View over the Wakatipu Basin near Arrowtown from the Crown Range road.

Travelling from Arrowtown and heading towards Cromwell the road starts near the bridge across the Arrow River and climbs a steep hill, with a winding zig zag which climbs up to the 'Crown Terrace'; a large flat and fertile plateau capable of growing grain crops.

The Crown Range itself lies between the Wakatipu Basin & the Cardrona Valley. The road over the range, known as the Crown Range road, is a 'short-cut' between Queenstown & Wanaka and is the highest main road (Highway 89) in New Zealand. It reaches an altitude of 1121 metres and in winter the road is often covered in snow and ice, making for very difficult driving conditions.