New Zealand State Highway 49

State Highway 49
Route information
Maintained by New Zealand Transport Agency
Length:	36.2 km (22.5 mi)
Major junctions
West end:	SH 4 at Tohunga Junction
East end:	SH 1 at Waiouru
Location
Primary destinations:	Ohakune
Highway system
New Zealand state highways Motorways and expressways List Unused ← SH 48 SH 50 →

State Highway 49 (SH 49) is a New Zealand State Highway, linking SH 4 and SH 1, via the tourist town of Ohakune. It forms the southern part of the ring road surrounding Tongariro National Park and provides access to the southern side of Mount Ruapehu and the Turoa skifield. It roughly follows the North Island Main Trunk railway.

SH 49, along with SH 4, 47, and 46, is used as an alternative route to SH 1 and the Desert Road, and is well used when the Desert Road is closed due to snow.

SH 49 lies entirely within the Ruapehu District.

Route

State Highway 49 passing through Ohakune.

Ohakune's famous giant carrot lies just off State Highway 49 at the eastern end of the township.

State Highway 49's bridge over the Whangaehu River at Tangiwai.

SH 49 leaves SH 4 at Tohunga Junction, some eight kilometres north of Raetihi, and heads southeast across rolling hills to the tourist town of Ohakune. Following Ohakune's main street, the road continues southeast out of the township, passing Ohakune's famous giant carrot.

SH 49 continues southeast across rolling hills, running broadly in the same direction as the North Island Main Trunk. It passes the rural villages of Rangataua and Karioi, before meeting the railway line at the Whangaehu River at Tangiwai. The bridge here has flashing lighs and gates to block off the road in case of a lahar from Mount Ruapehu's crater lake. To the side of the bridge is the Tangiwai memorial, erected to remember the 151 people who died in the Tangiwai disaster when a Wellington to Auckland express train plunged into the river following a lahar on 24 December 1953.

After crossing the Whangaehu River, and the railway line, SH 49 turns east for several kilometres, before turning south into Waiouru. At Waiouru, SH 49 ends at the intersection with SH 1.

Spur

SH 49 used to have one spur; SH 49A. It deviated from SH 49 at Ohakune, and ran west to Raetihi, where it terminated at State Highway 4. SH 49A was revoked in 1991-92.

Major intersections

The highway lies entirely within the Ruapehu District.

Location	km	jct	Destinations	Notes
Tohunga Junction	0		SH 4 north – National Park SH 4 south – Wanganui	SH 49 begins
Ohakune			Goldfinch Street – Turoa skifield
			Raehiti Ohakune Road – Raetihi	Former SH 49A
Tangiwai	29		Whangaehu River
Waiouru	38		SH 1 north (Desert Road) – Taupo SH 1 south – Palmerston North	SH 49 ends

See also

• List of New Zealand State Highways

References

External links

• New Zealand Transport Agency

New Zealand state highways
List of New Zealand state highways List of unused highways in New Zealand List of motorways and expressways in New Zealand
National	SH 1 (incl. SH 1B, SH 1D) SH 2 (incl. SH 2B) SH 3 (incl. SH 3A) SH 4 SH 5 SH 6 (incl. SH 6A) SH 7 (incl. SH 7A) SH 8 (incl. SH 8A, SH 8B)
North Island	SH 10 SH 11 SH 12 SH 14 SH 15 SH 16 SH 18 SH 20 (incl. SH 20A, SH 20B) SH 21 SH 22 SH 23 SH 24 SH 25 (incl. SH 25A) SH 26 SH 27 SH 28 SH 29 (incl. SH 29A) SH 30 (incl. SH 30A) SH 31 SH 32 SH 33 SH 34 SH 35 SH 36 SH 37 SH 38 SH 39 SH 41 SH 43 SH 44 SH 45 SH 46 SH 47 SH 48 SH 49 SH 50 (incl. SH 50A) SH 53 SH 54 SH 56 SH 57 SH 58
South Island	SH 60 SH 62 SH 63 SH 65 SH 67 (incl. SH 67A) SH 69 SH 71 SH 73 SH 74 (incl. SH 74A) SH 75 SH 76 SH 77 SH 78 SH 79 SH 80 SH 82 SH 83 SH 84 SH 85 SH 86 SH 87 SH 88 SH 90 SH 93 SH 94 SH 95 SH 96 SH 97 SH 98 SH 99
Former state highways	SH 1A SH 2A SH 15 SH 15A SH 17 SH 36 SH 40 SH 47A SH 49A SH 52 SH 57A SH 61 SH 70 SH 72 SH 73A SH 89 SH 91 SH 92
Touring routes	Twin Coast Discovery Highway Thermal Explorer Highway Pacific Coast Highway Classic New Zealand Wine Trail Alpine Pacific Triangle Great Alpine Highway Foothills Scenic Route Inland Scenic Route Southern Scenic Route