But that was the case after severe flooding closed main roads in the Canterbury region.
According to Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) on Tuesday morning, road users wanting to get from the Garden City to Timaru would have had to have taken a 13-hour detour.
With the State Highway 1 Ashburton River Bridge and SH1 Temuka to Hinds roads closed, travellers were directed to head to the West Coast town of Greymouth before venturing south through Haast.
Road Transport Association New Zealand (RTANZ) wrote on Facebook that instead of the usual two-hour trip, drivers would have to make a 1000km plus trip to reach their destination.
"The SH1 Ashburton river bridge has been closed because of slumping caused by the flooding and engineers will assess the damage.
"Waka Kotahi's journey planner site is showing it is possible to get from Christchurch to Timaru -- but only via the Haast and Lewis Passes, a trip that would take over 13 hours compared with just two hours normally!"
Others also pointed out the eye-opening detour with one saying it would be faster to fly to Los Angeles, more than 10,400km away.
"You could fly from Auckland to Los Angeles and get there before someone driving from Timaru to Christchurch," one person tweeted.
While other faster routes were suggested at the time, RTANZ said they came with safety warnings such as potential slips and surface flooding.
"There are a few alternate routes being suggested however RTANZ doesn't recommend them. Access is restricted and may be closed at any time. The situation is changing."
According to the NZTA, the Ashburton River remains closed for several days after reported slumping on the bridge.
NZTA engineers have been inspecting the bridge, and no detour is currently available.
"We will know more about possible structural remedies this afternoon," Waka Kotahi Journey Manager Tresca Forrester says.
"We need to understand the degree of damage before we can look at a repair strategy and possible timeframes for reopening the bridge."
The NZTA has since updated its journey planner asking those heading between Timaru and Christchurch to use the route through Temuka, Geraldine, Mayfield and Ashburton Forks.
The trip will now take an estimated two and a-half hours, instead of the previously estimated 13.
