From Kingston, the Southern Scenic Route follows the edge of Lake Wakatipu for about 35 km to Drift Bay. This is one of NZ's spectacular lakeside and coastal drives, with several safe places to stop for the view. Of these, the best known is Devils Staircase, a short winding section carved out of the cliff 40 metres above the Lake during the Great Depression. This time was particularly popular for developing scenic highways (Scenic Drive in Auckland and Milford Road in Te Anau, amongst others).
The new road displaced the previous steamboat ferry service from Kingston to Queenstown (the Earnslaw, still running as a lake cruise). Hundreds of cars lined up at the opening for the views on the first drive to Queenstown. Today, plenty of parking is at the top of the twist in the road, with a spectacular 180-degree view.
The source of the name predates the road and appears to reflect a couple of adventures people had when it was a rough, edgy track high above the lake. Supposedly, some cattle fell off at one stage, and an early explorer was stuck there for a night. His (somewhat dramatised?) recounting led to the name.
