>>1187814The road surfaces are generally good - the problem is they are very winding in some places like the lewis pass, arthurs pass since they have cut roads into the mountains. This seems to be the downfall of tourists who are used to cities and/or long straight stretches of road and highways. I had a friend from Germany come to freedom camp and we had to teach him how to take corners before he left on his grand tour.
Don't try and cover too much road in a day, take a rest - there are lots of areas to pull over.
Take note of the suggested cornering speeds and you can generally add 10km on that to get around safely. If you are unsure just stick to the sign until you get a feel for it.
Pic is an extreme example but this is a section of the road from Queenstown over the hill to Cardrona/Wanaka. If you are planning be around that area in winter you will need tyre chains, otherwise just take it slow and pull over if there is a lot of traffic building up behind you (or you could get a visit from highway patrol).
