification. If you didn't drive it with confidence - you failed.

I have driven that road and as an experienced driver I was nervous!! Amazing scenery though well worth it

Just drove over the Napier Toupo road today ,man it’s in terrible shape ,really rough ,it’s a dangerous road

Thoroughly enjoyable thank you for sharing. Very interesting country. Gday from across the ditch.

What a bunch of harddoers with complimentary commentary! Roll on MAN, nice idling speed, The Nevis next?

I have driven this road. Scary? Just the way it is portrayed.

While on holiday in 72 i was 6 my father took us up there to see his mate , who operated the greater along this rd i remember it being so dusty it being so fine it got into everything, we survived..

Balls of Steel right there aye , I've taken an 11 mtr Pantech thru some dodgy roads in Oz but nothing compared to that ... luved the nervous laughter from all ... hahahaaaa

I haven't driven that road. I think I best change that..🫡 Good video.👏

thank you gentlemen😂 that climb was nally af🥶thank you 4 sharing. Cheers all

Great. Like watching paint dry. And the japping in the cab is the killer

love your wagon though

Yeah, yeah, hardly any really gnarly bits - except for all of it

Looks just as good as some of our state highways.

YOU SHOULD TRY THE ROAD INTO FRENCH PASS

I think its just the vehicle giving you guys a rough ride, otherwise i dont see a problem

I went on skippers canyon drive in my Falcon sw .what a drive.up the bank to let bus go past went Gold panning only found fools gold .awesome trip.

My late Aunties first posting out of teachers college was Skippers and she traveled by horse and cart

Done the Takaka hill, the whangamoas, the road to Akaroa, French Pass etc... But FM I am NEVER doing that road. NO WAY!

Wow Wonderfull

We have done it in 4x Honda City AA 2 years ago, piece of cake

Thats nuts

As a 10 year old went with my dad in 1953. Road worse then. A woman drove us in a small bus. Barefoot and quite fast. We went to the top where she lived with her husband. We all - about 8 - had a cup of tea. Some years later her husband driving home at night after drinking in Queenstown went over the side. Is there nothing at the top now ? This trip didn’t make it all the way. Disappointing.

What a safe road, ive been on worst in the north island of new zealand, a 30m bank on one side and a 30m drop on the other, no room to pass as the road bents down the hill.

I used to do this every day. Thanks to Nomad Safaris. They were lucky the bus with the rafts on the back was not present.

You guys turned around missing the best parts of the track with the road cut into a vertical cliff face and stunning view through the valley

Tons of track width , cant see what the drama was about , other than its not much fun being a passenger . A blast on the horns would have been a highlight in some places . maybe next time if there's some thinking before rounding corners . And yes the South is my Island .

My family went all the way to the end and over the bridge in about 1967. the trip was in a VW Combi mini bus , it was summer time. Ive never been back since . BUT there is a good book about the early family the lived out there. Oh don't forget you have to turn around at the old home stead and travel back on the same road. I dont think private motorist are alloud on tis road now a days.

Much more interesting on fast forward

It’s not that bad we’ve done it in a Kingswood station wagon - it’s the coming back that road that sucks 😅😅

Yeah she’s a road that heightens the senses. Especially when you meet a truck coming the other way. I and the family went on probably that same 4x4 in the video. I remember the driver was way too relaxed to inspire confidence and security. That kind of nonchalance gets you on the news - “fatal accident on skippers canyon road…”

Lees Valley road from Oxford is more dangerous, cliffs descending a long way down. Has Beautiful river Valley half way.

That is very tame compared to the dirt roads over the mountains in Oman. It took me four hours to drive 60 km over one road in a Toyota Landcruiser during which time I saw only two other vehicles.

You know it’s bumpy when a pack of truck-adjacent men are burbling constantly about the ride 😂

When are you showing _The most Dangerous Road in NZ?_ 🤷‍♂

Dam I didn't realize that we had road like this. Orsim 😮plus no way u would catch me driving a truck on that road but I might be a passenger

Going into skippers is nothing. Not dangerous. Heading off that road and going into The Branches - that’s bloody scary

This is like most roads in Nepal

Well done . Now try it again after a few Speights .. lol

Went through mum, dad and the boy in the 90's in a toyota 1600 front wheel drive, had to high speed up from the 'town' to get out. wife tried first. got stuck 1/2 way up and jumped out leaving me and the boy in the back seat!!!

Crikey!! NZ's own Bolivia Death Road! Just put another 500 vehicles or more a day on it and Bob's your uncle. Imagine driving the Skippers, Geoff, in a bus with 45 passengers, six goats and 3 tons of luggage, with opposing traffic of the same nature including fuel and LPG tankers!

SH1 is the most dangerous road in NZ.

I don't think I would bother, struggle with self preservation 😅😅😅

Pretty tame

reminds me of the motorways

and then there is Macetown Road

So reassuring of the driver "It Won't be Like This All the way" - what exactly does that mean, "This is Sweet it gets Worse"? or "There's a nice sealed road coming up with a white dotted line"? - I don't think the driver should "Write Marriage Vows" for a living ""It Won't be Like This All the way"" is to say the least "A Bit Lose"

Yeah i was going to mention our road in Gisborne but nah. This is scarier. All the swearing was definitely warranted lol

Guess it was constructed and maintained by millions of elves in tonka trucks.

Kia ora from Sydney. No wonder I miss home.

Huh? How many roads have you driven on in NZ? In my experience Skippers is a pussy compared to many others I have driven in the North and South Islands.

Private cars can travel this road, but their insurance doesn't cover them.

Sweet vid. But I argue not the most dangerous road. You have full control over how you operate on it. Add other drivers, then you have a dangerous road. Unpredictable, dumb decisions, which affect you, then it becomes dangerous.

sorry seen worse roads filmed overseas, they lucky no one else is on the road

Where is this road?

I refused this road too 45 years ago , not for this faint hearted lady

when was this road built?

Great conversation inside the cab: "aauwe f**k me!" and the driver saying "don't mention f**k unless there's something I need to do!" Fantastic bloke talk. Surprised KZfaq's Woke PC algorithms didn't restrict it in case some delicate sod got offended.

That road is obviously very well maintained, why is it considered dangerous?

Took my Honda Goldwing in there fun ride

Where is this road.

That's SH1 isn't it? 😂

Try that in winter.

So waiting waiting for the dangerous parts??

Does not say we're in N.Z i seen a lot worse in the back country Taranki and King County

Where is this

"It won't be like this all the way" - no most of it is worse. 🙂

arghhhhh!!!

Have you driven kiwi Rd in taranaki?

this is hardly a "dangerous" road... simply a smooth metal road up a hill..... any old vehicle can make it up this hill.... dangerous.... what a crock!

most dangerous road in nz is state highway 1

not really that dangerous - I think the camera angle makes the perspective all wrong

Worse roads up the East Coast

NO it isn’t. I’ve been on the most dangerous road In NZ

Meh 🙄 I drove Skippers in a Toyota Kluger hire car, easy as bro !!