Hast resident Neroli Nolan is calling for expressions of interest from members of the Central Otago and Westland communities willing to take part in celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Haast Pass road between Haast and Wanaka.
The 140km alpine road is part of State Highway 6, one of New Zealand's most popular scenic and tourist routes.
When the road opened in 1960, it ended the isolation of one of the country's most remote settlements.
Haast had been established more than a century earlier but residents had relied on horses, boats and planes to get in and out.
A community meeting will be held at Haast Hall at 7.30pm tomorrow with the intention of forming a committee to co-ordinate the November 6 event, Ms Nolan said.
Possibilities for discussion included a market day, a classic car rally and aircraft fly-in.
The goal is for everyone to celebrate an important day in Haast's history.
Surviving road workers were invited to attend but it was not known where they all were today, she said.
Wanaka and Cromwell people had had a big hand in helping develop the road and so those communities were very welcome to take part, she said.
During the Great Depression, up to 400 men began building the road with picks, shovels, horses and carts.
Work was put on hold during World War 2 and did not start again until 1956, with modern machinery.
Haast's isolation was further reduced in 1965, when the road to Fox Glacier was opened.
This permitted visitors to complete the circuit around the South Island.
