The one-way Haast River bridge on SH6 in south Westland is the longest in Westland at 737 metres. As you cross it, the scale of the meanderings of the Haast River is immediately apparent, with most of the area below made up of gravel flats and the main channel on the north side.
There are stopping points on the bridge to permit oncoming cars to pass. These also double ideal viewpoints for photos, as long as traffic is light. Like the Arawhata River to the south, the colour of the Haast River is an attractive blue. However, the view from above the river is not as high or spectacular.
You can also access the gravel bed from a side road beside the Heartland Hotel, just before the Haast Jackson Bay Road and the Haast Highway SH6 intersection.
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