State Highway 79 (New Zealand)

State Highway 79 shield}}
State Highway 79
Map
Route information
Maintained by NZ Transport Agency
Length61.0 km (37.9 mi)
Major junctions
East end SH 1 (Orari-Rangitata Highway) at Rangitata
West end SH 8 (Main Street/Mount Cook Road) at Fairlie
Location
CountryNew Zealand
Primary
destinations
Geraldine
Highway system
SH 78 SH 80

State Highway 79 (SH 79) is a New Zealand state highway connecting the South Canterbury communities of Rangitata, Geraldine, and Fairlie. Starting at State Highway 1 the highway is 61 kilometres in length and runs in a general east–west direction. 6.3 km of the highway through Geraldine runs concurrently with the Inland Scenic Route (), formerly State Highway 72. The road is a two-lane single carriageway, with a one-lane bridge crossing the Orari River.

It is an important tourist highway, and forms part of the most direct route between Christchurch and the Mackenzie Country, Aoraki / Mount Cook and Queenstown/Wānaka.