Skippers Road clings to the side of Skippers Canyon, which drops vertically to the Shotover River, once known as "the richest river in the world". Rental car companies won't allow their vehicles on this narrow, unsealed road, but there are plenty of local operators available to take you up the canyon. If you want to test your fitness, mountain biking is also an option.
The road was built during the gold rush, when a precarious pack track was the only access to Skippers township and the Upper Shotover diggings.
Authors comment - the vertical drop on this road has lead to such names as Hell's Gate and the like.